Equity benchmark Sensex ended on a flat note after scaling the 53,000-mark on Tuesday as investors booked profits at higher levels.
A depreciating trend in the rupee also weighed on sentiment, traders said.
After touching a lifetime intra-day peak of 53,057.11, the 30-share BSE Sensex settled 14.25 points or 0.03 per cent higher at 52,588.71, marking its third straight session of gains.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 26.25 points or 0.17 per cent to close at 15,772.75.
Maruti Suzuki, which was the biggest laggard in Monday’s session, topped the Sensex gainers’ chart on Tuesday with a jump of 5.25 per cent.
L&T, UltraTech Cement, TCS, Titan, Tata Steel and Bajaj Auto were the other winners, advancing up to 2.20 per cent.
On the other hand, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, Nestle India, HUL, IndusInd Bank and Sun Pharma were among the major laggards, dropping up to 1.91 per cent.
Markets opened strong on the back of global cues and pick-up in the pace of vaccination. Tuesday’s trade saw hectic activity in stocks pertaining to the ‘unlock’ theme, said S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities.
Nearing Mount 53K, however, Sensex witnessed profit-taking across the board in afternoon trade, he noted.