Sensex ends flat after quiet day of trade

Mumbai, March 10 : A benchmark index for Indian equities shut shop on a flat note Wednesday as trading was range-bound and selling pressure on heavyweight stocks continued.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,072.94 points, closed at 17,098.33 points, 45.7 points or 0.27 percent higher than its previous close at 17,052.54 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S and P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,116.25 points against the previous close at 5,101.5 points, up 0.29 percent or 14.75 points.

Broader markets came under greater selling pressure with the BSE midcap index ending 0.13 percent lower and the BSE small cap index closing 0.21 percent down.

The market breadth was negative, with 1,179 stocks advancing, compared to 1,659 scrips on the decline, while 73 remained unchanged.

Energy, FMCG and realty stocks generated buying interest, while telecom, and IT scrips came under selling pressure.

Among the gainers on the 30-scrip Sensex were HDFC, up 2.12 percent at Rs.2,660; HDFC Bank, up 1.82 percent at Rs.1,812.70; Sun Pharma, up 1.3 percent at Rs.1,655; and Maruti Suzuki, up 1.26 percent at Rs.1,496.

Top losers included Jaiprakash Associates, down 3.54 percent at Rs.143; Tata Motors, down 3.29 percent at Rs.770.55; Hindalco, down 2.65 percent at Rs.161.90; and Hero Honda, down 2.03 percent at Rs.1,874.60.

Most other Asian markets too ended trade on a dull note.

The benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, ended flat at 10,563.92 points, while the South Korean Kospi closed a meagre 0.08 percent up at 1,662.24 points.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng shut shop at 21,208.29 points. Chinese Shanghai composite index, however, closed 0.66 percent down at 3,048.93 points.

European markets too were trading flat around closing bell here.

The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling at 5,601.62 points, down a marginal 0.01 percent while its German peer DAX was trading flat at 5,893.18 points, up 0.12 percent.

The French CAC 40 index was also dull at 3,916.69, down 0.17 percent.