Sensex closes flat

Mumbai, Aug 10 (IANS) A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Friday closed flat amid high volatility.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,515.42 points, closed at 17,571.32 points (provisional), 0.06 percent or 10.45 points up from its previous day's close at 17,560.87 points.

However, the BSE consumer durables index was down 102.76 points, followed by auto index, down 106.07 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was ruling 0.06 percent up at 5,326 points.

India's largest lender SBI was the biggest Sensex loser which closed 4.39 percent down at Rs.1,885.35.

Though the net profit of the bank more than doubled to Rs.3,751.56 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, the non-performing assets (NPA) rose sharply to 4.99 percent as on June 30, raising concerns over the bank's asset quality.

The bank's gross non-performing assets was at 3.52 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2011-12 financial year. At the end of the last financial year, the bank's non-performing assets was 4.44 percent.

Other major Sensex losers were Tata Motors, down 3.24 percent at Rs.231.60; Hero MotoCorp, down 2.33 percent at Rs.1,913; Tata Steel, down 1.43 percent at Rs.400.50; Tata Power, down 0.94 percent at Rs.99.60; and HDFC, down 0.85 percent at Rs.689.

The major gainers were Maruti Suzuki, up 2.53 percent at Rs.1,174; Hindustan Unilever, up 2.37 percent at Rs.498.85; Sterlite Inds, up 2.29 percent at Rs.111.70; and TCS, up 1.78 percent at Rs.1,281.

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