Sensex ends flat as investors await Fed meeting

Power Grid and ITC up over 1%

Defying firm global trend, equities fell for a second straight session on Wednesday, as the Sensex gave up its early gains to end lower by 16 points, or 0.6 per cent, at 28,507.42 amid caution ahead of the US Federal Reserve policy decision. Market was upbeat for major part of the session, largely in tandem with upbeat global markets after the Bank of Japan announced new monetary measures and as investors awaited the outcome of the Fed's policy-setting meeting. Shares of Power Grid, among Sensex constituents, bore the brunt by falling 1.46 per cent to Rs 175.35, followed by ITC's 1.26 per cent fall to Rs 253.80.

Financial Technologies (India) (FTIL) plunged three per cent after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the promoter of the firm, Jignesh Shah, for alleged cheating and suppression of factors in getting the Securities and Exchange Board of India extension to MCX-SX to continue as a private stock exchange in violation of norms.

Shares of Monsanto India rose 2.08 per cent to Rs 2,446.10 after German pharmaceutical and chemical major, Bayer group announced mandatory open offer to buy up to 26 per cent additional stake in the company for about Rs 1,000 crore.

Sensex started off on a strong at 28,554.38 and advanced to the day's high of 28,689.36. However, on emergence of selling towards the fag-end, it slipped to a low of 28,462.33, before settling 15.78 points or 0.06 per cent, down at 28,507.42.

In choppy movements, the NSE Nifty, however, managed to close up with a marginal rise of 1.25 points or 0.01 per cent at 8,777.15. It shuttled between 8,826.85 and 8,757.30.

Broader markets too depicted a mixed trend as investors locked-in gains in recent gainers. The BSE mid-cap index fell 0.07 per cent and small-cap index gained 0.19 per cent.

Overseas, Asian stocks led by Tokyo mostly closed higher after the Bank of Japan tweaked its monetary easing plan in a renewed attempt to jump start inflation and the lukewarm economy.

"Stocks edged higher after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced new monetary policy measures and said that it would expand its monetary base until inflation becomes stable above 2 per cent," said Shreyash Devalkar, Fund Manager Equities, BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

Japan's Nikkei ended 1.91 per cent higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.80 per cent while Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.10 per cent.

European markets too were trending positive with London's FTSE rising 0.36 per cent, Paris CAC-30 up 1.12 per cent and Frankfurt's DAX 30 gained 0.98 per cent.

Back home, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,146.93 crore yesterday, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges.

In the domestic market, 14 scrips out of the 30-share Sensex pack ended lower while 16 ended higher.

Major losers were, SBI (1.14 pc), ICICI Bank (0.86 pc), ONGC (0.68 pc), Cipla (0.28 pc), RIL (0.26 pc), L&T (0.25 pc), Hero MotoCorp (0.23 pc), Maruti Suzuki (0.20 pc), Adani Ports (0.19 pc) and Lupin (0.15 pc).

However, Tata Steel rose 1.05 per cent followed by Hind Unilever 1 per cent, Axis Bank 0.85 per cent and Bharti Airtel 0.69 per cent.

Among BSE sectoral indices, FMCG dropped by 0.58 per cent, followed by infrastructure 0.33 per cent, PSU 0.30 per cent, power 0.22 per cent and banking 0.19 per cent.