Erasing the early gains, the index slipped into the negative territory in noon trade amid volatile trade. Cautious investors took some of their profits off the table ahead of the budget.
Most Asian stock markets clawed higher today after data showed the region's two biggest economies are inching toward economic recovery. Investors seemed to brush off an overnight drop on Wall Street, where stocks were dragged down by an unexpected drop in US consumer confidence.
The Sensex was recently trading at 14,360 after rising to 14,648 at its day’s high. All the sectors were muted, with metals particularly seeing the maximum selling pressure.
Among the Sensex stocks, Hindalco fell over 6 per cent to be the biggest loser among the pack. Other major losers include JP Asso, down over 4 per cent, and ACC, off over 2 per cent. Bharti, HUL and Maruti saw some small gains.