Mumbai, July 10 (Inditop.com) Indian equities markets were sluggish during morning trade Friday, with a key index ruling 23 points below its last closing figure a little before noon.
Around 11.35 p.m., the 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened higher at 13,803.12 points, was at 13,733.99 points – 23.47 points or 0.17 percent below Wednesday’s closing figure.
Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was ruling in the negative terrain, 0.09 percent down at 4,077.35 points.
Broader market indices, however, were doing better with the BSE midcap index trading 0.62 percent higher and the BSE smallcap index moving up 0.61 percent.
Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, those for energy, healthcare and FMCG scrips were losing the most, while those for IT, realty, and technology stocks were gaining.
The market breadth tilted towards advances with 1,042 stocks rising compared to 1,019 declining. Seventy-four remained unchanged.
In the early morning trade, rallying stocks were led by Infosys, which declared a first quarter profit of Rs.1,527 crore (Rs.15.27 billion or $313 million) for this fiscal, registering a 17.3 percent growth year-on-year.
The Infosys scrip rose to Rs.1,739, a 3.75 percent increase from its previous close of Rs.1,676.75, before settling at Rs.1,720.40 at around 11.35 p.m.
Among other prominent gainers on the Sensex at this time were Sterlite, up 3.97 percent at Rs.579.30; Wipro, up 3.52 percent at Rs.385.25; Tata Motors, up 2.59 percent at Rs.279.35.
The losers included Jaiprakash Associates, down 2.13 percent at Rs.193.15; M&M, down 2.02 percent at Rs.707.50; Sun Pharma, down 1.77 percent at Rs.1,148.95; and HDFC, down 1.66 percent at Rs.2,268.50.
In other Asian markets, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average, a key index of the Tokyo stock exchange, closed Friday’s trading at 9,287.28 points, down 3.78 points.
The Hang Seng, a primary index of the Hong Kong stock exchange, was ruling at 17,810.6 points, up 20.01 points.
In the US, stocks led by financial shares edged up Thursday, buoyed by a positive report on banking giant Goldman Sachs.
Bank of America suggested buying Goldman Sachs shares, helping financial firms close 1.4 percent higher on the day. Health companies fell after pharmaceutical giant Merck halted trials for a cholesterol drug.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 4.76 points or 0.06 percent to 8,183.17 points, while the broader Standard and Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.12 points or 0.35 percent to 882.68.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index moved up 5.38 points, or 0.31 percent, to 1,752.55.
