Mumbai: A benchmark index for Indian equities Monday closed 79 points lower, failing to keep up with a brief recovery late afternoon as selling sentiments weighed heavy throughout the markets. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,847.7 points, ended at 16,780.46 points, down 79.22 points or 0.47 percent from its previous close at 16,859.68 points. RIL, M&M and Infosys were among the key stocks that added to the Sensex's drag. At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,007.9 points, against the previous close at 5,036 points, a loss of 0.56 percent. Broader markets were also hit by selling pressure, with the BSE midcap index closing 1.3 percent lower and the BSE small cap index ending 0.9 percent down. The losses were also due to heavy selling by foreign institutional investors, who sold $446.06 million-worth, according to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The market breadth was negative with as many as 1,105 stocks advancing, against 1,747 scrips declining and 61 remaining unchanged. Among the major gainers were Bharti Airtel, up 2.86 percent at 330.50; Hindustan Unilever, up 2.35 percent at 263.85; ITC, up 2.21 percent at 254.85; and L&T, up 1.24 percent at 1,490.65. Top losers included M&M, down 5.24 percent at 1,072.35; Jaiprakash Associates, down 3.27 percent at 142.20; DLF, down 2.77 percent at 344; and Tata Steel, down 2.24 percent at 610.50. Most other Asian markets were also in the red, with the benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, ending 0.74 percent lower at 10,512.69 points, and the Korean Kospi down 0.84 percent at 1,670.2 points. The Chinese Shanghai composite index too shut shop in the negative after state-run Bank of China disclosed plans to raise capital and some banks raised mortgage rates. The Chinese index closed at 3,094.41 points, 1.09 percent down. The Hang Seng of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, too was dragged lower owing to this news from the mainland and ended trade 0.62 percent lower at 20,598.55 points. European markets started trade with modest gains. At closing bell here, FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling 0.25 percent higher at 5,316.1 points, while the French index, CAC 40, was up 0.24 percent at 3,829.77 points. However, the German DAX was ruling 0.15 percent lower at 5,687.01 points.