Indian equities close flat on negative global cues (Second Lead)

Mumbai May 3 (IANS) Negative global cues and heavy selling pressure in healthcare oil and gas and banking stocks led the Indian equity markets to close on flat-to-negative note on Wednesday.

Market observers said investors were cautious ahead of the outcome of the two-day US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meet due later in the evening.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) inched down by 1.85 points or 0.02 per cent to close (provisionally) at 9 311.95 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE which opened at 29 984.95 points provisionally closed at 29 894.80 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- down 26.38 points or 0.09 per cent from its previous close at 29 921.18 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 30 020.59 points and a low of 29 846.57 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth favoured a bearish mood -- with 1 488 declines and 1 357 advances.

On Tuesday the benchmark indices closed on a flat-to-positive note. The NSE Nifty inched up by 9.75 points or 0.10 per cent to close at 9 313.80 points while the BSE Sensex closed at 29 921.18 points -- up a tad 2.78 points or 0.01 per cent.

--IANS
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