New Delhi: The 30-share BSE Sensex traded at the lowest point of the day in quiet trade Thursday. The Nifty index also slipped below the 5,150 mark, but the rupee pulled back below the 57 mark to the dollar.
This is the third straight day of lacklustre trade in Indian stocks. Markets were uncharacteristically flat ahead of the derivatives expiry. At 1 p.m., the Sensex rose 25 points or 0.15% higher at 16,993, while the Nifty index advanced 6 points to 5,148.
European markets were flat, while Asian stocks saw mixed trade today. Japan's Nikkei index soared 1.65% on the back of positive data from the US, where pending home sales rose in May.
Auto stocks (-0.5%) saw selling pressure, mainly on account of the underperformance in Tata Motors (-1.6%), which fell for the second straight day.
Banking stocks were down on the back of large block deals in private sector lender Axis (-2.3%) and Yes Bank (-2.2%). State Bank of India (-1.2%), India's biggest lender, also saw selling pressure.
Power stocks continued to be in the uptrend over optimism of further reform in the sector. Shares in Tata Power (1.2%) saw buying interest for the second day on the back of the tariff hike in Delhi, a key market for the power utility firm. Reliance Infra (-1.2%) saw profit booking though.
On the Nifty, 29 of the 50 stocks traded higher. Infra major Jaiprakash Associates (1.5%) was the top gainer, followed by engineering goods manufacturer Siemens India (1.5%).
IT major Infosys (1.1%) outperformed other frontline IT stocks today.
The market breadth was neutral with 50% stocks managing to advance on the broader BSE 500 index.
This is the third straight day of lacklustre trade in Indian stocks. Markets were uncharacteristically flat ahead of the derivatives expiry. At 1 p.m., the Sensex rose 25 points or 0.15% higher at 16,993, while the Nifty index advanced 6 points to 5,148.
European markets were flat, while Asian stocks saw mixed trade today. Japan's Nikkei index soared 1.65% on the back of positive data from the US, where pending home sales rose in May.
Auto stocks (-0.5%) saw selling pressure, mainly on account of the underperformance in Tata Motors (-1.6%), which fell for the second straight day.
Banking stocks were down on the back of large block deals in private sector lender Axis (-2.3%) and Yes Bank (-2.2%). State Bank of India (-1.2%), India's biggest lender, also saw selling pressure.
Power stocks continued to be in the uptrend over optimism of further reform in the sector. Shares in Tata Power (1.2%) saw buying interest for the second day on the back of the tariff hike in Delhi, a key market for the power utility firm. Reliance Infra (-1.2%) saw profit booking though.
On the Nifty, 29 of the 50 stocks traded higher. Infra major Jaiprakash Associates (1.5%) was the top gainer, followed by engineering goods manufacturer Siemens India (1.5%).
IT major Infosys (1.1%) outperformed other frontline IT stocks today.
The market breadth was neutral with 50% stocks managing to advance on the broader BSE 500 index.
