The benchmark index Nifty ended almost flat in a weak trade today due to selling in key auto, banking, infra and energy stocks on National Stock Exchange (NSE) triggered by WPI inflation that rose to five-month high.
Investor sentiment had been dented by continued violence in Iraq which has led to crude prices zooming to nine-month high.
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation shot up to 6.01 per cent in May, causing selling in banking counters.
Buying interest was seen in IT counters, helped by sharp rupee depreciation followed by pharma and realty counters. Shares of mid and small-cap companies also gained and provided cushion to the market against further fall.
Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1,099.92 crore last Friday, as per the provisional data from the stock exchanges.
The 50-share Nifty ended 8.55 points, or 0.11 per cent, down at 7,533.55.
Major losers included M&M, Axis Bank, L&T, HDFC and Tata Motors. Among gainers were GAIL, BPCL, DLF 2.71 and TCS.
Meanwhile, other Asian markets ended mixed.
Turnover in the cash segment dropped to Rs 18,249.10 crore from Rs 22,645.27 crore last Friday. A total of 11,142.06 lakh shares changed hands in 83,50,608 trades, while the market capitalisation stood at Rs 86,40,056 crore.
