Markets close marginally high amid highly volatile trade to end four-day losing streak

Mumbai: Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed marginally up in highly volatile trade on Monday, snapping their four-day losing streak even as weak global trends and foreign fund outflows dented the investor sentiment.

After gyrating 461.6 points during the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex eked out a marginal gain of 14.54 points or 0.02 per cent to settle at 66,023.69. During the day, it hit a high of 66,225.63 and a low of 65,764.03.

Snapping its four-day losing streak, the broader Nifty settled marginally up 0.30 points at 19,674.55 as 24 of its components advanced while 26 declined. Gains in financials, consumer durables, realty and banking shares were offset by losses in IT, oil & gas and pharma shares.

Among the Sensex firms, Bajaj Finance jumped the most by 4.64 per cent. Bajaj Finserv, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, ICICI Bank, NTPC, JSW Steel and Tata Steel were among the major gainers. Infosys, Mahindra & Mahindra, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, IndusInd Bank and HCL Technologies were the major laggards.

In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge climbed 0.46 per cent and smallcap index advanced 0.12 per cent.

Among the indices, realty jumped 1.56 per cent, financial services climbed 0.46 per cent, consumer durables (0.43 per cent), bankex (0.29 per cent) and commodities (0.23 per cent). Industrials, IT, telecommunication, auto, capital goods and tech were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong ended in the negative territory while Tokyo settled in the green. European markets were trading lower.

The rupee declined by 20 paise to settle at 83.14 against the US dollar on Monday due to rising crude oil prices and a strong American currency against major rivals overseas.