Sensex ends 5 points lower after choppy session

The benchmark Sensex fell 5 points after a choppy session today on the eve of the expiry of November derivative contracts and ahead of GDP and fiscal deficit data due on Friday.
Heavyweights Infosys and Reliance Industries dragged the index lower even as ITC and Tata Motors provided some support.
Bharti Airtel, NTPC and State Bank of India were the biggest of the 16 losers on the Sensex.
The S&P BSE Sensex opened higher at 20,449. It traded within a band of 20,348.06 to 20,482.67 before closing at 20,420.26, a drop of 4.76 points or 0.02 per cent.
"As the US is nearing the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, activity across global markets seems to slow down. Indian markets too are seeing sideways movement," said Milan Bavishi, Head of Research at Inventure Growth and Securities. "In the next few days, cues can come from derivative expiry as well as specific direction in dollar-rupee."

The 50-share CNX Nifty on the National Stock Exchange eased by two points to 6,057.10. The SX40 on the MCX Stock Exchange closed 4.36 points down at 12,119.99.

Power, realty and IT shares led six of the 13 BSE sectoral indices down. IT stocks fell as the rupee continued to strengthen against the dollar, reducing the value of their overseas earnings when converted into the local currency.
Fresh capital outflows affected sentiment. Overseas investors sold a net Rs 339.16 crore of shares yesterday, according to provisional data on the stock exchanges.
The decline in the markets was stemmed by consumer durables and FMCG sector shares, which advanced.

Brokers said there was volatility in the market as some investors booked profits while others sought to cover their pending long positions before the expiry of futures and options contracts tomorrow.
The quarterly GDP estimate for July-September and fiscal deficit data is scheduled to be released on November 29.
The rupee traded stronger at 62.2 levels against the dollar after a disappointing report on US consumer confidence in November.