Mumbai, Dec 3 (IANS) A key index of the Indian equities markets closed flat Thursday, a marginal 15.77 points up, as heavyweights Tata Motors and Hindustan Unilever came under selling pressure.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened higher at 17,199.64 points, ended at 17,185.68 points, up 15.77 points or 0.09 percent from its last close at 17,169.91.

Around the same time, at the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was at 5,131.7 points, against the previous close at 5,123.25 points, a gain of 8.45 points or 0.16 percent.

However, broader market indices, which were under pressure during the day, managed to close in the green, with the BSE midcap index up 0.39 percent and the BSE small cap index 0.92 percent higher.

Among the major gainers on the Sensex were Reliance Communcations, up 2.54 percent at Rs.179.35; Hindalco, up 2.42 percent at Rs.146.30; ACC, down 2.05 percent at Rs.815.20; and Grasim Industries, up 2.04 percent at Rs.2,436.80.

The major losers were Tata Motors, down 3.34 percent at Rs.705.40; Hindustan Unilever, down 1.89 percent at Rs.270.60; Jaiprakash Associates, down 1.11 percent at Rs.228.15; and ICICI Bank, down 1 percent at Rs.883.90.

The market breadth was positive, with 1,653 stocks advancing, 1,114 declining and 73 remaining unchanged.

Most other major Asian indices ended in the positive.

A key Japanese index, the Nikkei, closed 368.73 points or 3.84 percent higher at 9,977.67 points.

The Hang Seng, a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ended at 22,553.87 points, up 264.3 points or 1.17 percent.

The Korean Kospi closed 1.47 percent up at 1,615 points.

In China, the Shanghai composite index however closed lower at 3,264.63 points, down 0.16 percent.

European markets, were trading in the green.

A key index of the London Stock Exchange, the FTSE 100 index, was ruling 17.07 points or 0.32 percent up at 5,344.46 points.

The French index, CAC 40, was at 3,818.31 points, up 0.59 percent, while its German peer, the DAX was trading a similar 0.58 percent higher at 5,813.97 points.