A growing sense of disquiet over the uneasy equations between the US and Russia over Syria forced markets to do a reality check, which pared their early gains today.
The Sensex opened higher and advanced further before giving up the gains at 29,735.27 at 1138 hours, up 28.66 points, or 0.10 per cent.
The NSE 50-share Nifty was also higher by 14.75 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 9,213.05, at 1138 hours.
There are also a set of key macroeconomic data -- IIP for February and CPI inflation for March -- due this week, which made investors cautious.
IT heavyweight Infosys will kick off the earnings season as it gets ready to announce results on Thursday.
The key benchmark indices had slipped into the red for a brief while, but shaped up thereafter.
Oil and gas, energy and metal made most of sustained buying, but realty stocks lost out.
Broader markets stayed ahead of the Sensex as small-cap and mid-cap indices rose 0.78 per cent and 0.53 per cent, respectively.
Major gainers include Coal India 1.37 per cent, Tata Motors 1.11 per cent and Axis Bank 0.89 per cent.
The notable losers are HDFC, Asian Paints and M&M.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 262.37 crore last Friday, as per provisional data.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 414.94 crore.
Asian stocks were mixed as caution prevailed after increased geo-political risks pushed investors to government debt.
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