Mumbai: A depreciating rupee and lack of fresh buying triggers also kept sentiment at a low ebb, traders said. After rallying nearly 400 points during the day, the 30-share BSE index made a U-turn in the last hour of trade to settle 66.95 points or 0.13 per cent lower at 52,482.71.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty slipped 26.95 points or 0.17 per cent to close at 15,721.50.
PowerGrid was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 1.51 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, HDFC, NTPC, HUL, Bajaj Finance and L&T.
On the other hand, Infosys, Reliance Industries, Nestle India, Maruti Suzuki, Tech Mahindra and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers, advancing up to 1.19 per cent.
The market breadth was negative, with 18 of the Sensex components ending lower, while 12 notched up gains. ”Markets started on a strong note but gave up gains in the afternoon session on profit booking. The broader markets however saw plenty of action across specific themes. ”Paper stocks stood out today with the top three players witnessing smart accumulation. Being the last day of the first quarter, the street now braces for the earnings to kick in early next month,” said S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities.
