Stock Market Close: Sensex Loses 556 Pts, Nifty At 24,891

Markets fell sharply in the last trading hour Thursday, with Sensex losing 556 points to 81,160 and Nifty dropping 166 points to 24,891. Most sectors declined, led by Realty and Auto. Power Grid, Tata Motors, and TCS were major losers. Nifty Metal was the only gainer, up  0.22%. Mid- and small-caps also slipped.