Sensex closes flat; bank stocks down

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Monday closed flat -- a mere 21 points lower -- on weak global cues.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,880.94 points, closed (provisionally) at 19,895.10 points, down 20.85 points or 0.10 percent lower from Friday's close at 19,915.95 points.

The Sensex saw a high of 19,921.38 points and a low of 19,647.88 points in the day's trade.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also made marginal gains. The index increased merely by 1.95 points or 0.03 percent at 5,909.25 points.

Sector-wise, information technology (IT), metal, healthcare, technology, entertainment and media (TECk) and power companies scrip gained.

However, banks, capital goods, automobile, public sector undertakings (PSU) and oil and gas stocks declined.

The S&P BSE IT index gained 108.94 points, metal index was up 80.70 points, followed by healthcare index which was higher by 78.02 points, TECK index rose 45.14 points and power index increased by five points.

Heavy selling pressure was observed in bank index, which was down 133.17 points, capital goods index was down 38.05 points, automobile index was down 32.21 points, PSU index was lower by 23.71 points and oil and gas index declined by 17.72 points.