Date:06/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/06/stories/2008050655381500.htm

Business

Early gains not held on BSE

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange sensitive index, failed to hold on to early gains on Monday and ended lower by 109 points in a choppy trade as investors booked profits in afternoon trade after European markets opened weak. Bucking the trend, the small-cap and mid-cap segments closed with widespread gains, helping to hold the market breadth strong at close on the BSE.

The Sensex ended at 17490.90 against the close of 17600.12 on Friday. It swung in a range of 17735.70 and 17457.27 on alternate bouts of buying and selling by investors. The S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also fell by 35.95 points to close at 5192.25. While, the markets in Japan and South Korea were closed for a holiday, other Asian markets showed a mixed trend. Similarly, the U.K. market was closed while other European markets France and Germany, which opened this afternoon, were trading in the red. — PTI