Sensex closes flat; IT stocks down

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed Tuesday's trade flat -- down 12.41 points or 0.04 percent -- as information technology (IT) stocks lost marginally.

Sustained selling pressure was observed in consumer durables, oil and gas and fast moving moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors, while healthy buying was seen in capital goods, automobile, metal, bank and power scrip.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 28,209.03 points, closed trading at 28,165.47 points (provisional) -- down 12.41 points or 0.04 percent from the previous day's close at 28,177.88 points.

The Sensex touched a record high of 28,282.85 points and a low of 28,119.95 points in the intra-trade.

The S&P IT index dropped 88.05 points, consumer durable index went down by 73.47 points, oil and gas index lost 36.55 points and FMCG index declined by 22.27 points.

However, capital goods index was up 293.39 points, automobile index gained by 105.65 points, metal index rose 102.49 points, bank index was higher by 68.79 points and power index increased by 27.81 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed trade in the negative ending the day lower by 4.85 points or 0.06 percent at 8,425.90 points.