Mumbai, April 21: The Sensex started on a negative note tracking weak global markets and after US crude prices nosedived below the $0 a barrel mark for the first time ever, highlighting an unprecedented global oil gut. The Sensex was trading at 30,664.71, down 983.29 (3.11 percent). Nifty, on the other hand, was at 8,977, down 3 percent at 9:30 am on Tuesday. 

Talking about the global markets, on Wall Street, the S&P energy index tumbled 3.7 per cent, while benchmarks Dow Jones and S&P 500 slipped 2.44 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively on Monday. The Nasdaq Composite, too, fell 1.03 per cent. US Oil Prices Crash Below $0 Per Barrel, Turn Negative For First Time In History As Demand Vanishes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 18,601 on Tuesday with 47 deaths and 1,336 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed. Of these, 14,759 are active cases while 3251 individuals have been cured and discharged from the hospitals. The death toll, on the other hand, has increased to 590.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2020 09:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).