Equities trade in thin range, Sensex tests 47K mark
Dec 18, 2020
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 18 : Equity benchmark indices reversed early losses and ended flat on Friday while trading in a narrow range amid mixed Asian trends, which defied a broader global rally.
The BSE S&P Sensex opened at 47,026 but levelled to 46,961 at the close, up 70 points or 0.15 per cent from yesterday's close. The Nifty 50 was up by 20 points or 0.14 per cent at 13,761.
Sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange were mixed with Nifty pharma gaining by 1.2 per cent and IT by 1.5 per cent. Nifty PSU bank and private bank dipped by 0.7 per cent each, financial service by 0.4 per cent and metal by 0.3 per cent.
Among stocks, Dr Reddy's advanced by 3.3 per cent to Rs 5,243 per share while Cipla closed 1.5 per cent higher at Rs 795.15.
Infosys, Wipro and HCL Technologies were up by 2.3 per cent, 1.7 per cent and 1 per cent respectively while Bajaj Auto accelerated by 2.6 per cent.
The other prominent winners were State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Hindalco and Titan. Among those which lost were IndusInd Bank, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finserv, ONGC, Maruti Suzuki and IndianOil Corporation.
Meanwhile, Asian shares slipped from the record they hit a day earlier but the prospect of a major US coronavirus relief package left some investors still in the mood to pick up stocks and other risk-exposed assets.
Japan's Nikkei dipped by 0.16 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell by 0.67 per cent. South Korea's Kospi was a tad up by 0.06 per cent.
