Sensex, Nifty end marginally higher

Equity indices ended marginally higher on Wednesday after a see-saw session, tracking mixed cues from the global markets amid geopolitical uncertainties.

After swinging nearly 200 points, the 30-share BSE Sensex index settled 2.96 points, or 0.01 per cent, higher at 36,321.29. The broader NSE Nifty inched up 3.50 points, or 0.03 per cent, to 10,890.30.

In the Sensex pack, Yes Bank, IndusInd Bank, Infosys, ICICI Bank, TCS, SBI, Reliance Industries, ONGC, Axis Bank and NTPC rose up to 2.66 per cent.

On the other hand, losers included Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Vedanta, HCL Tech, HUL, Hero MotoCorp, Kotak Bank, HDFC, HDFC Bank and ITC, declining up to 1.38 per cent.

"The market remained lacklustre and the indices traded in narrow ranges in the absence of any fresh news or triggers from both domestic and global markets," said Joseph Thomas, Head Research, Emkay Wealth Management.

The direction in the coming days would depend to a large extent on the earnings season that is coming up and also the developments around the US government shutdown, Brexit and further monetary actions from China, he added.

On a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 159.60 crore Tuesday, and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 417.44 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed.

Global investor sentiment was cautious after British Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal to leave the EU was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs, triggering a no-confidence motion against her government and leaving the country with no plans for Brexit on March 29.

This is the biggest defeat for a sitting British government in history.

London's FTSE fell 0.61 per cent, while Frankfurt's DAX was up 0.22 per cent and Paris CAC 40 rose 0.20 per cent in early deals.

Elsewhere in Asia, Korea's Kospi rose 0.43 per cent, Shanghai Composite Index ended flat, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 0.27 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei fell 0.55 per cent.

The rupee, meanwhile, depreciated 20 paise against the US dollar to 71.12 in intra-day trade.

The benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.08 per cent to USD 60.69 per barrel.