Benchmark Nifty retreated from record highs to end at 10,210.85 today on the last session of Samvat year 2073. The BSE benchmark Sensex too fell by about 25 points to close at 32,584.35.
The 50-share Nifty fell by 23.60 points or 0.23 per cent to close at 10,210.85 after moving between 10,175.75 and 10,236.45.
The Sensex resumed lower at 32,518.56 and fell further to a low of 32,462.85 before ending at 32,584.35, down 24.81 points or 0.08 per cent. The Sensex had shed 24.48 points in yesterday’s trade.
The top gainers on the BSE were Reliance (up 4.52 per cent), PowerGrid (4 per cent), Wipro (1.92 per cent), ONGC (1.75 per cent), and Kotak Bank (1.61 per cent). The laggards on the exchange were Axis Bank (down 9.52 per cent), ICICI Bank (3.96 per cent), Cipla (3.26 per cent), SBI (2.77 per cent) and Lupin (1.66 per cent).
The energy, oil and gas, utilities and power indices were the top gainers in the afternoon session. Telecom, banking, finance, consumer durables and technology indices were in the negative zone during the session.
The BSE and NSE will conduct a special Muhurat trading session tomorrow between 1830 hrs and 1930 hrs on the occasion of Diwali.
Brokers said sentiment turned bearish on unabated foreign fund outflows and lower-than-expected Q2 earnings by some bluechip companies amid profit-booking in recent gainers.
Private sector lender Axis Bank plunged after it reported a spike in the dud loan portfolio due to newer surprises, including under-reporting found by the Reserve Bank. The bank posted a 38 per cent rise in September quarter net profit at Rs 432 crore on low base effect.
The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.18 per cent higher yesterday.