Sensex closes flat; SBI down over 4 percent

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Friday closed flat amid high volatility.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,515.42 points, closed at 17,557.74 points, 0.02 percent or 3.13 points down from its previous day’s close at 17,560.87 points.

The BSE consumer durables index was down 106.86 points, followed by auto index, down 115.93 points, and banking index down 102.14 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was ruling 0.05 percent up at 5,320.40 points.

India’s largest lender SBI was the biggest Sensex loser closing 4.26 percent down at Rs.1,887.95.

Though the net profit of the bank more than doubled to Rs.3,751.56 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, the non-performing assets (NPA) rose sharply to 4.99 percent as on June 30, raising concerns over the bank’s asset quality.

And that pulled down the scrip.

Other major Sensex losers were Tata Motors, down 3.07 percent at Rs.232; Hero MotoCorp, down 2.27 percent at Rs.1,914.20; Tata Steel, down 1.45 percent at Rs.400.40; Coal India, down 1.09 percent at Rs.348.60; and BHEL, down 0.89 percent at Rs.228.80.

The major gainers were Hindustan Unilever, up 2.13 percent at Rs.497.70; Sterlite Inds, up 1.65 percent at Rs.111; Maruti Suzuki, up 1.61 percent at Rs.1,163.50; and TCS, up 1.53 percent at Rs.1,277.80.

Among other Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei closed down 0.97 percent while Shanghai’s composite index closed 0.24 percent down. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.66 percent down.

At closing bell here, European markets were in red. France’s CAC was down 0.83 percent. Germany’s DAX and Britain’s FTSE 100 were down 0.66 percent and 0.25 percent respectively.