Sensex closes in red

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Wednesday closed five points lower on week European cues. 

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,638.53 points, closed 17,596.74 points (provisional), 0.03 percent or 5.04 points down from its previous day's close at 17,601.78 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 17,726.64 points and a low of 17,582.66 points. The BSE midcap was down 11.33 points and the small cap was down 26.24 points.

The BSE auto index was up 105.56 points, followed by the metal index, up 80.49 points.

However, the realty index was down 33.64 points. The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange closed 0.02 percent down at 5,338 points. 

The main Sensex losers were Bharti Airtel, down 6.36 percent at Rs.275.10; Gail India, down 2.46 percent at Rs.368.10; ICICI Bank, down 1.62 percent at Rs.958.05; TCS, down 1.23 percent at Rs.1,249; and Larsen and Toubro, up 0.72 percent at Rs.1,407. 

The major Sensex gainers were Mahindra & Mahindra, up 4.17 percent at Rs.724.50; Hindalco, up 2.15 percent at Rs.121.30; Jindal Steel, up 1.29 percent at Rs.412; Hindustan Unilever, up 1.23 percent at Rs.476.10; and Infosys, up 1.19 percent at Rs.2,282.50. 

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.88 percent while Shanghai's composite index was 0.16 percent higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.04 percent.

At closing bell here, European markets were in red. France's CAC was down 0.72 percent. Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 were down 0.65 percent and 0.46 percent respectively.