Markets End on a Flat Note

The markets closed the day in the green with the Sensex adding 19 points to close at 18,012 and the Nifty gained 12 points at 5,398. The index slipped below the 18000 mark during the day’s trade. The main draggers for the day are FMCG, Realty and PSU indices declining more nearly one percentage points during the day’s trade. Among the gainers in the Sensex stocks are L&T, Hero Honda,ICICI Bank and Cipla down 1% each. Reliance Infrastructure down 2%, ITC, DLF, TCS, SBI, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Motors and Hindalco losing 1% each are the losers among the Sensex stocks. The market breadth is very negative. Of the total 2806 stocks traded on the BSE, 1512 stocks have declined while 1180 advanced. On the global front, European stocks advanced, with the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index rebounding from a one-month low, as commodities rallied. Asian stocks and U.S. index futures increased. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), the world’s biggest mining company, gained 1.7 percent as metal prices rose. BT Group Plc (BT/A) climbed 1.2 percent after UBS AG raised its recommendation on the stock.