Mumbai: Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed almost unchanged in a highly volatile trade on Friday as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of key macroeconomic data announcements in post-market hours.
Halting its two-day rally, the 30-share BSE Sensex slipped by 13.71 points or 0.02 per cent to settle at 85,706.67.
The 50-share NSE Nifty skidded 12.60 points or 0.05 per cent to 26,202.95.
The key indices had raced to record highs in intra-day trade on Thursday but ended almost flat due to profit-taking by investors in the second half of the session.
Fresh foreign fund outflows and largely muted global market trends kept the stock markets rangebound, analysts said.
Among Sensex firms, Power Grid, Eternal, Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank and Infosys were the biggest laggards. However, Mahindra & Mahindra, Sun Pharma, Kotak Mahindra Bank and State Bank of India were among the major gainers.
The BSE smallcap gauge dipped 0.13 per cent and midcap index edged marginally lower by 0.04 per cent. Among sectoral indices, oil & gas declined 0.97 per cent, telecommunication (0.91 per cent), energy (0.64 per cent), power (0.57 per cent) and utilities (0.37 per cent). Auto, consumer discretionary, healthcare, metal and services were among the winners.
On the weekly front, the BSE benchmark climbed 474.75 points or 0.55 per cent, and the Nifty went up by 134.8 points or 0.51 per cent. The government will release IIP data on Monday, December 1.
The rupee dropped 9 paise to settle at 89.45 against the US dollar on Friday, tracking a strong greenback and a rise in international crude oil prices.
FIIs offloaded equities worth Rs 1,255.20 crore on Thursday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought stocks worth Rs 3,940.87 crore, according to exchange data.