Markets settle almost flat amid volatile trade

Mumbai: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended almost flat on Tuesday after a record-breaking rally as investors preferred to remain on the sidelines awaiting further triggers.

After trading in the positive territory for the most part of the session, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 33.49 points or 0.04 per cent to settle at 76,456.59 due to fag-end selling. During the day, it jumped 370.45 points or 0.48 per cent to 76,860.53.

In a volatile trade, the NSE Nifty ended marginally up by 5.65 points or 0.02 per cent to 23,264.85.

Sensex and Nifty hit their all-time high levels in the early trade on Monday.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Asian Paints, Reliance Industries, ITC, Sun Pharma, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and JSW Steel were the major laggards.

On the other hand, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Motors, Maruti, NTPC, Mahindra & Mahindra and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers.

In the broader market, the BSE smallcap gauge climbed 0.95 per cent, and midcap index rallied 0.74 per cent.

Among sectoral indices, telecommunication rallied 1.93 per cent, oil and gas climbed 1.84 per cent, realty soared 1.04 per cent, energy jumped 1 per cent, auto (0.89 per cent) and consumer discretionary (0.60 per cent). In contrast, metal, FMCG and consumer durables were the laggards.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 2,572.38 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.

The rupee settled for the day lower by 9 paise at 83.59 against the US dollar on Tuesday, weighed down by a muted trend in domestic equities and the strength of the American currency in overseas markets.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, declined 0.05 per cent to $81.59 per

barrel.