Sensex closes 41 points lower, oil and gas, IT stocks down

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed 41 points down Tuesday due to selling pressure in oil and gas, IT and healthcare stocks.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,514.72 points, closed 18,501.63 points (provisional), 40.68 points or 0.22 percent down from its previous day’s close at 18,542.31 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 18,580.48 and a low of 18,469.51 points in intra-day trade. The BSE midcap index was up 56.05 points, while the smallcap index was 52.74 points high.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange closed 0.18 percent down at 5,599.85 points.

On the sectoral front, the BSE oil and gas index was down 101.02 points while IT index was down 32.81 points and health care was down 27.10.

The major Sensex gainers were BHEL, up 5.32 percent at Rs.224.75; SBI, up 3.91 percent at Rs.2,157.30; Gail India, up 2.75 percent at Rs.386.90; Jindal Steel, up 2.64 percent at Rs.404.95; and Infosys, up 1.42 percent at Rs.2,598.90

The main losers were Wipro, down 3.70 percent at Rs.369.95; TCS, down 2.93 percent at Rs.1,301.55; Hindalco Inds, 2.13 percent at Rs.114.75; RIL, 2.12 percent at Rs.855.15; and Cipla, down 1.57 percent at Rs.363.80.