The domestic stock market ended Wednesday's volatile session on a flat note with a positive bias, lifted mainly by HDFC Bank, HDFC, and FMCG stocks.
The S&P BSE Sensex settled 95 points, or 0.25 per cent higher at 38,068 levels, while the Nifty50 index ended at 11,226.5 levels, up 4 points, or 0.04 per cent. Tech Mahindra (up nearly 3 per cent), Titan (up nearly 3 per cent), Nestle India, and Hindustan Unilever (both up 2 per cent) were the top Sensex gainers. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel and Tata Steel ended as the top losers.
Among individual stocks, Reliance Industries rose 1 per cent in early deals after the company said that General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, will invest Rs 3,675 cr in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited. The stock, however, ended 0.49 per cent lower at Rs 2,233.75 on the BSE.
BPCL tumbled nearly 9% after the government extended the deadline to submit an expression of interest (EoI) for the company's privatisation to November 16, 2020.
Lakshmi Vilas Bank slipped nearly 7 per cent to Rs 18.8 on the BSE on concerns Clix Capital’s proposed deal may not materialise after a large section of the bank’s shareholders voted against the reappointment of the top brass.
The trend among Nifty sectoral indices was mixed, with the Nifty FMCG index, up over 1 per cent, leading the list of gainers.
In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap and SmallCap indexes ended 0.05 per cent and 0.04 per cent higher, respectively.
In the primary market, UTI AMC IPO gets subscribed 47% while that of Mazagon Dock gets subscribed over 4 times on Day 2. Likhita Infra offer was subscribed 2 times till 4 pm.
In the global markets, stocks fell and safer assets, such as the yen and dollar, found buyers on Wednesday after a chaotic first US presidential debate and rising Covid-19 cases turned investors cautious, though strong factory surveys boosted China’s markets.MSCI’s broadest index of world shares which tracks nearly 50 countries dropped 0.2 per cent for a 4 per cent September loss. Oil prices extended losses as rising Covid-19 cases fuelled demand concerns.