Sensex ends in red; oil and gas stocks fall

Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) A benchmark index of the Indian equities market Thursday closed 17.46 points or 0.07 percent lower after resuming trade post-noon.

Trading was hit by a technical snag for nearly three hours. "The market closure duration from 9.42 a.m. till 12.45 p.m. was approximately 3 hours and 3 minutes," the BSE said in a statement.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 25,875.75 points, closed trade at 25,823.75 points (provisional), down 17.46 points or 0.07 percent from the previous day's close at 25,841.21 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 25,999.08 points and a low of 25,801.00 points in the intra-trade.

Healthy buying was observed in healthcare, automobile, and consumer durables stocks. However, buying pressure was sustained in oil and gas, metal and bank scrips.

The S&P BSE healthcare index surged by 130.13 points, followed by automobile index which gained 126.99 points and consumer durables index went up by 53.85 points.

The oil and gas index was however, down 133.55 points, metal index was lower by 74.58 points and bank index fell 49.39 points.

The benchmark index had hit a new record high of 25,864.53 points Wednesday before closing at a new high of 25,841.21 points on the hopes of a fiscally prudent and growth oriented budget on Wednesday.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed the trade in red. It closed 10.35 points or 0.13 percent down at 7,714.80 points.