Negative cues from global markets and profit booking by investors after a three-day rally kept the Sensex and the Nifty 50 in pressure.
But gains in telecom, oil, power and energy sectors helped end the key indices in green. Banking, pharma and capital goods sectors led losses.
The BSE Sensex closed 33.29 points, or 0.09%, up at 35,962.93 and the Nifty 50 ended 13.90 points, or 0.13%, higher at 10,805.45.
The BSE midcap and smallcap indices rose 0.19% and 0.03%, respectively.
Among the sectoral indices on BSE, telecom, oil and gas, utilities and energy gained, whereas healthcare, capital goods, consumer durables and industrials declined.Bharti Airtel, Yes Bank, ONGC, BPCL, Infosys, Indian Oil and Coal India were among the major gainers on the key indices, whereas HDFC, HCl Tech, Wipro, LT, Titan, Bajaj Auto and Sun Pharma were among the top losers.
Asian stocks fell with US futures as caution returned to global markets as data showed continued weakness in China’s economy. Shares in Hong Kong and Japan bore the brunt of declines as equities fell across the region.
Oil prices eased after rising over 2% the day before, but were supported by hopes the market will tighten more quickly than expected.
Meanwhile rupee yesterday weakened marginally against the US dollar, tracking losses in its Asian peers.
The rupee was trading at 71.79 a dollar, down 0.15% from its Thursday’s close of 71.69. The currency opened at 71.75 a dollar.
The 10-year government bond yield stood at 7.409% from its previous close of 7.408%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.
The benchmark Sensex Index rose 0.21% or 74.34 points to 36,003.98 points.
Year to date, it has gained 5.5%. So far this year, the rupee has declined 11%, while foreign investors have sold $4.60bn and $7.48bn in the equity and debt markets, respectively.
Asian currencies were trading lower as weak Chinese economic data and a warning from the European Central Bank damped risk sentiment before the Federal Reserve reviews interest rates next week.
South Korean won was down 0.54%, Indonesian rupiah 0.4%, China Offshore 0.16%, China renminbi 0.11%, Philippines peso 0.1%, Malaysian ringgit 0.07%, Singapore dollar 0.06%. However, Japanese yen was up 0.12% and Hong Kong dollar 0.05%.
The dollar index, which measures the US currency’s strength against major currencies, was trading at 97.123, up 0.06% from its previous close of 97.064.
