Key indices off intra-day peaks on profit booking

Benchmark equity indices hit new peaks on Tuesday with Sensex breaching the historic 75,000-mark for the first time during intra-day before ending the session marginally lower on profit-booking at higher levels. Putting a break on its record-breaking rally, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 58.80 points or 0.08 per cent to settle at 74,683.70. During the day, it climbed 381.78 points or 0.51 per cent to reach the all-time peak of 75,124.28. The NSE Nifty closed 23.55 points or 0.10 per cent lower at 22,642.75. During the day, it climbed 102.1 points or 0.45 per cent to hit the record peak of 22,768.40. “The Indian market reached a fresh intra-day peak before seeing profit-booking at higher levels in anticipation of Wednesday’s key US inflation data, which carries weight in determining future rate cuts by the US Fed.

Concerns have emerged amidst recent better-than-anticipated US employment and manufacturing data, suggesting a potential shift in expectations regarding rate cuts this year,” said Vinod Nair, head (research), Geojit Financial Services. In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge dipped 0.47 per cent and the smallcap gauge declined 0.15 per cent. Among the indices, consumer durables went lower by 1.10 per cent, industrials declined 0.55 per cent, capital goods (0.48 per cent) and telecommunication (0.29 per cent). Metal jumped 0.53 per cent, realty (0.50 per cent), financial services (0.22 per cent) and teck (0.10 per cent).

From the Sensex basket, Titan, Reliance Industries, Asian Paints, Tech Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, UltraTech Cement, Wipro and ITC were the major laggards. ICICI Bank, Infosys, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, Nestle and Mahindra & Mahindra were among the major gainers.

In Asian markets, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong settled in the positive territory while Seoul ended lower. European markets were trading mostly lower. Wall Street ended on a mixed note on Monday.