NSE benchmark Nifty settled almost flat in a choppy session, modestly up by 6.65 points as caution prevailed ahead of corporate results next week.
Profit booking for the second consecutive session was seen mainly in PSU bank, realty, FMCG and pharma sectors, while buying in metal, IT, auto, finance service and private bank sectors capped the losses.
Overseas, European markets tumbled as investors continued to monitor geopolitical unrest in Iran.
Asian shares ended higher after a survey of Chinese manufacturing activity showed stronger-than-anticipated market sentiment.
The NSE Nifty opened higher at 10,477.55 and moved in a range of 10,495.20 and 10,404.65 before ending at 10,442.20, up 6.65 points, or 0.06 per cent, from its previous close.
It saw an intra-day movement of about 90.55 points.
On the sectoral front, metal rose by 0.60 per cent, IT 0.32 per cent, auto 0.31 per cent, financial service 0.24 per cent, private bank 0.18 per cent and energy 0.17 per cent.
However, PSU bank 1.49 per cent, realty 1.11 per cent, FMCG 0.57 per cent, pharma 0.54 per cent and infra 0.39 per cent.
Major index gainers were Tata Motors, InfraTel, UPL, ONGC, TechM, HCL Tech, IndusIndBank and Coal India.
Losers included Eicher Motors, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Bharti Airtel, Auro Pharma, HPCL and SBIN.
The market breadth, indicating its overall health, was in favour of lossers. On the NSE, 1,164 stocks declined, 647 rose and 44 remained unchanged.
Total securities that hit their price bands were 218.
Turnover in the cash segment rose to Rs 31,951.74 crore from Rs 28,341.05 crore as on Monday.
A total of 27,113.28 lakh shares changed hands in 10,809,792 trades. The market capitalisation of listed firms on the NSE stood at Rs 1,48,81,145.25 crore.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)