Key benchmarks display volatility

A bout of volatility was witnessed as key benchmark indices pared gains after displaying some firmness in afternoon trade. At 13:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 28.57 points or 0.10% at 29,938.79. The Nifty 50 index was up 14.30 points or 0.15% at 9,252.15. The Sensex was trading below the psychologically important 30,000 level, which it had hit at the onset of session.

Strength in index heavyweights like Reliance Industries and L&T helped the index hover in positive terrain.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.46%. The BSE Small-Cap index advanced 1.15%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The broad market depicted strength. There were more than two gainers against every loser on BSE. 1,913 shares rose and 836 shares declined. A total of 142 shares were unchanged.

Most pharmaceutical companies edged higher. IPCA Laboratories (up 3.17%), Alkem Laboratories (up 1.86%), Divi's Laboratories (up 1.02%), Piramal Enterprises (up 0.93%), Lupin (up 0.89%), Wockhardt (up 0.83%), Strides Shasun (up 0.58%), Cadila Healthcare (up 0.50%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 0.50%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 0.39%) and Cipla (up 0.14%), edged higher. GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (down 0.01%), Aurobindo Pharma (down 0.06%) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 0.56%), edged lower.

Most capital goods shares rose. GE Power India (up 3.50%), Punj Lloyd (up 3.44%), Praj Industries (up 2.49%), Bharat Heavy Electricals (up 1.74%), Jindal Saw (up 1.72%), Lakshmi Machine Works (up 1.20%), Suzlon Energy (up 1.04%), SKF India (up 0.90%), Bharat Electronics (up 0.72%), Crompton Greaves (up 0.69%), Thermax (up 0.48%), ABB India (up 0.21%) and Siemens (up 0.21%), edged higher. Havells India (down 0.41%), AIA Engineering (down 0.45%), BEML (down 0.5%), GE T&D India (down 1.19%) and Reliance Defence and Engineering (down 1.32%), edged lower.

Engineering and construction major L&T was up 1.04% to Rs 1,677.85. The stock hit a high of Rs 1,683 and a low of Rs 1,648 so far during the day.

Index pivotal Reliance Industries was up 2.30% to Rs 1,402.80. The stock hit a high of Rs 1,407.75 and a low of Rs 1,380.80 so far during the day.

Overseas, most European shares rose as higher oil prices and deals boosted energy stocks, with investors cheering improved synergies from an oil services takeover. Asian stocks were mixed. US stock markets closed with small gains yesterday, 4 April 2017, ahead of a key meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday.

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