By IANS,
Mumbai: A benchmark index of Indian equities closed lower Tuesday in range-bound trading, snapping five days of gains.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,744.93 points, closed at 17,690.62 points, 54.66 points or 0.31 percent lower than its previous close at 17,745.28 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,308.35 points, a loss of 0.26 percent or 14.1 points, from its previous close at 5,322.45 points.
Broader market indices also ended subdued, with the BSE midcap index down 0.31 percent and the BSE smallcap index 0.01 percent lower.
The market breadth was negative with as many as 1,608 scrips declining compared to 1,288 stocks advancing, while 95 remained unchanged.
Gains were seen in FMCG, healthcare and power stocks, while last week’s gainers-realty and banking scrips – came under selling pressure.
Top gainers on the 30-scrip Sensex were ONGC, up 2.86 percent at Rs.1,045.05; Reliance Infra, up 1.74 percent at Rs.1,134.70; M&M, up 1.64 percent at Rs.537.05; and ITC, up 1.2 percent at Rs.269.65.
Major losers included Maruti Suzuki, down 3.88 percent at Rs.1,283.15;
Jaiprakash Associates, down 3.74 percent at Rs.153; DLF, down 1.81 percent at Rs.317.15; and SBI, down 1.6 percent at Rs.2,216.10.
Most other Asian markets, too, ended the day in losses.
The South Korean Kospi ended trade moderately in the negative at 1,749.55 points, down 0.15 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 1.51 percent lower at 21,261.79 points.
The Chinese Shanghai composite index too closed in the red, down 2.07 percent at 2,907.93 points. Both Chinese and Hong Kong stocks ended lower after investors dumped banking stocks on news of fund raising by banking behemoth China Construction Bank.
However, Japan’s Nikkei shut shop higher with a 0.42 percent gain at 11,212.66 points.
Fears of the European Union’s aid being grossly lower than what could be required by debt-ridden Greece, weighed heavily on European markets.
The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling at 5,688.78 points, down 1.13 percent, while its German peer, DAX, was trading 0.52 percent lower at 6,320.27 points.
The French CAC 40 index was also in the red at 3,933 points, down 1.61 percent.