Sensex closes flat; metal stocks gain

 A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Tuesday closed flat - up only 13.83 points, 0.06 percent - even as metal, consumer durables, information technology (IT) scrips gained.

Healthy buying was observed in metal, consumer durables, IT, healthcare and technology, entertainment and media (TECK) sectors. The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 24,555.31 points, closed at 24,376.88 points (provisional), up 13.83 points or 0.06 percent from the previous day's close at 24,363.05 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 24,587.16 points and a low of 24,299.53 points intra-day. The S&P BSE metal index gained 190.63 points, consumer durables index surged by 180.95 points, IT index moved up by 173.04 points, healthcare index got augmented by 147.33 points and TECK index inched up by 112.69 points.

However, the oil and gas index slipped by 377.47 points and bank index was down 133.87 points. The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed flat at 7,275.50 points, up 11.95 points or 0.16 percent.