The NSE benchmark Nifty today ended a range-bound session on a flat note with a negative bias, down 16.70 points after investors digested the outcome of Federal Reserve policy meeting and focussed on corporate earnings.
Profit booking set in after Nifty hit record high levels in intra-day trade. Mostly bearish global stocks kept sentiment subdued.
PSU banks, FMCG, auto and energy stocks were under pressure while, pharma, IT, infra and finance service sectors capped the losses.
Globally, most European bourses declined as investors remained cautious ahead of fresh earnings reports. Asian stocks fell as investors locked in profit from recent gains.
The NSE Nifty opened flat at 10,440.50 and hit an intra-day all-time high of 10,453, later eased to 10,412.55 before ending at 10,423.80, a modest fall of 16.70 points, or 0.16 percent, from its last close.
It saw an intra-day movement of about 40.45 points.
Broader markets underperformed the bourses as the Nifty Midcap and Small cap indices rose 0.21 and 0.74 per cent, respectively.
On the sectoral front, PSU banks fell 1.52 per cent, FMCG 1.00 per cent, auto 0.71 per cent, media 0.51 per cent, energy 0.24 per cent, banks 0.25 per cent and metal 0.14 per cent.
However, pharma jumped 3.02 per cent followed by IT 0.26 per cent, finance service 0.26 per cent, infra 0.l6 per cent and realty 0.03 per cent.
Major index gainers were Aurobindo Pharma, Lupin, Sun Pharma, Powergrid, Dr Reddy, HCL Tech, Bharti Airtel and Coal India.
Losers included Tech Mah, Hero Motocorp, InfraTel, SBIN, Hindalco, ITC, Zeel, ONGC, Hindunilever and Indiabulls Housing Fin.
The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was in favour of lossers. On the NSE, 888 stocks declined, 855 advanced and 58 stock remained unchanged.
Total securities that hit their price bands were 164.
Turnover in the cash segment fell to Rs 33,909.38 crore from Rs 37,910.59 crore as on Wednesday.
A total of 18,174.91 lakh shares changed hands in 11,477,725 trades. The market capitalisation of listed firms on NSE stood at Rs 1,43,44,549.08 crore.
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