By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index of Indian equities market closed almost flat in a choppy session Tuesday as gains in metal, healthcare and realty stocks offset losses in auto, banking and oil and gas scrips.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,056.47 points, settled at 20,025.42 points, down 0.02 percent or 3.51 points from the previous close of 20,028.93 points.
The Sensex was largely range-bound touching a high of 20,090.41 points and a low of 19,981.76 points in the intra-day trade.
At the National Stock Exchange, the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty slipped below 6,000 points in a lacklustre session. The Nifty closed 0.04 percent or 2.10 points down at 5,996 points.
The BSE midcap and smallcap indices also closed almost flat. The midcap index moved up 0.07 percent and the smallcap 0.33 percent.
Among the sectoral indices, the BSE oil and gas index slumped 0.74 percent, the auto index declined 0.35 percent and the Bankex slumped 0.21 percent.
However, the metal index advanced 0.16 percent. The Realty and technology indices also closed in the positive terrain.
Tata Motors slumped 2.53 percent to Rs.1,267.70. ICICI Bank, down 0.92 percent at Rs.1,113.70; SBI, down 0.90 percent at Rs.2,727.05; RIL, down 0.75 percent at Rs.1,047.15 and ONGC, down 0.66 percent at Rs.1,291.55 were top Sensex losers.
HDFC Bank advanced over two percent. Tata Power, up 1.75 percent at Rs.1,334.30; Reliance Comm, up 1.72 percent at Rs.139.20; Wipro, up 1.31 percent at Rs.491.40 and ITC, up 0.94 percent at Rs.171.15 were major Sensex gainers.
Other Asian markets closed deep in the red. China’s Shanghai Composite Index slumped to a three-month low after its central bank unexpectedly hiked interest rates. The index fell 1.74 percent to 2,732.99 points.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slumped 0.93 percent to 22,621.70 and the Japanese Nikkei closed 0.61 percent down at 10,292.60 points.
However, European markets were in the positive terrain. Around mid-day, Britain’s FTSE 100 was ruling 0.21 percent higher at 6,008.92 points and the German DAX was up 0.07 percent at 6,975.69 points.
The French CAC 40 was ruling 0.35 percent higher at 3,875.87 points.