Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) Indian equities ended trade in the red after a volatile session Wednesday, but managed to limit losses compared to other Asian markets. A key index lost 0.22 percent over its previous close.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange closed at 9,015.18 points, down 0.22 percent or 19.82 points from its previous close of 9,035 points.

Like Tuesday, the Sensex managed to rise above the psychologically important 9,000-mark late afternoon after falling below it.

The BSE midcap index was down 0.45 percent, while the BSE smallcap ended 0.61 percent lower.

At shutters, the broader-based S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was at 2,776.15 points, 0.2 percent lower than its last close.

Foreign institutional investors were net sellers Wednesday, pulling out about $120.5 million from Indian equities markets.

Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, the index for realty stocks gained the most.

The overall market sentiment was mixed with 1,006 stocks advancing, 1,381 scrips declining and 107 remaining unchanged.

The gainers among the 30 scrips on the Sensex were DLF (up 7.34 percent at Rs.158.70), Maruti Suzuki (up 4.39 percent at Rs.624.80), ACC (up 3.19 percent at Rs.562.90) and Reliance Industries (up 2.14 percent at Rs.1,294.75).

Among losers on the Sensex were HDFC (down 4.76 percent at Rs.1,364.30), Mahindra and Mahindra (down 4.74 percent at Rs.284.55), ICICI Bank (down 4.29 percent at Rs.369.35) and Reliance Infra (down 3.41 percent at Rs.501.20).

In other Asian markets, a key Japanese index, the Nikkei of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed at 7,540.35 points, 1.38 percent lower than its previous close.

The Hang Seng, a key index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ended 1.56 percent below its last close.

In European markets, the FTSE index in Britain was ruling 2.43 lower than its previous close at 4,034.13 points.