Stretching gains for the fourth straight trading session,the Indian benchmark sensex today ended up by over 17 points at 17,766.78 onbuying in selective blue-chip counters, in an otherwise listless trading.
Lack of major direction ahead of some global as well asdomestic economic events this week mainly kept the market in tight range. Worldmarkets today displayed a narrowly mixed pattern of trading.
Rise in sensex-based scrips like HDFC, Bharti Airtel,Infosys, Sun Pharma, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, ITC and Coal India were mostlyoffset by fall in SBI, ICICI Bank, RIL, TCS, HUL, BHEL and Jindal Steel.
Some of the consumer durable, pharma, metal and auto stocksattracted buying while from realty, banking and power ended with losses.
Second-line stocks attracted good buying support from retailinvestors and outperformed the sensex. As a result, the BSE-Smallcap andBSE-Midcap indices ended up by 0.70 pct and 0.28 pct.
The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer resumed betterand moved eratically in a narrow range of 17.810.90 and 17,728.12 beforeconcluding at 17,766.78, a net rise of mere 17.13 points or 0.10 pct. In aspecial trading last Saturday, the sensex had gained by about 66 points or 0.37pct.
The broader NSE 50-issue Nifty also edged up by 4.75 pointsor 0.09 per cent to 5,363.45.
On the global front, the Federal Open Market Committee(FOMC) is going to hold a two-day meeting on US interest rates on Sept. 12 and13 and also India's July's industrial output data due on Sept. 12 and headlineinflation on Sept. 14.
Mr. Kishor P. Ostwal, CMD, CNI Research Ltd.said,"Market closed almost flat though the small volatility was there.
Nothing major was seen in Nifty whereas stock specificaction was seen on purely value buying. Nifty upside 5600 is intact supportlies at 5330. This is a short settlement and hence any disappointment on 13thfrom Federal Reserve System and 17th from RBI can spook the party suggestingthat the caution is required."
Asian markets ended narrowly mixed with hopes rising thatweak US jobs data last weekend would prompt the US Federal Reserve to announcefresh stimulus this week. Key indices from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan endedwith small gains while from Japan, Singapore and South Korea closed with minorlosses.
European stocks too were trading slightly eitherside attheir last weekends close. The CAC and the FTSE were trading slightly weak by0.03 pct and 0.06 pct respectivly while the DAX was quoting better by 0.11 pct.
Out of the 30-share sensex pack 15 stocks finished with giansand 14 stocks declined while Sterlite Ind ruled steady.
Major gainers from the sensex pack were Sunpharma (2.63pct), Bharti Airtel (2.32 pct), Coal India (1.76 pct), Tata Steel (1.63 pct),Tata Motors (1.28 pct), Bajaj Auto (1.19 pct), HDFC (1.18 pct), Hindalco Ind(1.08 pct), Hero Motoco (1.01 pct) and Gail India (0.92 pct).
However, Jindal Steel dropped by 2.16 pct followed by BHEL2.15 pct, SBI 1.80 pct, Tata Power 1.19 pct, Wipro 1.17 pct and Cipla 0.96 pct.
Among the sectoral indices, the BSE-CD moved up by 0.99 pctfollowed by BSE-HC 0.95 pct and BSE-Metal 0.71 pct while BSE-Realty eased by0.78 pct and Bankex 0.77 pct.
The total market breadth remained positive as 1,526 sharessettled higher while 1,308 finished lower. The total turnover was low at Rs1,777.89 crore.
Meanwhile, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) boughtshares worth a net Rs 19.40 crore during the special trading session held onlast Saturday as per the provisional data from the stock exchange.