Mumbai, March 5 A benchmark index for Indian equities ended flat Friday on what was a largely lacklustre trading day. Broader markets, however, did better with buying interest seen in small-to-mid sized scrips.
Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities ended flat Friday on what was a largely lacklustre trading day. Broader markets, however, did better with buying interest seen in small-to-mid sized scrips.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,988.29 points, shut shop at 16,994.49 points, a modest 22.79 points or 0.13 percent higher than its previous close at 16,971.7 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,088.7 points against the previous close at 5,080.25 points, a gain of 0.17 percent or 8.45 points.
The BSE midcap index ended 0.62 percent higher and the BSE small cap index closed 0.82 percent up.
Realty and to a certain telecom stocks generated buying interest on an otherwise dull day.
The market breadth was positive, with 1,671 stocks advancing, compared to 1,165 scrips on the decline, while 106 remained unchanged.
Among the gainers on the 30-scrip Sensex were DLF, up 3.97 percent at Rs.316.55; Hero Honda, up 3.41 percent at Rs.1,856.15; Bharti Airtel, up 1.86 percent at Rs.298.55; and Sun Pharma, up 1.81 percent at Rs.1,610.
Top losers included Tata Motors, down 2.01 percent at Rs.795.30; Wipro, down 0.97 percent at Rs.686.75; BHEL, down 0.84 percent at Rs.2,426.55; and Hindalco, down 0.65 percent at Rs.168.15.
Most other Asian markets did better than their Indian peers.
The benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, ended 2.2 percent higher at 10,368.96 points, while the South Korean Kospi moved up 1.01 percent at 1,634.57 points.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed in the green too at 20,787.97 points, up 1.03 percent, while the Chinese Shanghai composite index gained 0.25 percent at 3,031.06 points.
European markets were ruling firm around closing bell here.
The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling 0.59 percent higher at 5,559.88 points, while its German peer DAX was trading at 5,823.74 points, up 0.49 percent.
The French CAC 40 index was also in positive terrain at 3,857.46, up 0.76 percent.
