The domestic stock market closed in the red for the fourth consecutive day amid volatility due to selling pressure in majors like ITC, NTPC and Infosys. BSE Sensex oscillates in a wide range of around 900 points between intra-day low of 60,551 and high of 61,420, before ending the session at 60,821.50, up 101 points or 0.17 per cent and the NSE Nifty ended at 18,114.90, down 63 points or 0.35 per cent. On the sectoral front, IT, Metal, Pharma and FMCG indices fell 1-3 per cent each.
The broader markets also ended in the red with the BSE Midcap index falling 1.1 per cent and the BSE Smallcap index down 1.2 per cent, underperforming their largecap peers.
The benchmark indices opened intra-day on positive global cues. But in a mirror image of the previous session, the markets were unable to maintain their early gains as volatility emerged at higher levels.
On the stock-specific front, ITC extended its previous day’s loss of up to 3 per cent to top the losers list on the BSE. Maruti Suzuki, Infosys, NTPC and Tata Steel were the other significant losers in the BSE pack.
On the other hand, select private banking and financial stocks tempered the weak trend. HDFC, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank rose 1-2 per cent on the BSE.
And index heavyweight Reliance Industries rose 0.1 per cent to Rs 2627 ahead of results scheduled later in the day.
BSE market breath was weak. Of the 3448 stocks traded on the BSE, 1315 were forward shares as against the 1983 decline.
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