Indian equities slip on profit booking, weak rupee

Profit booking, coupled with a depreciating rupee and weak domestic macro-data, pulled the Indian equities markets lower on Monday.

The key indices provisionally closed on a flat note -- marginally in the red, as heavy selling pressure was witnessed in banking, finance and IT stocks.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 9.15 points or 0.11 per cent to 8,176.65 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 26,711.15 points, provisionally closed at 26,595.45 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- down 31.01 points or 0.12 per cent from the previous day's close at 26,626.46 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 26,720.98 points and a low of 26,447.06 points during the intra-day trade.

However, the BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,842 advances and 817 declines.

On Friday last week, the equity markets had closed on a pleasant note on the back of rupee appreciation, firm global cues and value buying.

The barometer index was up 260.31 points or 0.99 per cent to close at 26,626.46 points, whereas the NSE Nifty gained 82.20 points or 1.01 per cent to 8,185.80 points.

--IANS

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