Markets end flat amid range bound trade

Markets ended flat on Tuesday, amid a range bound trading session, as gains in fast moving consumer goods shares helped offset losses in index heavyweight Infosys and capital goods shares.

The 30-share Sensex ended up 22 points at 17,244 after touching a high of 17,270 and a low of 17,157 and the Nifty ended up 9 points at 5,244 after touching a high of 5,256 and a low of 5,212.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei share average fell for a sixth straight day on Tuesday, if only by 0.1%, after the Bank of Japan decided against additional easing measures at its policy meeting. The benchmark Nikkei ended down 8.24 points at 9,538.02, marking its longest losing streak since July 2009. Hang Seng which opened today after an extended weekend ended up 1.1% while Shanghai Composite ended down 0.9%.

European shares were trading marginally lower on concerns about the US economy following a weak jobs data.

Among the sectoral indices on the BSE, the FMCG index ended up nearly 2% while Oil and Gas, IT, Metal and Capital Goods indices ended down 0.7-1.0% each.

Tata Power was the top Sensex gainer which ended up 3.8% at Rs 104.40 followed by Tata Motors which gained 2.9% to end at Rs 283.60.

FMCG majors ITC and Hindustan Unilever were also among the top Sensex gainers which gained 2.2 and 2.6%, respectively.

Software major Infosys ended down 1.6% at Rs 2,777 ahead of its Oct-Dec earnings scheduled to be released on Friday.TCS also ended marginally lower.

GAIL (India) which had fallen sharply in early trades recouped most of it losses to end down 1.8% at Rs 357. The stock witnessed selling pressure on fears that the petroleum and natural gas regulator would direct it to reduce gas supply prices. Among other shares in the oil and gas space, ONGC was down 1.8% at Rs 264.

Capital goods shares ended lower ahead of the IIP data on concerns that the segment would witness further contraction. BHEL ended down 2.9% while L&T ended 0.8% lower.

Among other shares, Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) slumped 34% to end at Rs 230 after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has directed IGL to reduce prices for Delhi consumers with effect from on Monday after factoring in the reduction in both network rates (levied on CNG, PNG and industrial consumers) and the compression charges on CNG.

Cairn India gained 2% to end at Rs 348 after the company announced an oil discovery in the Nagayalanka-SE-1 well in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin.

Reliance Communications (RCom) gained 3.3% to end at Rs 85.60 on reports that the company’s undersea cable unit, Flag Telecom, has received “in principle” approval from the Singapore stock exchange for its about $1.4 billion (Rs 7,500 crore) share sale.

Modi Rubber surged 10% to end at Rs 43.20, zooming 83% in past five trading days from Rs 23.65 on March 30, after the company has signed agreement with MAN Diesel & Turbo SE, Germany for sale of its entire 20.01% stake.

Market breadth ended weak with 1,430 losers and 1,339 gainers on the BSE.