Sensex trades flat as automobile, bank stocks plummet

Mumbai  : A benchmark index for Indian equities markets was trading flat in the afternoon trade Thursday owing to negative global cues.

The markets reacted negatively to the fall in other Asian markets and the bailout situation in Cyprus.

Stocks like automobile, bank and realty were hit. However, metal, consumer durables and health care scrips gained.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the red at 18,702.46 points, was trading at 18,668.67 points in the afternoon session, down 0.19 percent or 35.86 points from its previous day close at 18,704.53 points.

The Sensex slumped to a low of 18,568.43 points in the intra-day trade and touched a high of 18,708.22 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading 0.21 percent or 11.70 points down at 5,635.35 points in the afternoon session.

The BSE automobile index was down 147.50 points, followed by bank index (lower by 23.29 points) and the realty index, which slumped by 12.48 points.

The metal index was up 125.08 points, consumer durables index rose by 85.59 points and the health care index was up 66.82 points.

Photo  : AFP