By IANS,
Mumbai : The rally at Indian equities markets Friday lost its steam midway as investors booked profits, resulting in a key index losing about 270 points from the day’s highs.
The 30-scrip Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) sensitive index (Sensex), which opened at 11,067.71 points higher than its Thursday close, fell 272 points from the day’s highs to close at 11,023.09 points – a marginal increase of 75.69 points or 0.69 percent.
The Sensex touched an intra-day high of 11,339.47 points and a low of 10,946.25 points.
Similarly, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), gained only 0.44 percent from its previous close to end trade at 3,384.4 points.
The BSE midcap index gained 0.98 percent, while the BSE smallcap index was up 0.57 percent.
Of the 13 sectoral indices on the exchange, the realty and banking stocks indices gained the most, with metal scrips seeing profit booking.
Among gainers on the Sensex were L&T, up 4.21 percent at Rs.866.50; Infosys, up 3.86 percent at Rs.1,393.10; SBI, up 3.54 percent at Rs.1,306.35 and ICICI Bank, up 3.53 percent at Rs.441.45.
Losers included Hindalco, down 5.18 percent at Rs.54.90; Tata Steel, down 4.03 percent at Rs.258.30; Sterlite, down 3.12 percent at Rs.388.40 and Tata Motors, down 2.86 percent at Rs.263.30.
The overall market sentiment was mixed, with 1,362 stocks advancing, 1,194 scrips declining and 94 remaining unchanged.
In Japan, Tokyo stocks ended marginally in the green Friday with the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average closing at 8,907.58 points, 152.32 points higher than its previous close.
However, the Hang Seng, a key index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, closed in the green, ending trade at 15,601.27 points, an increase of 0.12 percent from its last closing figure.
European markets were trading in the positive terrain, with the FTSE in Britain ruling 1.11 percent higher than its previous close, and its French peer CAC 40 ruling 1.25 percent up.