Both indices had risen in early trades but gains fizzled out in the later part of the session. The Sensex ended at 61,431.74, down 128.90 points, or 0.21%, from Wednesday’s close. The Nifty declined 51.80 points, or 0.28%, from the previous close to settle at 18,129.95.
On Thursday, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were net buyers for the 16th straight session. Overseas funds net purchased shares in the cash segment worth ₹970.18 crore while domestic institutions were net sellers to the tune of ₹849.96 crore, according to provisional stock exchange data.
Since the start of May, foreign funds have purchased shares worth nearly ₹17,500 crore including Thursday’s provisional numbers. This has helped the Nifty rise 10% from the March lows, but the selling in the past three days shaved off about 1.5% from the recent gains.
In Asia, most indices ended higher tracking overnight gains on Wall Street on hopes the US was inching closer to a deal to raise its debt ceiling and avoid a default.
