By IANS,
Mumbai: A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Thursday closed 55 points higher on a range-bound trading day. Gains in heavyweight scrips like L&T, RIL and ONGC helped the index nudge up, snapping out of a three-day losing streak.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,166.64 points, closed at 18,141.4 points — up 55.2 points or 0.31 percent from its previous close at 18,086.2 points.
The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange shut shop at 5,428.1 points, up 0.14 percent.
Broader markets ended weak with the BSE midcap index closing 0.7 percent down and the BSE smallcap index 0.54 percent down.
Realty, metal and power stocks were among major losers at this time, while capital good scrips were gaining.
The market breadth was tilted towards the negative with 1,072 stocks advancing, 1,683 on the decline and 154 unchanged.
According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors sold stocks worth $57.65 million.
Among the gainers on the Sensex were: L&T, up 5.92 percent at Rs.1,594.90; RIL, up 1.45 percent at Rs.914.90; ONGC, up 1.2 percent at Rs.277.30 and TCS, up 1.14 percent at Rs.1,164.70.
Some of the losers were: Reliance Communications, down 3.43 percent at Rs.83.15; DLF, down 3.35 percent at Rs.222.10; Hindalco Industries, down 3.14 percent at Rs.189.90 and Tata Power, down 2.6 percent at Rs.1,217.25.
Asian markets closed mixed Thursday as investors sentiments were subdued after news came out that the Japanese economy had contracted much more than expected in the first quarter of 2011.
The Nikkei of the Japanese stock exchange closed 0.43 percent lower at 9,620.82 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng moved up 0.66 percent at 23,163.38 points.
The Shanghai Composite index of the Chinese markets was trading 0.46 percent down at 2,859.57 points.
European markets moved up as commodity stocks rose on account of rising prices of metals, although concerns still remained over the vaccum left at the International Monetary Fund after the resignation of its chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is currently in a New York jail facing rape charges.
Britain’s FTSE was up 1.04 percent at 5,985.13 points.
Around midday, the French CAC 40 rose 1.33 percent at 4,031.02 points, while the German DAX was ruling 1.32 percent up at 7,400.06 points.