Nifty, Sensex give up early gains as automakers, banks weigh

By Reuters

  • 19 Aug 2019
Credit: Pixabay

Indian shares came off their session peak to close a tick higher on Monday, as strength in pharmaceutical stocks was largely offset by declines across the banking and automobile sectors.

The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.07% higher at 11,054, while the benchmark BSE Sensex gained 0.14% to finish at 37,042.5.

The Nifty PSU bank index, tracking state-owned banks, shed 0.83%, with State Bank of India falling about 1.5%.

A 1.6% slide in Eicher Motors Ltd contributed to a 0.56% decline in the Nifty automobile index.

The automobile index has shed 36% over the past year, including a 22% plunge since mid-April, as the automotive industry faces a bruising slowdown that has forced companies to curtail production and slash jobs.

The Nifty pharma index ended 0.74% higher, led by a 2.7% gain in Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.