By IANS
Mumbai : Indian shares closed marginally lower after a choppy trade Wednesday, with a key index falling 0.48 percent ahead of the June expiry of futures and contracts (F&C) even as technology shares made late gains.
The benchmark Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) closed 70.02 points or 0.48 percent lower to end the day at 14,431.06, with 20 of its components trading in the negative territory.
The Sensex had hit its record high in February rising to 14,723.88.
The broader 50-share National Stock Exchange index, Nifty, lost 21.75 points or 0.51 percent to close at 4,266.95.
Thermal energy producer NTPC led the major losers, down 2.09 percent at Rs.150.20, followed by telecom service provider Reliance Communications, down 2.05 percent at Rs.514.95, and Reliance Energy, down 1.97 percent at Rs.578.20.
Cement major ACC, multi-utility vehicle maker Tata Motors, oil and natural gas explorer ONGC, drug major Ranbaxy Laboratories, leading private sector mobile phone operator Bharti Airtel, private sector lender HDFC Bank and Tata Steel were among the other major stocks that traded in the red.
Technology shares made a recovery after trading in the red for the past week. Software exporter Satyam Computers led the list of gainers as it went up by 2.55 percent to close at Rs.468.05, followed by largest software exporter Tata Consultancy Services, up 0.94 percent at Rs.1,133.00 and top two-wheeler maker Hero Honda Motors, up 0.88 percent at Rs.675.75.
Third largest IT service provider Infosys Technologies too traded in the green, gaining 0.72 percent at Rs.1,936.20.