Market ends 6-day winning streak, Nifty holds 15,100

Benchmark indices took a breather after six days of record-setting spree. Amid positive global cues, markets opened higher with Sensex hitting a fresh lifetime high of 51,753 and Nifty touched 15,237.

In late trade, indices erased day’s gain witnessing a selloff and closed marginally lower. Sensex was down 19 points or 0.04% to close at 51,329, and the Nifty ended at 15,109 down 6.50 points or 0.04%.

Asian Paints, ONGC, Titan, L&T,  were the top gainers of Sensex. While M&M, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, and ITC, ended as laggards.

On the sectoral front, most of the indices witnessed profit booking. The Nifty Auto, Metal, and Pharma indices ended over 1% lower each, followed by the Nifty IT, Nifty Realty and the Nifty FMCG index each falling over 0.50%.

Domestic equities remained buoyant for most of the session with benchmark indices making fresh highs. However, high volatility was seen towards the end of the session and profit-booking was witnessed in a large number of stocks, experts said.

Broad-based rally was not seen and only select large-cap counters supported the market, said Binod Modi, Head – Strategy at Reliance Securities. Midcap and smallcap indices underperformed sharply and barring financials most of the key sectoral indices were in the red.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo ended with gains, while Seoul closed lower.

Stock exchanges in Europe were trading on a negative note in mid-session deals.

Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.40 per cent higher at USD 60.94 per barrel.

(With inputs from PTI)