Mumbai: The benchmark Sensex on Wednesday hit all-time high of 29,786.32 but ended 11.86 points down at 29,559.18, its first drop in nine sessions, on profit-booking in capital goods, metal and auto shares ahead of the outcome of US Federal Reserve policy meeting.
Nervousness also played on investors' minds ahead of the expiry of monthly futures and options contracts tomorrow, traders said, adding that participants took some money off the table after the massive over 2,200-point rally in eight days.
However, the NSE Nifty index finished higher by 3.80 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 8,914.30. Intra-day, it hit a high of 8,985.05. The Nifty has gained 636.75 points or 7.69 percent in nine straight days of gain.
Consumer Durables, Realty and IT bluechips firmed up, helping the index end in the positive zone.
"Profit booking was seen in market ahead of expiry of January derivative contracts. Investors also remain cautious ahead of US Federal Reserve's announcement later in the day," said Religare Securities, President-retail distribution, Jayant Manglik.
Globally, Asian stocks ended mixed as reports said US earnings and durable-goods orders disappointed investors. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea ended higher by 0.20 percent to 0.47 percent while indices in China and Taiwan moved down by 0.11 percent to 1.41 percent.
European markets were also trading narrowly mixed as key indices Germany and the UK moved up by 0.04 percent to 0.09 percent while France's CAC was quoting down by 0.20 percent.
US stock markets fell heavily yesterday following a string of disappointing financial results from bellwether companies, including Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar, Microsoft and Pfizer, analysts said. The Dow Jones Industrial average fell by 1.65 percent, Nasdaq by 1.90 percent and S&P 500-index by 1.32 percent.
Back home, 17 scrips out of the 30-share Sensex pack ended lower while the remaining 13 finished higher.
Major losers include Bharti Airtel (4.99 percent), Sesa Sterlite (2.90 percent), Tata Motors (2.84 percent), Larsen & Toubro (2.51 percent), Tata Steel (1.80 percent), Tata Power (1.63 percent), Hindalco (1.58 percent), HDFC Bank (1.48 percent) and BHEL (1.12 percent).
However, HDFC rose by 2.21 percent, Reliance Industries 1.92 percent, Wipro 1.48 percent, SBI 1.41 percent, ONGC 1.27 percent, TCS 1.27 percent and Maruti 1.07 percent.
Among the S&P BSE sectoral indices, Capital Goods fell by 1.45 percent, Metal 1.43 percent and Auto 0.72 percent while Consumer Durables rose by 4.60 percent, Realty by 1.69 percent, Oil & Gas by 1.48 percent, and IT by 1 percent.
Total market breadth remained negative as 1,745 stocks ended in the red, 1,120 closed in the green and 113 ruled steady. Total turnover rose to Rs 3,960.55 crore from Rs 3,890.86 crore yesterday.
