Markets choppy, Sensex ends flat

Mumbai, Dec 3 (PTI) The benchmark Sensex Thursday ended
flat in a highly volatile trade which saw the index remaining
range bound notwithstanding a good start, amid worries of
rising food inflation.

The benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex,
which had lost 28 points in previous session, recovered by
15.77 points in late trade to close the day at 17,185.68
points, after moving between 17,361.27 and 17,128.21 points.
While the positive factors like firm Asian and
European markets and Goldman Sachs' forecast of a faster
growth for the domestic economy kept the market in better
shape during the day, a rise in food inflation capped the
gains towards the last hour trade. Food inflation has touched
17.47 per cent in the third week of November.
In similar fashion, the wide-based National Stock
Exchange's Nifty edged up 8.45 points to close at 5,131.70
points. It
moved between 5,181.00 and 5,106.60 during the
session.
Among the 30 Sensex stocks, 18 closed higher and 12 ended
with losses. Major supporters to the market were
the counters
in the healthcare, metals, realty, oil and gas and power
segments, while the auto and capital goods sectors were down
on emergence of profit-selling.
A fall in heavy-weight stocks of Infosys Technologies,
ICICI Bank, Tata Motors and, Reliance Infra and Jaiprakash
Associates mainly pulled down the market. PTI RS