Sensex closes flat; metal, auto stocks fall

Mumbai  : A benchmark index for Indian equities markets on the first day of the new financial year moved 29 points up. Capital goods, health care and realty scrips gained, while automobile, metal and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) fell.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 18,890.81 points, closed at 18,864.75 points, up 0.15 percent or 28.98 points from its previous day’s close at 18,835.77 points.

The Sensex touched a low of 18,796.60 points and a high of 18,959.48 points in intra-day trade.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 0.38 percent or 21.85 points up at 5,704.40 points.

The BSE metal index was down 106.61 points, followed by automobile index, down 81.85 points, and the FMCG index, down 2.53 points.

However, the capital goods index was up 151.38 points. And so were the realty index, up 93.60 points and the bank index, up 81.85 points.

Of the 30 Sensex scrips, 15 closed in the positive. Dr Reddys Lab, up 3.34 percent at Rs.1,825.30; BHEL, up 2.83 percent at Rs.181.95; Larsen and Toubro (L&T), up 2.18 percent at Rs.1,394.70; Infosys, up 1.85 percent at Rs.2,943.25; and Cipla, up 1.20 percent at Rs.384.30.

Fifteen of the 30 Sensex scrips were losers: Sterlite Inds, down 4.37 percent at Rs.89.70, Jindal Steel, down 1.51 percent at Rs.342.90; Tata Motors, down 1.41 percent at Rs.265.50; Coal India, down 1.33 percent at Rs.305.05; and Wipro, down 1.22 percent at Rs.431.80.

Major world markets were closed Monday for Easter.
Photo  : AFP