Profit booking dents Indian equity markets

Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Profit booking, coupled with negative global indices and weak crude oil prices, depressed the Indian equity markets on Wednesday.

Consequently, the key indices of the Indian equity markets provisionally closed the day's trade flat.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) inched up by 4.25 points, or 0.05 percent, at 7,918.95 points.

Similarly, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE ended flat. It opened at 25,942.34 points, and provisionally closed at 25,841.56 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- up just 25.20 points or 0.10 percent from the previous close at 25,816.36 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 25,956.34 points and a low of 25,716.81 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,471 advances and 1,149 declines.

Both the key Indian indices had ended on a higher note during the previous trade session on Monday. The Indian equity markets were closed on Tuesday on account of Mahavir Jayanti.

On Monday, the barometer index had gained 189.61 points or 0.74 percent to end at 25,816.36 points. Similarly, the NSE Nifty had risen by 64.25 points or 0.82 percent, to close at 7,914.70 points.