Sensex rises 38 points in listless trade as derivatives expire

Selective buying helped the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex to rise 38 points in listless trade today as investors squared off pending positions on the expiry of monthly derivatives.
Sensex constituents ITC, HDFC and Sun Pharma gained, while heavyweights Reliance Industries, TCS, Hindustan Unilever and ONGC fell. Healthcare, power and capital goods sectors rose as oil and gas, consumer durables and realty dropped.
The 30-share barometer resumed stable and moved in a range of 19,826.99 and 19,997.28 before settling at 19,893.85, a rise of 37.61 points or 0.19 per cent.
Stocks also got support from the Reserve Bank of India's assurances that measures would be taken to provide adequate liquidity in the banking system.

"Sentiment improved after receiving assurance from RBI that it would take measures to provide adequate liquidity," said Nidhi Saraswat, senior research analyst at Bonanza Portfolio Ltd. "Selling pressure got aggravated in the last trading hour as futures and options positions got rolled over."
The wider CNX Nifty index on the National Stock Exchange edged up 8.4 points to 5,882.25. The SX40 index on the MCX Stock Exchange closed almost flat at 11,779.16.

Easing of norms by the RBI for providing swaps to banks borrowing funds overseas also boosted market sentiment.
Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 382.45 crore yesterday, according to provisional data with the stock exchanges.

Asian stocks closed mixed after US indices fell yesterday. Key indices in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan closed lower, while indices in Japan and South Korea gained.