The Sensex and the Nifty ended the session near flat as blue-chips witnessed a mixed trend amid concerns over poor quarterly earnings and a diverse closing in other Asian markets.

The 30-share BSE index Sensex resumed higher at 27,885.36 and moved up to 27,911.44 in early trade on increased capital inflows amid mixed global cues.

However, selling pressure at higher levels in the later half of the session dragged down the index to 27,712.73 before ending at 27,809.35, down 27.86 points or 0.1 per cent.

Similarly, the NSE index Nifty ended 2.25 points or 0.03 per cent down at 8,421 after hitting the day’s high of 8,446.35 and a low of 8,320.50 during the session.

Among BSE sectoral indices, realty index gained the most by 0.96 per cent, followed by auto 0.8 per cent, capital goods 0.53 per cent and IT 0.27 per cent. On the other hand, infrastructure index was down 0.88 per cent, followed by FMCG 0.76 per cent, power 0.61 per cent and oil & gas 0.46 per cent.

Of 30 Sensex counters, 14 ended lower and 15 rose, while TCS settled unchanged.

Top five Sensex gainers were Bajaj Auto 6.94%, Coal India 3.51%, Axis Bank 2.19%, Sun Pharma 1.52% and L&T 1.5%, while the major losers were Tata Steel 5.11%, VEDL 3.29%, Cipla 1.98%, ICICI Bank 1.68% and ITC 1.53%.

A report by SMC Investments and Advisors said: "Asian markets traded mixed on gains leaded by China and Japan due to supporting central banks. American markets traded lower as earnings still looking weak with mix economic data pushing interest rate hike farther.The manufacturing sector in Japan turned back to expansion in May, according to preliminary survey from Markit Economics - which showed a PMI score of 50.9. That beat forecasts for a score of 50.3, and it was up from 49.9 in April. It also moves back above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. Among the individual components of the survey, the output index jumped to 51.7 from 49.3 in April. New orders and quantity of purchases also moved to expansion from contraction."

“In absence of any major cues, equity benchmarks consolidated in a narrow range and closed almost unchanged,” said Jayant Manglik, President - Retail Distribution at Religare Securities.

Citigroup today lowered its 2015-end Sensex target to 32,200 points, saying investors’ faith in Indian markets is turning fickle amid a growing perception that the government has got “little logjammed” on various reforms.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors bought shares worth Rs 123.49 crore yesterday and domestic institutional investors purchased shares worth Rs 103.58 crore.

Global markets

European shares fell on Thursday after data pointed to a mixed picture for the euro zone's economic recovery, with German private-sector growth slowing again in May even as France extended its timid recovery.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 0.4 per cent at 0751 GMT, with blue-chip German stocks underperforming the region after Markit's flash composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for Europe's largest economy showed a drop in May, though it rose in France.

Japanese shares hit a new 15-year high on Thursday on hopes that its long-moribund economy was finally coming to life, but weak China factory activity capped stock market gains in much of the rest of Asia.

But, reflecting the overall more sombre mood with overnight losses on Wall Street and persistent weakness in China, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan were effectively flat. South Korean and Hong Kong shares slipped, while Australian and Indonesian stocks gained.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.8 per cent after the flash HSBC manufacturing PMI showed Chinese factory activity contracting for the third month in May.

US stocks ended marginally lower on Wednesday after Wall Street saw little in the minutes from last month's Federal Reserve meeting to alter expectations of when the central bank will raise interest rates.

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