Mumbai, July 8 - A key index of the Indian equities markets was ruling in the red Wednesday, as investors chose to book profits in metal, realty, infrastructure and banking stocks. It was ruling 359 points below the last closing figure, a little before noon.

Around 11.30 a.m., the 30-scrip index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened lower at 14,039.58 points, was at 13,810.58 points - 359.87 points or 2.54 percent lower than Tuesday's closing figure.

Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was ruling in the red at 4,096.8 points, down by 2.51 percent.

Broader market indices came under greater selling pressure, with the BSE midcap index trading 3.2 percent lower and the BSE smallcap index moving down 3.23 percent.

Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, banking, realty and metal scrips were the hardest hit, while auto stocks were the only ones which saw some buying interest.