By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Thursday afternoon recovered after a brief slip but was still ruling flat amid sluggish global cues.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,961.58 points, was trading at 17,972.88 points, 15.51 points or 0.09 percent down from its previous close at 17,957.37 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling a meagre 0.06 percent up at 5,401.05 points.
Broader markets indices were also flat with the BSE midcap index 0.28 percent up and the BSE smallcap index almost unchanged from its previous close.
PSU and realty scrips were on the rise, while capital goods and telecom stocks saw some selling.
The market breadth was mixed, with 1,400 scrips advancing, compared to 1,405 stocks declining, and 112 remaining unchanged.
Other Asian markets were in a slump as profit booking picked up speed after a downbeat forecast by the US Federal Reserve on the American economy.
The Japanese Nikkei closed 0.59 percent lower at 9,696.02 points, while the South Korean Kospi ended 0.15 percent down at 1,770.88 points.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was flat at 21,075.4 points, while the Chinese Shanghai Composite index was trading 0.55 percent higher at 2,648.12 points.
European markets too opened on a sluggish note.