Sensex closes down marginally, auto stocks fall (Roundup)

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets ended Monday's trade flat-- marginally down by 5.45 points or 0.02 percent - after touching a record high of 27,969.82 points in the early morning trade session.

In the early morning trade session the benchmark index had surpassed its previous high of 27,894.32 points it hit Friday. This was the third consecutive time that the Sensex hit a record high. Subsequently it lost the early gains and traded in the red.

Healthy buying was observed in banks, realty, healthcare and capital goods. While selling pressure was sustained in auto, consumer durables and oil and gas stocks.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 27,943.04 points, closed trade at 27,860.38 points, down 5.45 points or 0.02 percent from the previous day's close at 27,865.83 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 27,969.82 points and a low of 27,785.40 points in the intra-trade.

The S&P bank index gained 90.18 points, realty index was up 56.02 points, followed by the healthcare sector which was higher by 53 points and capital goods index which increased by 46.05 points.

However, auto index dropped by 163.65 points, followed by consumer durables index which was down 146.43 points and oil and gas index which lost 23.37 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade in the positive territory. It gained 1.95 points or 0.02 percent up at 8,324.15 points.

The major Sensex gainers were Sesa Sterlite, up 2.17 percent at Rs.261.30; Axis Bank, up 1.34 percent at Rs.444.65; HDFC, up 1.04 percent at Rs.1,117.50, ICICI Bank, up 1.02 percent at Rs.1,642.05 and Infosys, up 0.82 percent at Rs.4,084.50.

Major Sensex losers were Gail, down 5.70 percent at Rs.499, Mahindra and Mahindra, down 2.67 percent at Rs.1,268.55, Coal India, down 2.45 percent at Rs.360.30, Hero MotoCorp, down 1.66 percent at Rs.3,010.75 and Maruti Suzuki, down 1.58 percent at Rs.3,285.60.

Among the Asian markets, China's Shanghai Composite Index gained by 0.45 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost by 0.34 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was down 0.40 percent, France's CAC 40 was 0.39 percent lower and Germany's DAX Index decreased by 0.43 percent.