Markets end marginally lower on F&O expiry; Tata Motors drops 4 per cent

Mumbai: Falling for the sixth straight session, equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty ended marginally lower on Thursday after a highly volatile session as July derivative contracts expired.

The 30-share Sensex ended 16.67 points or 0.04 per cent lower at 37,830.98. Swinging 394 points, it hit an intra-day low of 37,775.51 and a high of 38,169.87.

The broader NSE Nifty too shed 19.15 points or 0.17 per cent to settle at 11,252.15. During the day, the index hit a low of 11,239.35 and a high of 11,361.40.

Tata Motors was the biggest loser in the Sensex pack, cracking 4.56 per cent, ahead of its quarterly results. Bajaj Finance, RIL, Yes Bank, NTPC and Tata Steel too fell up to 3.95 per cent.

On the other hand, Vedanta, Sun Pharma, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, PowerGrid, TCS, Tech Mahindra and Infosys gained up to 3.82 per cent.

According to traders, market turned highly volatile on the expiry of July futures and options (F&O) contracts. Despite a positive opening, stock-specific action in index heavyweight RIL, Bajaj Finance, ITC and L&T steered the market in the negative terrain, they said.

Elsewhere in Asia, most bourses ended on a positive note on hopes of a resolution to the US-Chine trade tiff as US and Chinese officials prepared to restart negotiations in an effort to resolve the year-long trade dispute, with two days of talks due next week.

Shanghai Composite Index, Hang Seng and Nikkei ended higher, while Kospi settled in the red. Bourses in Europe were also trading on a mixed note in their early sessions.

On the currency front, the Indian rupee depreciated marginally to 69.02 against the US dollar (intra-day). Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.79 per cent to USD 63.68 per barrel.