Sensex ends up 75pts

The Sensex has ended (provisional) at 17,271 - up 75 points.

Nifty has ended at 5,179 - up 23 points.
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(Updated at 1446 hrs)

Markets have dropped to the day's low in late-noon trades on selling pressure in metal and banking stocks.

The Sensex has dropped 149 points from the day's high to a low of 17,240. The index is now up 57 points at 17,253.

The Nifty is up 22 points at 5,178.

The BSE metal index has shed 368 points from the day's high and is now at 16,398. Bankex is at 11,038.

Tata Motors has dropped 3.5% to Rs 830. Mahindra & Mahindra and Reliance Infrastructure have shed 3% each at Rs 562 and rs 1,030, respectively.

DLF has added 2.5% to Rs 305. ONGC and Jaiprakash Associates has added 2% each.

Grasim, TCS, ICICI Bank, Infosys, ACC and ITC are the other gainers in the market today.

However, Bharti Airtel continues to trade soft. The stock is down 2% at Rs 256.

Tata Steel and Reliance are down 1% each.

The BSE market breadth is positive. Out of 2,935 stocks traded, 1,741 have advanced while 1,084 have declined.