Sensex Closes 167 Points Lower, Nifty Gives Up 11,000

Domestic stock markets ended lower on Thursday after trading in green for the most part of the day. The S&P BSE Sensex ended 166.54 points, or 0.45 per cent, lower at 37,104.28. The broader NSE Nifty benchmark settled at 10,981.05, down 54.65 points or 0.50 per cent from the previous close, breaking a five-day gaining streak. The losses were led by auto, energy and IT stocks. Thirty five out of 50 Nifty stocks closed in the negative zone. Analysts awaited the release of macroeconomic data - factory output and retail inflation - due later in the day. 

The Sensex moved between 37,048.67 and 37,435.15 - the weakest and strongest levels of the day respectively - during the session, whereas the Nifty moved in a range of 116.8 points, touching a low of 10,964.95 and a high of 11,081.75.

"Firm global cues led to a strong start but anxiety ahead of macroeconomic data viz. IIP and CPI inflation triggered profit-taking as the session progressed," said Ajit Mishra, vice president, research, Religare Broking Ltd.

Markets will react to the macroeconomic data in early trade on Friday, Mr Mishra added.

Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, Maruti Suzuki and ITC contributed the most to the losses on the Sensex.

Yes Bank shares slumped 5.10 per cent or Rs 3.65 to close at 67.95 on the BSE.    

The Nifty Auto index ended 1.81 per cent lower led by Tata Motors, which fell 3.80 per cent to settle at Rs. 129.25 apiece on the NSE. Shares in Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest carmaker, fell 3.01 per cent to close at Rs 6,398.75. 

Yes Bank, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Axis Bank were the top laggards on both benchmark indices. 

Indiabulls Housing Finance, on the other hand, was the biggest gainer on the Nifty. The stock ended 3.64 per cent higher at Rs. 447.15 on the NSE. 

Net purchases of shares stood at Rs 266.89 crore by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and Rs. 1,132 crore by domestic institutional investors (DIIs) on Wednesday, provisional data from the NSE showed.