Sensex ends 74 points down, Infosys, ICICI bank lose

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,603.87 points and ended at 17,540.97 points (provisional), closed 74.75 points or 0.42 percent down from its previous close at 17,615.72 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,247.75 points, against the previous close at 5,263.1 points, a loss of 0.29 percent.

Broader market indices performed only a tad better, with the BSE midcap index ending flat and the BSE small cap index ruling 0.4 percent higher.

The market breadth was positive, with as many as 1,694 stocks advancing, compared to 1,204 on the decline, while