Equity markets pare all gains on derivatives expiry day (Third Lead)

Mumbai July 27 (IANS) Volatility on the eve of July derivatives expiry dragged the equity markets from peak levels to provisionally close Thursday s trade on a muted note.

The key equity indices which touched record highs during intra-day trade closed on a flat-to-negative note as investors booked profits in automobile healthcare and IT stocks.

At 3.30 p.m. the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) provisionally closed lower by 7.15 points or 0.07 per cent at 10 013.50 points. At one point it breached the 10 100-mark to scale an intra-day high of 10 114.85 points.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE which scaled a fresh intra-day high of 32 672.66 points closed fractionally higher by 0.84 point at 32 383.30 points from its previous session s close at 32 382.46 points.

The BSE market breadth was bearish with 1 842 declines and 879 advances.

On Wednesday the benchmark indices surged to record highs with the NSE Nifty50 closing firmly above the 10 000-point mark for the first time. It scaled a record intra-day high of 10 025.95 points on Wednesday before closing at 10 020.65 points.

The BSE Sensex too touched a new high of 32 413.63 points during the intra-day trade.

--IANS
ppg/vt