The Sensex has moved into the green with the BSE benchmark index gaining 37 points owing to the strength in Health Care and Capital goods while the Nifty remains flat with a negative bias at 5,524. In the broader markets, the smallcap and the midcap indices are up 0.4% and 0.5% respectively outperforming the Sensex which is up 0.2%
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(Updated at 1030 hrs)
After opening marginally higher in the green, the market has given up its gains and is down in the negative in the second hour of trading. The BSE benchmark index is down 24 points at 18,387 and the Nifty lost nine points at 5,517.
However, the broader market is exhibiting some strength. The midcap index is up 0.3% and the smallcap index has added 0.2% outperforming the Sensex, which is down 0.1%. In the midcap space, 142 scrips have advanced while 131 have declined of the total 279 listed. The movers here are Deccan Chronicles, Gujarat Fluorochemicals up 5% each followed by Trent, Jubilant Life Sciences, Sterling International and Aventis Pharma gaining 4% each.
Among the sectoral indices, the main draggers are Realty, Oil&Gas and IT indices down 0.6% each. On the other hand, Health Care continues to lead with a 0.6% gain followed by Consumer Durables and Power. The top losers in the Oil&Gas space are BPCL,HPCL,Indian Oil, Gail India, Cairn india and Oil India down 1% each. Yesterday's top gainer ONGC, lost 0.4%
Sterlite Industries, Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel up 1% each are the top gainers among the Sensex stocks followed by Bajaj Auto, HDFC and Cipla losing 0.7-0.8%
Among the Sensex losers are Jaiprakash Associates and Wipro down 2% followed by DLF, ITC, and Tata Steel losing 1% each.
The market breadth continues to remain positive. Of the total 2183 stocks traded on the BSE, 1112 stocks have advanced while 942 have declined.