New Delhi, 28 August (H.S.): Domestic equity markets were trading with marginal gains amid volatility on Friday. The market opened on a firm note, with buying support pushing both the Sensex and Nifty higher in early trade. However, the two benchmark indices subsequently pared their gains during the second half of the session. After trading up to 1 pm, the Sensex was up 0.15 per cent, while the Nifty had gained 0.02 per cent.

The BSE Sensex opened at 77,128.05, registering a gain of 194.46 points, or 0.25 per cent. Following the opening, sustained buying activity drove the index higher. Strong purchases in equities pushed the Sensex up by more than 400 points within the first hour of trading, taking it to an intraday high of 77,357.97.

The index remained around these levels for the next one-and-a-half hours. However, selling pressure emerged shortly before noon, weighing on the benchmark. Amid continued buying and selling activity, the Sensex was trading at 77,047.15, up 113.56 points, or 0.15 per cent, after trading until 1 pm.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty opened at 24,122.60, advancing 31.75 points, or 0.13 per cent. Buying emerged immediately after the market opened, lifting the index by nearly 100 points within the first hour. Around 10:15 am, the Nifty reached 24,188.30. However, the upward momentum failed to sustain for long.

Profit-booking began shortly after 11 am, leading to a weakening in the index. Amid continued buying and selling, the Nifty was trading at 24,096.75, up a marginal 5.90 points, or 0.02 per cent, after trading until 1 pm.

A total of 3,128 stocks were actively traded in the market so far. Of these, 1,607 stocks were trading in positive territory, while 1,521 were in the red. Among the 30 Sensex constituents, 16 stocks were trading higher on buying support, while 14 were trading lower amid selling pressure. In the Nifty 50, 19 stocks were in the green and 31 were in the red.

Among major market players, shares of TCS, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Infosys and Wipro were trading with gains ranging from 4.30 per cent to 2.83 per cent by 1 pm. On the other hand, shares of Shriram Finance, ICICI Bank, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement and SBI Life Insurance were trading lower, with declines ranging from 1.33 per cent to 1.14 per cent.

In the previous trading session on Thursday, the Sensex closed at 76,933.59, down 539.35 points, or 0.70 per cent. The Nifty ended Thursday's session at 24,090.85, registering a decline of 116.90 points, or 0.48 per cent.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar