Markets end lower after hitting all-time high levels in early trade

Mumbai: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Monday after hitting their all-time high levels in early trade amid selling in blue-chip IT stocks and HDFC Bank.

After breaching the 77,000-mark during the early trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex came under selling pressure at the fag-end of the session and ended 203.28 points or 0.27 per cent lower at

76,490.08.

During the day, the benchmark jumped 385.68 points or 0.50 per cent to hit a new record of 77,079.04.

Halting its three-day rally, the NSE Nifty dipped 30.95 points or 0.13 per cent to settle at 23,259.20.

Intra-day, it climbed 121.75 points or 0.52 per cent to hit the lifetime peak of 23,411.90.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Wipro, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra, HDFC Bank, HCL Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services were among the major

laggards.

UltraTech Cement, Power Grid, Nestle, NTPC, Tata Steel and Axis Bank were among the biggest gainers.

In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge climbed 1.04 per cent and midcap index jumped 0.56 per cent.

Among the indices, services rallied 1.61 per cent, realty jumped 1.34 per cent, commodities (1.28 per cent), utilities (1.11 per cent), healthcare (0.77 per cent) and industrials (0.49 per cent).

IT, auto, metal and teck were the laggards.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 4,391.02 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.18 per cent to $79.76 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark ended at 76,693.36, up 1,618.85 points or 2.16 per cent, on Friday.

The Nifty settled with a jump of 468.75 points or 2.05 per cent at 23,290.15.