Mumbai, Jan 11 (Inditop.com) A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets, dragged by loss-making frontline stocks, ended flat Monday even as medium to small-sized scrips gained.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened at 17,724.59 points and closed at 17,526.71 points, down 13.58 points or 0.08 percent from its previous close at 17,540.29 points.
Reliance Industries, SBI, ICICI Bank and BHEL were the major contributors to the slump.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was at 5,249.4 points, against the previous close at 5,244.75 points, a gain of 0.09 percent.
Broader market indices did better, with the BSE midcap index closing 0.9 percent up and the BSE small cap index 1.8 percent higher.
The market breadth was positive, with as many as 2,116 stocks advancing, compared to 832 declining and 49 remaining unchanged.
Except for the index for energy stocks, all sectoral indices ended in the green.
Among the major gainers on the Sensex were DLF, up 2.35 percent at Rs.399.35; Jaiprakash Associates, up 2.26 percent at Rs.165.20; Grasim, up 2.2 percent at Rs.2,815.10, and TCS, up 1.96 percent at Rs.714.25.
Top losers included RIL, down 1.85 percent at Rs.1,081.55; Wipro, down 1.03 percent at Rs.662.20; BHEL, down 0.95 percent at Rs.2,400.15, and Hindalco, down 0.92 percent at Rs.171.65.
Other Asian markets were a mixed bag, with a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange closing 0.51 percent up at 22,411.52 points, and the Chinese Shanghai composite index ending 0.52 percent higher at 3,212.75 points.
However, the Korean Kospi was trading slightly lower at 1,694.12, down 0.07 percent. Japanese markets were closed.
European markets were ruling strong after a firm opening with the FTSE 100 index, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, ruling 0.86 percent up at 5,582 points.
The French index, CAC 40, was ruling 0.9 percent higher at 4,081.58 points, while its German peer, the DAX, was 0.76 percent up at 6,083.42 points.
