The Sensex recovered its early losses and trying to make headway towards positive terrain.

Realty, auto and FMCG stocks led the declining charts, whereas IT stocks gained ground. BSE Midcap and Smallcap index lost 0.85% and 0.87% respectively.

With no great triggers on the way, the mood remains quite watchful on the bourses today.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks ended lower Wednesday on Wall Street's overnight losses and slumping commodity prices.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 113.79 points, or 1.29 per cent, to close at 8,695.51, with shares of commodity companies among the biggest losers of the day.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 14.13 points, or 1.59 per cent, to 875.23.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 97.78-83 yen, up from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 97.64-65 yen.

Tokyo - To

Riga - Prices tumbled again on Baltic stock markets Tuesday with the Baltic Benchmark Index (BBI), combining data from the Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius exchanges, closing down 3.2 per cent at 270.22.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange in Estonia fell 3.22 per cent, the Vilnius exchange in Lithuania slipped 2.74 per cent and the Riga exchange in Latvia eased by 1.37 per cent.

Amman - Arab stock markets plummeted across the board on Tuesday as global recession fears and falling oil prices helped to fuel already dwindling confidence and panic selling, financial analysts said.

The plunge was led by the Saudi and the United Arab Emirates stock exchanges where lack of cash and departure of foreign investors reportedly put enormous pressures on the psychology of investors, they added.

The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) of the Saudi stock exchange tumbled 5.21 per cent led by the petrochemical conglomerate, the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), as well as the banking and construction sectors.