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The Sensex and the Nifty ended the session marginally in the red amid firm European cues.
The 30-share BSE index Sensex ended down 47.25 points at 27,868.63 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty ended at 8,337, down 1.3 points.
Among BSE sectoral indices, metal index fell the most by 1.27 per cent, followed by capital goods 0.72 per cent, power 0.65 per cent and auto 0.46 per cent. On the other hand, realty and healthcare indices were the star-performers and were up 2.43 per cent and 2.28 per cent, respectively.
Dr Reddy's, Sun Pharma, Axis Bank, HUL and ONGC were the top five Sensex gainers, while the top five losers were BHEL, GAIL, SSLT, Hero MotoCorp and HDFC Bank.
European shares
European shares were steady on Friday morning, supported by positive corporate results from blue-chips, including ArcelorMittal, as investors awaited key US monthly jobs data.
At 0843 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was up 0.2 per cent at 1,354.26 points. The index has been stuck in a range over the past week, with strong corporate results offsetting weak European macro data.
"There's still no trend at the moment, this market is driven by short-term speculative positions mostly played by hedge funds," said Jean-Louis Cussac, head of Paris-based firm Perceval Finance.
"With the year coming to an end, a lot of fund managers are more concerned about protecting the gains made so far this year then to make fresh bets."
All eyes were on the US jobs data, due at 1330 GMT. A Reuters survey saw employers hiring new workers at a fairly brisk pace in October, underscoring the economy's resilience in the face of slowing global demand.
The survey forecast 231,000 new jobs were added during the month, after 248,000 in September. The unemployment rate was seen holding steady at a six-year low of 5.9 percent.
Around Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 index was up 0.5 per cent and Germany's DAX up 0.2 per cent, with France's CAC 40 flat.
Most Asian stocks rose, paring a weekly decline on the regional index, after a drop in American jobless claims bolstered optimism in the world’s largest economy before a government report on employment.
The euro wallowed around two-year lows after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi vowed to take more easing steps to spark growth in the euro zone.
Investors were likely to remain cautious ahead of the key US non-farm payrolls report. Solid gains in employment would increase speculation that the US Federal Reserve could raise interest rates in the middle of next year.
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