Equities trade flat-to-negative on profit booking

Key Indian equity indices on Friday traded on a flat-to-negative note in the mid-afternoon session as investors booked profits in metals, IT and oil and gas stocks.

At 1.45 p.m., the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) traded lower by 19.80 points or 0.19 per cent at 10,206.75 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 33,247.66 points, traded at 33,091.56 points -- down 57.79 points or 0.17 per cent -- from Thursday's close.

The Sensex touched a high of 33,300.81 points and a low of 33,065.77 during intra-day trade.

In contrast, the BSE market breadth was bullish -- 1,531 advances and 1,032 declines.

On Thursday, the key indices closed with substantial losses as data showing a widened fiscal deficit for the first seven months of 2017-18, along with subdued Asian markets and volatility infused by November futures and options (F&O) expiry, subdued investors' sentiments.

On a closing basis, the NSE Nifty50 fell by 134.75 points or 1.30 per cent to 10,226.55 points while the BSE Sensex closed at 33,149.35 points -- down 453.41 points or 1.35 per cent.

--IANS

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