Sensex closes flat on dull trading day

A benchmark index for Indian equities closed a modest 44 points up Thursday on what was a rather dull day of trade.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,492.81 points, shut shop at 17,534.54 points (provisional), up 44.46 points or 0.25 percent from its previous close.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 5,250.9 points against the previous close at 5,231.9 points, a gain of 0.36 percent or 19 points.

Broader markets too were lacklustre, with the BSE midcap index ending 0.32 percent up and the BSE small cap index closing 0.06 percent higher.