Indian equities markets end flat in volatile trading

Benchmark indices for Indian equities markets ended this week with marginal gains in volatile sessions on uncertain global cues.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange ended the week at 16,866.97 points, up 0.27 per cent or 45.51 points from the previous week's close at 16,821.46 points.

The markets commenced the week on an upbeat note and the benchmark Sensex regained 17,000 points mark on Wednesday and touched a high of 17,209 points mid-week.

However, snapping a three-day rally, the Sensex plunged almost 300 points on Friday, erasing most the weekly gains.

The 30-scrip index closed 298.57 points or 1.74 per cent down at 16,866.97 points Friday, the last trading day of the week.

The bourses slumped on Friday on profit booking amid negative cues from other global markets.

At the National Stock Exchange, the 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty also slumped on Friday after rallying mid-week. The Nifty closed 1.82 per cent lower at 5,059.45 points. The 50-scrip Nifty registered a gain of 0.4 percent in the weekly trade.

On the last trading day of the week, major Sensex gainers were: Hindustan Unilever , up 2.52 per cent at Rs 333.25; Hero MotoCorp, up 2.05 per cent at Rs 2,215.10; ONGC, up 0.34 per cent at Rs 261.85 and HDFC, up 0.23 per cent at Rs.660.

SBI, down 3.68 per cent at Rs 1,954.90; RIL, down 3.33 percent at Rs 825.10; Tata Motors, down 3.21 per cent at Rs 763.60; and Infosys, down 2.88 per cent at Rs 2,271.20, were major losers of the 30-scrip index on Friday.

Other Asian markets closed lower in choppy trade amid growing concerns of the state of the global economy. Investors were worried after Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said that downside risks to growth had increased across the world.

Japan's Nikkei ended 0.63 per cent down at 8,737.66 points on Friday.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed 0.23 per cent lower at 19,866.63 points and China's Shanghai Composite index ended flat at 2,497.75 points on Friday.

European and American markets slumped on Friday after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke offered no details on measures to revive the economy in a speech delivered on Thursday.

Britain's FTSE 100 fell 2.35 per cent at 5,214.65 points, German DAX slumped 4.04 per cent at 5,189.93 points and French CAC 40 closed 3.60 per cent down at 2,974.59 points on Friday.

Dow Jones Industrial Average of the US fell 2.69 per cent at 10,992.10 points and S&P 500 Index dropped 2.67 per cent at 1,154.23 points.