Sensex closes flat; bank stocks decline (Third Lead)

A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex), provisionally closed Wednesday's trade flat, as bank, healthcare and capital goods stocks declined.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) provisionally closed the day's trade flat. It end 0.65 points or 0.01 percent up at 8,762.75 points.

The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 29,115.32 points, closed at 29,007.99 points (at 3.30 p.m.), up 3.33 points or 0.01 percent from the previous day's close at 29,004.66 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 29,269.83 points and a low of 28,967.61 points in the intra-day trade.

Sector-wise, bank, healthcare, capital goods, metal and consumer durables stocks came under heavy selling pressure.

However, healthy buying was observed in information technology (IT), fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), technology, entertainment and media (TECK) and oil and gas stocks.

The S&P BSE bank index was down 164.25 points, healthcare index fell 162.13 points, capital goods index was lower by 124.24 points, metal index declined by 53 points and consumer durables index slipped 40.46 points.

The S&P BSE IT index was up 53.66 points, followed by FMCG index which was higher by 31.40 points, TECK index rose 29.79 points and oil and gas index augmented by 27.83 points.