Benchmark domestic stocks today fell marginally snapping six session’ rally of gains amid mixed global cues. The BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty lost gains of afternoon session due to fag-end profit booking.

Brent crude prices hit 13 month high amid optimism over a recovery in fuel demand. 

The Sensex fell 20 points, or 0.04 per cent, to 51,329.The NSE Nifty also slipped seven points, 0.04 per cent to trade at 15,109.

The broader market at BSE also declined under-performing the Sensex. The BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.18 per cent and the BSE Small-Cap index depreciated 0.26 per cent. 

In the Sensex pack, shares of 14 companies gained while 16 fell while in the sectoral indices at BSE, 13 out of the 19 sectors declined.

In the Global equity market, Asian stocks were mixed even as the three major US stocks hit all-time closing highs yesterday. China’s Shanghai Composite index climbed two per cent while Japan’s benchmark index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, both logged gains of around half a per cent. Singapore’s Straits Times and South Korea’s KOSPI, both fell marginally up to 0.2 per cent. 

In the Bullion Market, Brent crude prices rose to their highest since January last year. In intra-day trade, Brent crude prices were trading around USD 60.60 per barrel while WTI crude prices were around USD 58 per barrel.

 

Back Home, Gold prices today gained Rs 285 per 10 grams at Multi Commodity Exchange in sync with global markets. Gold was trading at Rs 48,125 per 10 gram. Silver also climbed Rs 310 to trade around Rs 70,400 per kilogram.

In the forex market, the rupee appreciated eight paise to Rs 72.89 against the US dollar.