Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities Friday closed almost flat, paring its modest intra-day gains.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,165.49 points, was at 18,143.99 points, 28.84 points or 0.16 percent up from its previous close at 18,172.83 points.
It had risen 71 points to 18,244.56 points during the day.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 5,439.25 points, down 0.14 percent from its last closing figure of 5,447.1 points.
Broader markets indices which were doing better than the benchmark, also closed dull. The BSE midcap index ended 0.16 percent up and the BSE smallcap index 0.24 percent higher.
Consumer durables, FMCG and auto stocks rose, while banking and IT scrips came under selling pressure.
The market breadth was negative, with 1,427 scrips advancing, compared to 1,529 stocks declining, and 104 remaining unchanged.
Among the gainers on the Sensex were Tata Motors, up 3.89 percent at Rs.894.35; ITC, up 1.86 percent at Rs.158.80; HDFC, up 1.39 percent at Rs.3,069.95; and Jindal Steel, up 1.16 percent at Rs.625.40.
Among the major losers were Hero Honda, down 1.41 percent at Rs.1,840.65; Tata Steel, down 1.33 percent at Rs.531.20; TCS, down 1.29 percent at Rs.865.75; and DLF, down 1 percent at Rs.307.60.
According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), foreign institutional investors bought scrips worth $36.21 million Friday.
Other Asian bourses ended on a cautious note ahead of US employment data due to be out Friday.
The Japanese Nikkei closed 0.12 percent up at 9,642.12 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended trade 0.59 percent higher at 21,678.8 points.
A China Banking Regulatory Commission statement that tried to downplay the signficance of a proposed stress test to assess a fall in property prices helped ease investor fears. The Chinese Shanghai Composite index ended in the green at 2,658.39 points, 1.43 percent up.
The South Korean Kospi closed flat.
European markets were ruling moderately higher, moving up from a dull opening based on upbeat corporate earnings data.
The FTSE was trading 0.65 percent higher at 5,400.62 points, while the German DAX was 0.4 percent up at 6,358.86 points.
The French CAC 40 was ruling 0.58 percent higher at 3,785.87 points.
