Sensex ends flat; metal stocks gain (Roundup)

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Thursday closed flat - only 11.44 points or 0.04 percent up, while metal and capital goods stocks made healthy gains.

However, selling pressure was observed in oil and gas, automobile and banking sectors.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 25,540.92 points, closed trade at 25,561.16 points (provisional), up 11.44 points or 0.04 percent from the previous day's close at 25,549.72 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 25,613.03 points and a low of 25,494.46 points in the intra-day trade.

The S&P BSE metal index was up 319.62 points, followed by capital goods index which was higher by 182.41 points and consumer durables index which rose 117.65 points.

However, oil and gas index was down 45.86 points, automobile index was lower by 25.24 points and bank index was marginally down by 2.42 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) ended trade flat. It gained 16.05 points or 0.21 percent up at 7,640.45 points.

The major Sensex gainers were: Hindalco Inds, up 3.91 percent at Rs.188.75; Tata Power, up 3.53 percent at Rs.108.55; Tata Steel, up 2.99 percent at Rs.558.90; Coal India, up 2.86 percent at Rs.375.70; and NTPC, up 2.63 percent at Rs.150.45.

The losers were: Mahindra and Mahindra, down 3.18 percent at Rs.1,181.35; Bajaj Auto, down 2.27 percent at Rs.2,091.70; Gail India, down 0.91 percent at Rs.452.95; Tata Consultancy Service (TCS), down 0.84 percent at Rs.2,381.10; and ICICI Bank, down 0.71 percent at Rs.1,448.70.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 0.06 percent down while Hong Kong's Heng Seng ended 0.01 percent lower. China's Shanghai Composite Index went 0.57 percent down.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was down 0.63 percent, the French CAC 40 was lower by 0.98 percent and Germany's DAX Index had lost 0.80 percent at the closing bell here.