Sensex turns flat, Nifty a tad below 8,900; GAIL top gainer

The market on Friday pared some losses to turn flat as investors booked profits after a sharp rally that lifted the benchmark indices to near two-year highs in the previous session.

The negative trade in Asian markets, which slipped on expectations of a US interest rate hike in March, also weighed on sentiment.

At 02:37 pm, the S&P BSE Sensex was trading at 28,812, down 27 points, while the broader Nifty50 was ruling at 8,890, down 9 points. 

The broader market outperformed the frontline indices. BSE Smallcap gained 0.2%, while BSE Midcap was little changed. 

The market breadth, indicating the