By IANS,
Mumbai : Trading in Indian equities turned flat by noon Thursday after a surge in the morning, despite a fall in inflation and a lower-than-expected fall in industrial production in January.
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensitive Index (Sensex), which opened at 8,274.78 points, was at 8,319.9 points around noon, 1.95 percent or 159.5 points higher than its previous close.
Similarly, the S&P CNX Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was at 2,613.3 points, 1.56 percent up from its last close of 2,573.15.
The BSE midcap index was 0.43 percent higher than its previous close, while the BSE smallcap index was up 0.51 percent.
Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, only one – the index for consumer durables stocks – was in the negative.
Among the gainers on the Sensex were ICICI Bank, up 5.42 percent at Rs.277.20; Hindustan Unilever, up 5.15 percent at Rs.227.65; Sterlite, up 4.54 percent at Rs.255.55; and ITC, up 3.79 percent at Rs.164.20.
The losers were Bharti Airtel, down 4.71 percent at Rs.560.05; Tata Power, down 2.06 percent at Rs.609.95; NTPC, down 0.4 percent at Rs.175.80; and HDFC, down 0.23 percent at Rs.797.
In other Asian markets, Tokyo stocks closed lower Wednesday. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average soared 283.18 points, or 4.01 percent, to 7,338.16 in the morning but closed much lower at 7,198.25 points, shedding 177.87 points from its previous close.
The Hang Seng, a key index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was ruling 0.17 percent below its last close at 11,910.18 points.
US stocks had closed in the green with the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average inching up 3.91 points, or 0.06 percent, to 6,930.4 points.
The broader Standard and Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.76 points, or 0.24 percent, to 721.36. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index gained 13.36 points, or 0.98 percent, to 1,371.64.