The benchmark Nifty ended modestly lower after retreating from record highs as investors turned cautious on stocks following its record-breaking rally on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
The 50-share Nifty, after scaling a lifetime peak of 8,454.50 settled with a modest loss of 4.85 points, or 0.06 per cent at 8,425.90, over its last close.
Besides frontline heavyweights, technology, healthcare and FMCG counters mainly fell prey to fresh bouts of profit taking. A sluggish Asian session, too, weighted on the sentiment.
However, good buying interest in financials, auto, infra and metals provided some solid support and cushioned the fall.
After hitting lifetime highs earlier in the session, market slipped into red on fresh bouts of profit taking at higher levels and remained weak until mid-afternoon before regaining some of the lost ground.
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses ended mixed amid worries over a steeper-than-expected fall in China's property prices.
While, Japan's Nikkei rebounded sharply from overnight steep losses on renewed optimism that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will introduce more drastic stimulus measures to boost growth after the world's third- biggest economy unexpectedly contracted in the third quarter.
The key laggards included HDFC, TCS, Infosys, ONGC, Sun Pharma, Kotak Bank, Tata Motors, HCL-Tech, HUL, Hindalco, Axis Bank, Ultracemco, Bajaj Auto and BPCL.
Jewellery stocks witnessed a volatile session and came under heavy selling pressure on concerns over the government may mull more measures to curb gold imports.
Private sector lender HDFC Bank topped the buying list followed by L&T, Sesa Sterlite, ICICI Bank, Bharti Artl, M&M, IDFC, Reliance, BHEL, Asian Paints, Tata Steel and Power Grid.
Turnover in the cash segment jumped to Rs 18,293.05 crore from Rs 17,093.97 crore yesterday. A total of 9,966.18 lakh shares changed hands in 78,93,460 trades, while market capitalisation stood at Rs 96,84,044 crore.
