Sensex flat; ONGC, HDFC gain 2%

The Sensex is almost flat at 18,655 - down five points.

The NSE Nifty is up 14 points at 5,477.

NTPC has soared 5.5% to Rs 226. Ranbaxy has surged 3% to Rs 384.

ONGC and HDFC have rallied over 2% each to Rs 1,080 and Rs 3,079, respectively.

Bharti Airtel, Cipla and ACC are up around 1.5% each at Rs 937, Rs 202 and Rs 778, respectively.

Tata Motors has plunged 2.5% to Rs 751. Wipro and Mahindra & Mahindra have dropped around 2% each to Rs 454 and Rs 683, respectively.

Bajaj Auto, SBI and TCS have slipped 1.7% each to Rs 2,415, Rs 2,232 and Rs 959, respectively.

Infosys and Hindustan Unilever have shed 1.5% each at Rs 1,618 and Rs 209, respectively.

HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Grasim are down 1.3% each to Rs 1,528, Rs 1,195 and Rs 2,992, respectively.

Out of 2,792 stocks traded so far, 1,803 have advanced, 940 have declined and 49 are unchanged.