Sensex rangebound at around 20,000 points

A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets was rangebound Thursday, trading at around the 20,000 points mark, as gains in IT, realty, power and banking stocks offset losses in healthcare, metal and oil and gas scrips.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 20015.86 points, was trading at 20003.17 points in the late afternoon session, up 0.06 percent or 12.99 points from its previous day's close at 19990.18 points.

The benchmark index touched a high of 20058.48 points and low of 19941.35 points in the intra-day.

The Sensex had crossed the psychological resistance level of 20,000 points mark Wednesday for the first time in more than three months.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was ruling 0.05 percent or 3.20 points higher at 6,072.50 points.

There was a good buying support in IT, realty, power and banking stocks. The BSE IT index was up 0.95 percent. Realty index was trading 0.85 percent higher, power index was up 0.61 percent and banking index was trading 0.45 percent higher.

However, there were selling pressures in healthcare, metal, oil and gas and consumer durables stocks.

The BSE healthcare index was down 1.23 percent. Metal index was down 0.46 percent and oil and gas index was trading 0.44 percent lower.