Sensex ends flat, retreats from 53,000-mark on profit-booking

Equity benchmark Sensex ended on a flat note after scaling the 53,000-mark on Tuesday as investor booked profits at higher levels.

After touching a lifetime intra-day peak of 53,057.11, the 30-share BSE index settled 14.25 points or 0.03 per cent higher at 52,588.71.

Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 26.25 points or 0.17 per cent to 15,772.75.

Maruti was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 5 per cent, followed by L&T, UltraTech Cement, TCS and Titan.

On the other hand, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, Nestle India and HUL were among the laggards.

Markets opened strong on the back of global cues and pick-up in the pace of vaccination. Tuesday's trade saw hectic activity in stocks pertaining to the 'unlock' theme, said S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities.

Nearing Mount 53K, however, Sensex witnessed profit-taking across the board in afternoon trade, he noted.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo ended with gains, while Hong Kong was in the red.

Stock exchanges in Europe were largely trading with gains in mid-session deals.

Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.47 per cent lower at $74.55 per barrel.