Markets end flat in volatile trade amid weak trends in global equities

Mumbai: Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended flat on Tuesday, paring their intra-day gains, as investors resorted to profit-taking after the recent upsurge amid weak trends in global equities.

Traders were also awaiting the US inflation data which is expected to remain at March level prompting the Federal Reserve to prolong monetary tightening.

Even after trading with gains for most part of the day, the 30-share BSE Sensex failed to hold on to the momentum and skidded 2.92 points to settle at 61,761.33 due to fag-end volatility. During the day, it hit a high of 62,027.51 and a low of 61,654.94.

The NSE Nifty ended marginally up by 1.55 points or 0.01 per cent at 18,265.95.

Among the Sensex firms, ITC, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finance, NTPC, Power Grid, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and UltraTech Cement were the major laggards.

IndusInd Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Axis Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, HCL Technologies, Asian Paints, Wipro, HDFC and Maruti were among the major gainers.

In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge declined 0.35 per cent and midcap index ended marginally up by 0.03 per cent.

Among indices, utilities fell by 1.04 per cent, realty went lower by 0.81 per cent, power declined by 0.72 per cent, FMCG (0.44 per cent), consumer durables (0.37 per cent) and financial services (0.24 per cent).

Telecommunication jumped 0.94 per cent, teck (0.59 per cent), IT (0.59 per cent), energy (0.34 per cent) and healthcare (0.17 per cent).

In Asian markets, Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong ended lower, while Tokyo settled in the green.