Mumbai: Markets remained decidedly subdued as the benchmark BSE Sensex traded lower by over 141 points and the broader Nifty fell 47 points following weak Asian cues. Sentiment was cautious ahead of the much-anticipated US Fed's 2-day policy meeting starting on September 16, as investors preferred profit-taking despite positive CPI data released after market hours on September 14.
Consumer price inflation eased to 3.66 per cent in August, from 3.69 per cent in July. Bouts of profit-booking were witnessed in capital goods, metal, auto, banking and consumer durable sectors, along with mid-cap and small-cap shares, while buying marked realty, FMCG, health care and IT segments.
The Sensex resumed higher at 25,908.34 and moved in a range of 25,909.83 and 25,745.17, before quoting at 25,715.08 at 1142 hours, a loss of 141.62 points, or 0.55 per cent, over its previous close. The 50-share Nifty too slipped 47.30 points, or 0.60 per cent, to 7,824.95 at 1142 hours.
Tata Steel was worst hit, down 3.11 per cent while Vedanta, Hindalco, L&T and Tata Motors suffered too. Notable gainers were Sun Pharma, Maruti and NTPC, among others. Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought Rs 58.75 crore worth of shares last Friday, according to provisional exchange data. In overseas markets, most Asian indices fell, led by China.
US markets also ended lower overnight amid uncertainty ahead of the Fed's 2-day policy meet starting September 16. Key indices of South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Shanghai Composite all declined up to 2.53 per cent. In contrast, Japan's Nikkei was up 1.05 per cent.
