Stock Market: Sensex, Nifty End Flat Amid Volatility. Metal, Power Gain; Asian Paints Slides 4 Per Cent

Stock update: On the 30-share Sensex platform, Asian Paints was the prime loser (3.95 per cent), followed by ITC, SBI, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank, Wipro, and others

The two key equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, on Tuesday ended on a flat note after exhibiting volatility throughout the trading session. Investors remained jittery ahead of the US Fed's monetary policy decision scheduled for Wednesday.

The S&P BSE Sensex, which touched a high of 66,559 in early deals, eventually ended the day with a marginal loss of 29 points at 66,356. On the other hand, the NSE Nifty50 hit a high of 19,723, and then slipped to a low of 17,616, and finally settled 8 points higher at 19,681.

On the 30-share Sensex platform, Asian Paints was the prime loser (3.95 per cent), followed by ITC, SBI, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank, Wipro, and others. On the flip side, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, NTPC, UltraCemco, Titan, Tata Motors emerged gainers.

In the broader markets, the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices went up 0.3 per cent each.

Sectorwise, metals and power indices jumped 2 per cent each, while PSU Banks, capital, FMCG, and realty dip around 1 per cent.

In the previous session on Monday, the BSE Sensex ended with a loss of 299 points at 66,385, while the NSE Nifty50 eventually settled 73 points lower at 19,672.

Elsewhere in Asia, markets ended mixed on Tuesday with Hang Seng gaining 4.10 per cent, Shanghai Composite rising 2.13 per cent, while the Nikkei 225 closing 0.06 per cent down. European markets were moving upward with the UK's FTSE 100 trading 0.15 per cent higher. While France's CAC 40 was up 0.24 per cent, Garmany's DAX was 0.18 per cent higher. The US markets ended broadly higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 registering a gain of 0.40 per cent.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.18 per cent lower at $82.59 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were sellers on Monday as they offloaded equities worth Rs 82.96 crore, according to exchange data.

Meanwhile, the rupee pared initial gains to settle 7 paise lower at 81.88 against the American currency on Tuesday, as elevated crude oil prices and a muted trend in domestic equities weighed on investor sentiments.

Forex traders said the strengthening of the American currency in the overseas market further dented investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 81.74 against the dollar and touched an early high of 81.67 in initial deals.

The local unit, however, pared initial gains and finally ended the day at 81.88 (provisional), down 7 paise from its previous close. On Monday, the rupee had settled at 81.81 against the dollar.