By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index for the Indian equities markets closed in the red in a largely range-bound session Friday as slump in oil and gas, realty and metal stocks offset rise in auto, IT and FMCG scrips.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened marginally down at 18,194.15 points, closed at 18,197.20 points, down 0.07 percent or 12.32 points from its previous close at 18,209.52 points.
The benchmark Sensex was range bound throughout the day. The index touched a high of 18,334.27 points and a low of 18,131.86 points in the intra-day.
The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also witnessed sluggish trading. The index closed 0.10 percent down at Rs.5,482 points.
ICICI Bank jumped 1.99 percent at Rs.1,037.75 after the bank reported 30 percent rise in its quarterly profit.
Maruti Suzuki, up 1.81 percent at Rs.1,207.90; Bharti Airtel, up 1.43 percent at Rs.437; Bajaj Auto, up 1.27 percent at Rs.1,461.50; and ITC, up 1.09 percent at Rs.208.30 were among the other major gainers on the Sensex.
Jindal Steel and ONGC slumped on disappointing earnings. Jindal Steel fell 4.65 percent at Rs.584.95 a day after the company reported 2.5 percent drop in its first quarter profit.
ONGC dropped 2.44 percent at Rs.269.90. The company Thursday reported 12 percent increase in its first quarter profit.
Other major Sensex losers were: Jaiprakash Asso, down 3.58 percent at Rs.67.35; Hero Honda, down 2.14 percent at Rs.1,783; and Sterlite Inds, down 1.93 percent at Rs.159.90.
Markets declined across the world on continued concern over US debt crisis. Among the Asian markets, the
The Japanese Nikkei fell 0.69 percent at 9,833.03 points. the Hang Seng of the Hong Kong stock exchange dropped 0.58 percent at 22,440.20 points and the Chinese Shanghai composite index dropped 0.26 percent at 2,701.73 points.
European markets were also in the red for the fifth straight day.
In the afternoon session, Britain’s FTSE 100 was ruling 0.98 percent down at 5,815.38 points, the French CAC 40 was down 1.29 percent at 3,664.83 points.
The German DAX was down 0.95 percent at 7,121.40 points.