Sensex ends four day rally, down 58 points

A key index of Indian equities markets snapped its four-day rally on Tuesday and shut shop 58 points lower than its previous close.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened higher at 16,552.43 points, closed at 16,440.56 points, 0.35 per cent or 58.16 points below Monday’s close at 16,498.72 points.

The index had hit an intra-day high of 16,677.53 points in the morning session, but slipped into the red around noon as investors turned cautious and started selling some stocks.

The S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, closed in the red at 4,881.7 points, down 0.34 per cent from its last close.

Mid-to-small capitalised scrips also ended trade in the negative terrain, with the BSE midcap index closing 0.43 per cent down and the BSE small cap index ending 0.38 percent lower.

The market breadth was negative, with 1,463 stocks declining, 1,290 advancing and 56 remaining unchanged.

Among the top gainers on the Sensex were Tata Motors, up 2.26 per cent; State Bank of India, up 2.14 per cent; Reliance Industries, up 1.39 per cent and ICICI Bank, up 0.66 per cent.

Leading losers were Bharti Airtel, down 4.47 per cent; Hero Honda, down 3.27 per cent; DLF, down 3.17 per cent; Reliance Communications, down 2.9 per cent and Maruti Suzuki, down 2.73 per cent.

According to data with the regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors bought shares worth $139.4 million on Tuesday.

Other leading Asian markets closed in the green.

The primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hang Seng, closed 60.61 points or 0.27 per cent up, at 22,268.16 points.

The Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, also closed 61.74 points higher at 9,870.73 points.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange composite index shut shop 0.10 percent higher at 3178.61 points.

European markets were ruling marginally higher.

Britain’s FTSE 100 index was ruling 10.9 points higher at 5,246.08 points, while its German peer, DAX, was trading at 5,637.34 points, up 17.62 points.

The French index, CAC 40, was also ruling in the green at 3,790.03 points, up 4.54 points.