Equity markets pare all gains on derivatives expiry day (Third Lead)

Volatility on the eve of July derivatives expiry dragged the equity markets from peak levels to provisionally close Thursday's trade on a muted note.

The key equity indices, which touched record highs during intra-day trade, closed on a flat-to-negative note as investors booked profits in automobile, healthcare and IT stocks.

At 3.30 p.m., the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) provisionally closed lower by 7.15 points or 0.07 per cent at 10,013.50 points. At one point, it breached the 10,100-mark to scale an intra-day high of 10,114.85 points.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which scaled a fresh intra-day high of 32,672.66 points, closed fractionally higher by 0.84 point at 32,383.30 points, from its previous session's close at 32,382.46 points.

The BSE market breadth was bearish with 1,842 declines and 879 advances.

On Wednesday, the benchmark indices surged to record highs, with the NSE Nifty50 closing firmly above the 10,000-point mark for the first time. It scaled a record intra-day high of 10,025.95 points on Wednesday before closing at 10,020.65 points.

The BSE Sensex, too, touched a new high of 32,413.63 points during the intra-day trade.

--IANS

ppg/vt