Sensex ends flat with positive bias

The Sensex turned volatile during last half an hour and thus ended on a flat note with gains led by Reliance Communications, Hindalco Industries and ACC. Healthcare, metal and realty stocks gained except auto. It started on a quiet note with a gain of 29.73 points, at 17,199.64 on Thursday, December 03, tracking strong global cues. The index proceeded to trade higher due to fresh buying seen in select heavyweights by funds and retail investors amid firm Asian markets, touching a high of 17,361.27. However the index in the post noon session erased all its gains and fell into the red on the back of profit booking and soon bounced back to positive terrain to finally close in green.

BSE Midcap and Smallcap index rose 0.39% and 0.92% respectively.

The Sensex ended the day with a gain of 15.77 points, or 0.09% at 17,185.68 after touching a high of 17,361.27 and a low of 17,128.21. The broad-based NSE Nifty climbed 8.45 points, or 0.16% at 5,131.70 after hitting a high of 5,181.00 and a low of 5,106.60.

Major gainers in the 30-share index were Reliance Communications (2.54%), Hindalco Industries (2.42%), ACC (2.05%), Grasim Industries (2.04%), State Bank Of India(2.02%), and Reliance Capital (1.73%).

On the other hand, Tata Motors (3.34%), Hindustan Unilever (1.89%), Jaiprakash Associates (1.11%), ICICI Bank (1%), Hero Honda Motors (0.95%), and Infosys Technologies (0.81%) were the major losers in the Sensex.

Overall market breadth was positive. Out of the total 2,839 stocks traded at BSE, 1,653 advanced, 1,112 declined while 74 remained unchanged.

Major gainers in the sectoral indices were BSE HC which gained 1.66%, Metal climbed 1.19%, rose 0.82%, Realty climbed 0.58% and PSU rose 0.56%, while BSE Auto fell 0.31%, Capital Goods declined 0.06%.

On global front, European stocks rose as Bank of America Corp. said it will repay USD 45 billion of government bailout funds and the Federal Reserve said the US economy improved. UK`s benchmark index FTSE 100 gained 30.76 points, or 0.57%, to trade at 5,357.80. French benchmark index CAC 40 rose 23.53 points or 0.62% to trade at 3,830.61. Germany`s benchmark index DAX increased by 44.76 points or 0.77% to trade at 5,826.26. (4.25 pm)

Asian stocks rose, driving the MSCI Asia Pacific Index to a 15-month high, as a weaker yen boosted Japanese exporters and the Federal Reserve said the US economy improved. Japanese benchmark index Nikkei 225 rose 368.73 points, or 3.84%, to end at 9,977.67. Hong Kong`s Hang Seng is climbed 264.30 points, or 1.19%, to end at 22,553.87. China`s Shanghai Composite decreased 5.12 points, or 0.16% to end at 3,264.63.

Today, the food price index data came in which rose 17.47% in year to November 2009 in which primary article index rose 12.53% while the fuel price index remained unchanged.