Sensex ends lacklustre day 57 points lower

Mumbai, Dec 30 : A key Indian equities index ended a lacklustre day of trading amid range-bound volatility Wednesday 57 points lower than its previous close.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened at 17,402.24 points and shut shop at 17,343.82 points, down 57.74 points or 0.33 percent from its previous close at 17,401.56 points.

It had fallen to 17,322.8 points around noon.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S and P CNX Nifty was at 5,169.45 points, against the previous close at 5,187.95 points, a loss of 0.36 percent.

Broader market indices were doing better, with the BSE midcap index ruling 0.33 percent up and the BSE small cap index 1.13 percent higher.

The market breadth was tilted towards the positive, with 1,779 scrips advancing, 1,083 declining and 73 remaining unchanged.

Among major gainers at this time were Reliance Infra, up 1.59 percent at Rs.1,149.45; ACC, up 1.29 percent at Rs.870.90; Grasim, up 1.17 percent at Rs.2,454.05; and M and M, up 0.34 percent at Rs.1,062.40.

Among the losers were ITC, down 2.15 percent at Rs.250.80; Hero Honda, down 2.08 percent at Rs.1,707.25; Sun Pharma, down 1.26 percent at Rs.1,518.55; and Hindalco, down 1.23 percent at Rs.160.05.

According to data with the markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors were net buyers Wednesday, having bought scrips worth USD 82.35 million.

Trading at other Asian markets were mixed.

A key Japanese index, the Nikkei, closed 0.86 percent down at 10,546.44 points on the bourse's last trading day of the year.

The Hang Seng, a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ended flat at 21,496.62 points, 0.01 percent lower.

However, in China, the Shanghai composite index closed 1.58 percent higher at 3,262.6 points, while the Kospi, the benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, was up 0.62 percent at 1,682.77 points.

Trading remained subdued at European markets Wednesday with traders choosing not to indulge much till the New Year.

The FTSE 100 index, benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling 0.48 percent down at 5,411.65 points, consolidating after hitting a 15-month high Tuesday.

The French index, CAC 40, was 0.64 percent down at 3,934.6 points, while its German peer DAX was ruling 0.81 percent lower at 5,958.25 points.