Sensex ends flat; capital goods, metal stocks lose
Mumbai : A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Wednesday closed 31 points lower following selling pressure in capital goods, metals and public sector undertakings (PSU) stocks.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,432.54 points, ended the day at 19,355.26 points, down 31.88 points or 0.16 percent from its previous close at 19,387.14 points.
The index touched a high of 19,478.79 points and low of 19,317.23 points intra-day. The BSE midcap index was up 4.17 points, while the smallcap index edged higher by 18.07 points.
The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was down 10.80 points or 0.18 percent at 5,888.00 points.
The BSE capital goods index was down 110.02 points. The metal index ended lower by 74.93 points, followed by PSU index down 58.33 points, banks index, down 45.92 points, and power index, down by 13.02 points.
The auto index was up by 102.77 points, and so were the consumer durables index, up 76.35 points, and oil and gas index, up 25.67 points.
Among the gainers were Bajaj Auto, up 2.57 percent at Rs.2,055.50; Mahindra and Mahindra, up 2.20 percent at Rs.948.40; Hero MotoCorp, up 1.92 percent at Rs.1,885.15; Reliance Industries, up 1.53 percent at Rs.832.15; and Sun Pharma, up 1.35 percent at Rs.724.70.
The major losers were Hindustan Unilever, 2.65 percent lower at Rs.529.90; BHEL, down 1.98 points at Rs.232.35; Gail India, down 1.67 percent at Rs.348.35; Jindal Steel, down 1.55 percent at Rs.412.85; and ONGC, down 1.44 percent at Rs.259.70.
Among other Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei was up 0.59 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.80 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index also closed higher by 0.39 percent.
European markets were flat. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.23 percent while the German DAX was trading higher by 0.23 percent. The French CAC 40 was down 0.17 percent.
