By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index of Indian equities Wednesday pared some of its intra-day losses to close just below the 20,000-mark as traders booked profit after intense buying activity since last week.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,039.43, closed at 19,941.72 points, down 59.83 points or 0.3 percent, compared to its previous close at 20,001.55 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,991 points, down 0.3 percent.
Broader markets indices also closed lower, with the BSE midcap ending trade 0.37 percent down and the BSE smallcap index 0.22 percent down.
The market breadth was negative with 1,113 scrips advancing, compared to 1,822 stocks declining and 142 remaining unchanged.
Consumer durables scrips gained while realty, IT and telecom stocks ended on the losing side.
Total traded turnover on exchanges was consistently remained strong at Rs.176,344 crore.
According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors (FIIs) poured in $724.38 million into the equities markets Wednesday.
The major gainers on the Sensex were Maruti Suzuki, up 3.59 percent at Rs.1,463.45; HDFC, up 1.61 percent at Rs.731.60; SBI, up 1.4 percent at Rs.3,147.75; and Tata Power, up 0.98 percent at Rs.1,314.75.
Among the losers were: Jaipraksh Associates, down 2.76 percent at Rs.119.70; Reliance Com, down 2.08 percent at Rs.169.60; L&T, down 1.97 percent at Rs.1,994.70; and TCS, down 1.91 percent at Rs.934.55.
Other Asian markets were subdued with many major bourses closed on account of holidays.
The Japan’s Nikkei closed 0.37 percent lower at 9,566.32 points.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 0.21 percent up at 22,047.71 points. Chinese markets were closed.
European bourses fell Wednesday as consolidation set in.
At closing bell here, the FTSE 100 was trading 0.48 percent lower at 5,549.15 points.
The German DAX was ruling 0.8 percent down at 6,225.53 points and the French CAC 40 was trading 0.96 percent lower at 3,748.02 points.