Profit-taking sets in; Sensex up 21pts

Profit taking in intra-day deals has forced the Sensex ease from its life-time intra-day high of 10,084. The index is now up just 21 points at 10,001.

ITC is up 2.2% at Rs 160. ICICI Bank has advanced 1.5% to Rs 616.

Wipro, NTPC, HDFC, Maruti, Gujarat Ambuja, Bharti Tele, HDFC Bank and Tata Steel have gained 1% each.

ONGC and Reliance have declined over 1% each to Rs 1,177 and Rs 712, respectively.

The market breadth is slightly positive. Out of 2,192 stocks traded so far, 1,284 have moved up, 844 have slipped and 64 are unchanged.

Aban Loyd has soared over 10% to Rs 685. Jayshree Tea, Amar Remedies, Harrison Malyalam, Nitin Spinners, Television Eighteen, Alstom Projects, Jaiprakash Assocites and Bank of India have rallied 5-9% each.

Sundaram Clayton has dropped 4.5% to Rs 860. Gujarat Alkalies, National Peroxide, Radha Madhav and Moser Baer have declined 3-4% each. Jindal Saw, Hexaware, Pidilite, Birla Corporation, Britannia, Alka Laval, GSK Pharma, Lupin and United Phosphorous are also trading in the negative zones.