Stock markets close unchanged on monthly expiry day, unabated foreign fund outflows

Mumbai: Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed almost unchanged on Thursday in a volatile trade amid unabated foreign fund outflows and monthly derivatives expiry.

The 30-share BSE Sensex eked out gains of 10.31 points or 0.01 per cent to settle at 74,612.43. The NSE Nifty slipped 2.50 points or 0.01 per cent to 22,545.05, registering its seventh day of decline. As many as 31 Nifty components declined while 19 closed higher.

Gains from financials and metal shares were offset by losses in capital goods and auto shares. From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma, Zomato, Tata Steel and Nestle were the biggest gainers.

UltraTech Cement was the biggest loser, dropping by 4.99 per cent after it announced entry into cable and wires segment with an investment of Rs 1,800 crore in a plant in Gujarat. Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra and State Bank of India were among the major laggards.

The BSE smallcap gauge tumbled 2.09 per cent and midcap index declined 0.97 per cent.

Rupee settled almost flat with a marginal gain of 1 paisa at 87.18 against US dollar amid a muted trend in domestic equity markets and persistent foreign fund outflows.

Among BSE sectoral indices, industrials tanked the most 2.47 per cent, followed by realty (2.06 per cent), power (1.80 per cent), capital goods (1.58 per cent), auto (1.57 per cent), consumer discretionary (1.34 per cent) and utilities (1.18 per cent). Financial Services, telecom and metal were the gainers.