<p>The benchmark Sensex gave up initial gains in a lacklustre session today following the absence of global triggers and ended with a 30-point loss, logging a drop on the opening trading day of the year for the first time since 2006.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Most global stock markets, including those in Asia, Europe and New York, are closed today.<br />Reliance Industries, TCS and Infosys shares were the biggest drag on the index, which received some support from Bharti Airtel. Wipro and Tata Power fell.<br /><br />Three of the 12 BSE sectoral indices fell -- IT, tech and oil & gas. The realty sector index notched up a huge jump while the others eked out minor gains.<br /><br />The S&P BSE Sensex opened higher and climbed to 21,244.35. It traded in a 110-point range before ending at 21,140.48, a loss of 30.20 points or 0.14 per cent.<br /><br />It was the first drop for the index on day one of the year since January 2, 2006, when the Sensex fell 7.8 points.<br /><br />The broader, 50-share CNX Nifty on the National Stock Exchange was down 2.35 points to 6,301.65.<br /><br />Though the index fell, the market breadth was strong as retail investors bought second-line stocks. The Small Cap and Mid Cap indices outperformed the Sensex with gains of 1.5 per cent and 0.47 per cent, respectively.<br /><br />Government data released after market hours yesterday showed India's fiscal deficit touched 93.9 per cent of the annual target in April-November. An index of eight core industries grew 1.7 per cent in November from 5.8 per cent a year earlier.<br /><br />Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth a net Rs 309.70 crore yesterday, according to provisional data from the stock exchanges.<br /><br />US stocks rose to records yesterday with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index posting its best year since 1997. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 2013 with a gain of 26.5 per cent, the most since 1995, and the Nasdaq Composite Index surged more than 38 per cent, its biggest gain since 2009.</p>
<p>The benchmark Sensex gave up initial gains in a lacklustre session today following the absence of global triggers and ended with a 30-point loss, logging a drop on the opening trading day of the year for the first time since 2006.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Most global stock markets, including those in Asia, Europe and New York, are closed today.<br />Reliance Industries, TCS and Infosys shares were the biggest drag on the index, which received some support from Bharti Airtel. Wipro and Tata Power fell.<br /><br />Three of the 12 BSE sectoral indices fell -- IT, tech and oil & gas. The realty sector index notched up a huge jump while the others eked out minor gains.<br /><br />The S&P BSE Sensex opened higher and climbed to 21,244.35. It traded in a 110-point range before ending at 21,140.48, a loss of 30.20 points or 0.14 per cent.<br /><br />It was the first drop for the index on day one of the year since January 2, 2006, when the Sensex fell 7.8 points.<br /><br />The broader, 50-share CNX Nifty on the National Stock Exchange was down 2.35 points to 6,301.65.<br /><br />Though the index fell, the market breadth was strong as retail investors bought second-line stocks. The Small Cap and Mid Cap indices outperformed the Sensex with gains of 1.5 per cent and 0.47 per cent, respectively.<br /><br />Government data released after market hours yesterday showed India's fiscal deficit touched 93.9 per cent of the annual target in April-November. An index of eight core industries grew 1.7 per cent in November from 5.8 per cent a year earlier.<br /><br />Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth a net Rs 309.70 crore yesterday, according to provisional data from the stock exchanges.<br /><br />US stocks rose to records yesterday with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index posting its best year since 1997. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 2013 with a gain of 26.5 per cent, the most since 1995, and the Nasdaq Composite Index surged more than 38 per cent, its biggest gain since 2009.</p>