Sensex slips below 50,000 on profit booking

The S-P BSE Sensex crossed historical milestone of 50,000 in Thursday's session as benchmark indices scaled fresh lifetime highs but closed 0.4 per cent lower as traders booked profit in the last hour of trading.

At the closing bell, however, the S-P BSE Sensex was down by 167 points or 0.34 per cent at 49,625 while the Nifty 50 tumbled by 54 points or 0.37 per cent to 14,590.

Except for Nifty auto, all sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange closed in the negative zone with Nifty PSU bank losing by 3.1 per cent, realty by 2.5 per cent and metal by 2 per cent.