Investors become poorer by Rs 5.49 lakh crore as markets slump

The BSE Sensex declined for the third consecutive day, falling by 1,017.23 points to close at 81,183.93 points, resulting in a loss of Rs 5.49 lakh crore in investors’ wealth. The market downturn was influenced by weak global trends and foreign fund outflows. Major laggards included State Bank of India and ICICI Bank.