Flat trades continue

The markets continue to trade flat, the Sensex is up 39 points at 19,731 and Nifty is up 12 points at 5920. The broader markets continue to outperform the benchmark indices.

Sterlite Industries is the top gainer among the sensex stocks trading higher by more than 2% at Rs 168 followed by Tata Motors, Tata Steel, index heavy weight Reliance Industries and Cipla up more than 1% each. On the other hand Hero Honda, Jindal Steel, Mahindra & Mahindra and HDFC are amongt the top loser down more than 1% each.

The broader markets are trading higher, the BSE mid-cap index is at 7615 up 78 points and the small-cap index is higher by 102 points at 9237.

Financial Technologies is the top mid-cap gainer up 7.8% at Rs 908 followed by Hindustan Construction Company, Purvankara Projects, Coromandel International, Petronet LNG and Gujarat Stete Petronet up more than 4% each. SE Investments, Tourism Finance Corporation of India, Zylog Systems, Valecha Engineering and Jayaswal Neco are the top gainers on the small-cap index.

Auto, banking and realty stocks are witnessing mild selling pressure, the BSE Auto index has shed 0.38% or 38 points at 9943, Bankex is down 43 points at 13,047 and Realty index is down by a point at 2816. BSE consumer durables index is the top sectoral gainer up 87 points at 6105, oil & gas, metal, PSU, capital goods and healthcare indices are trading higher by more than 0.5% each.

Hero Honda, Exide Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Auto and Ashok Leyland are the loser among the auto stocks. Gitanjali Gems leads the rally among the consumer durable stocks followed by VIP Industries, Rajesh Exports, Bajaj Electricals and Blue Star up more than 1% each.

The overall market breadth is extremely positive as 1696 stocks are advancing while 813 stocks are declining.