Closing

Mumbai: Stock market benchmark Sensex ended flat on 1 January, the first trading session of 2008 as gains in the initial hours were eroded by profit booking later.

The Sensex commenced the day slightly higher and rose more than 100 points in the first five minutes of trading. It touched the day’s high of 20,394.89 and low of 20,220.46 in alternate bouts of trading. Profit booking by investors reduced the day’s gain to 13.72 points at 20,300.71 points.

The National Stock Exchange index Nifty was also almost unchanged, rising a mere 5.75 points to 6,144.35 points.

Major support to the Sensex came in from realty stocks as the segment index gained by 310.47 points at 13,037.89 points. Power, banks and PSU scrips also rose.

Opening

Mumbai: The new calender year heralded on a cautious note as after resuming firm, the benchmark Sensex was barely changed on Tuesday morning on lack of any major trigger from global markets due to New Year celebrations.

Most of the global markets were closed on Tuesday due to Christmas holidays.

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 30-share barometer, Sensex, resumed better at 20,325.27 from Monday’s close of 20,286.99 and moved in a range of 20,394.89 and 20,220.46 before being quoted at 20,285.67 at 10.30 am, a mere fall of 1.32 points.

The broad-based S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) declined by 5.25 points to 6,133.35 at 10.30 am from previous close of 6,138.60.

Small and mid-cap counters continued to be investors’ fancy and were quoted remarkably higher on good investment buying.

Consumer durables also attracted good buying support while IT counters remained under selling pressure.