Sensex loses early gains, ends lower by 74 points

MUMBAI: The benchmark Sensex failed to hold its early gains and closed with a fall of nearly 74 points on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday on profit-selling by funds.

The Sensex, which commenced the day with a rise of 106.45 points, fell back to close lower by 73.91 points at 19,529.50 as mid-way profit selling wiped off early gains.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty declined by 6.65 points to 5,858.35, after touching the day's high of 5,897.25 points and a low of 5,840.30 points.

A steep rise in metal, consumer durable and capital goods sector stocks averted any major fall in the markets.

Metal index rose by 588.04 points to 18,869.28, consumer durable index by 350.89 points to 6083.04 and capital goods by 213.45 points to 20,175.93.

The benchmark index fell after the heavyweight stocks of Reliance Industries dropped by Rs 68.35 to Rs 2,863.85, Reliance Energy by Rs 7.35 at 1,893.10, Grasim Industries by Rs 26.05 to t Rs 3,813.50 and ICICI Bank by Rs 24.85 at Rs 1,140.40.