By IANS,
Mumbai: A benchmark index for Indian equities Tuesday closed 30 points lower even as IT stocks gained after Infosys reported a four percent rise in net profit for the last fiscal.
In the second straight dull day of trade, the 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened the day lower at 17,831.38 points, closed 31.04 points or 0.17 percent lower at 17,821.96 points against its previous close at 17,853 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,322.95 points, losing 0.31 percent or 16.75 points from its previous close at 5,339.7 points.
Broader markets too closed in the red, with the BSE midcap index ending 0.3 percent down and the BSE small cap index closing 0.06 percent lower.
IT, telecom and power stocks generated buying interest, while auto and banking scrips fell.
The market breadth was negative with 1,359 stocks advancing, compared to 1,527 on the decline, while 78 remained unchanged.
Infosys scrip gained 3.69 percent at Rs.2,782.35 after the software giant projected a double digit growth in 2010-11.
Among other gainers on the 30-scrip Sensex were TCS, up 2.8 percent at Rs.819.95; Wipro, up 2.45 percent at Rs.719.80; and Tata Steel, up 1.36 percent at Rs.691.60.
Top losers included Hero Honda, down 5.29 percent at Rs.1,976.45; Reliance Communications, down 2.69 percent at Rs.171.60; HDFC, down 2.65 percent at Rs.2,747.55; and Sterlite Industries, down 2.53 percent at Rs.847.45.
Other Asian markets were a mixed bag.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.16 percent lower at 22,103.53 points, while the Chinese Shanghai composite index was up 1.02 percent at 3,161.25 points.
The South Korean Kospi closed flat at 1,710.59 points, while the Japanese Nikkei shut shop in the red at 11,161.23 points — down 0.81 percent.
European markets were ruling in the red at the time of closing bell here.
The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling at 5,758.6 points, down 0.33 percent, while its German peer, DAX, was trading 0.33 percent lower at 6,229.83 points.
The French CAC 40 index too was in the negative, down 0.21 percent at 4,042.08 points.