Sensex ends 10-pts lower

Continuing with the yesterday's weak close, the Sensex lost another 35 points to open at 6,420. Wide-spread selling pressure soon dragged the index below the 6,400-mark to a low of 6,381 (down 74 points over its last close).

The market thereafter moved in a negative range-bound mode as sluggish trend prevailed in most of the counters, with scattered gains seen in select stocks. Losses started tapering off towards the closing hours of the trading session and the index drifted into the green for a short period to touch a high of 6,457 on selective gains.

The Sensex, however, failed to hold on to its gains and ended 10 points lower at 6,445. The Nifty, too, ended lower with a loss of eight points at 1,986.

ONGC was down Rs 3 at Rs 876. Reliance and HLL finished with a rupee loss each at Rs 542 and Rs 132, respectively. ITC, however, moved up a per cent (Rs 13) to Rs 1,482.

HDFC Bank slipped a per cent (Rs 5) to Rs 534, while SBI was down Rs 2 at Rs 615. ICICI Bank, however, after remaining weak for better part of the trading session, finally ended a tad higher at Rs 393.

L&T declined 1.29% (Rs 13) to Rs 1,003, and Tata Power lost a per cent (Rs 4) to Rs 364.

Infosys rolled back into the green towards the close and ended with a small gain of Rs 2 at Rs 2,063. While Wipro declined 1.52% (Rs 10) to Rs 638, Satyam was down a rupee at Rs 429.

Hero Honda gained a per cent (Rs 4) to Rs 551. Bajaj added Rs 5 to Rs 1,127. While Tata Motors also ended in the green with steady gains at Rs 429, Maruti was down a per cent (Rs 4) at Rs 433.

Dr. Reddy's lost 1.48% (Rs 10) to Rs 655. While Ranbaxy, too, ended weak at Rs 865, Cipla, however, was up a per cent (Rs 2) at Rs 276.

Hindalco and BHEL clocked a per cent gain each to Rs 1,208 and Rs 837, respectively. Zee was up a rupee at Rs 153.