By IANS
Mumbai : Indian shares ended flat Friday, with the benchmark index making a marginal loss of 0.02 percent led by Associated Cements, ICICI Bank and Tata Steel.
The key sensitive index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Sensex, closed 3.78 points or 0.02 percent down at 17,773.36. The Sensex had hit a record high of 17,979.18 during intra-day trade Wednesday.
Twenty of its index components traded in the negative Friday.
The broader 50-share National Stock Exchange (NSE) index, Nifty, too, shed 22 points or 0.44 percent to close the week at 5,185.85 after the index moved in the range of 5,164-5,248 in intra-day trade.
Analysts urged caution. “One now needs to exercise caution as liquidity and momentum can take the market to higher levels,” said an analyst with a leading brokerage.
Thermal energy producer NTPC Ltd led the major losers of the day, down 5.28 percent at Rs.214.45, followed by aluminium major Hindalco Industries, down 3.70 percent at Rs.169.20 and top steel producer Tata Steel, down 3.68 percent at Rs.832.90.
Top hospitality and tobacco firm ITC Ltd, cement major Associated Cements, multi-utility vehicle major Tata Motors, top private sector lender ICICI Bank, private sector energy producer Reliance Energy and ONGC also shed over two percent each.
Top engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro led the major gainers of the day, up 6.66 percent at Rs.3,089.25, followed by leading telecom service provider Bharti Airtel, up 3.32 percent at Rs.993.05 and heavy equipment maker BHEL, up 2.96 percent at Rs.2,153.55.
India’s most valuable firm Reliance Industries, telecom service provider Reliance Communications, top two and three wheeler maker Bajaj Auto and cement major Ambuja Cements were the other gainers of the day.