Profit booking, negative global cues subdue equities

Profit booking, coupled with broadly negative global indices, subdued the Indian equities markets on Tuesday.

The key indices provisionally closed the day's trade in the red, as heavy selling pressure was witnessed in oil and gas, metal, and energy stocks.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 14.80 points or 0.18 per cent, to 8,398 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 27,331.82 points, provisionally closed at 27,235.66 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- down 52.51 points or 0.19 per cent from the previous close at 27,238.06 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 27,381.43 points and a low of 27,179.19 points during the intra-day trade.

However, the BSE market breadth was marginally tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,349 advances and 1,342 declines.

On Monday, the benchmark indices closed on a flat-to-positive note on expectations of healthy third-quarter (Q3) results.

The NSE Nifty rose by 12.45 points or 0.15 per cent, to 8,412.80 points, while the BSE Sensex was up 50.11 points or 0.18 per cent.

--IANS

ppg-rv/vt