Benchmarks settle flat, Nifty ends at 11,300; Bharti Airtel slips over 2%

The benchmark indices ended on a flat note with negative bias for the second straight session on Thursday amid selling in financial and pharma counters. The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 38,310 levels, down 59 points or 0.15 per cent while NSE's Nifty ended at 11,300, down 0.07 per cent. 

The broader market, however, outperformed the benchmark indices. The S&P BSE MidCap index ended 1.6 per cent higher at 14,583 levels while the S&P BSE SmallCap index settled at 13,940, up 0.76 per cent. 

Global markets

Japanese stocks soared to a six-month peak and the dollar was under pressure on Thursday as investors picked positives out of recent economic data and bet on China and the United States sticking with their trade deal at a crucial weekend meeting.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.1 per cent, while gains in semiconductor makers drove Japan's Nikkei 1.8 per cent higher to a six-month peak.

Euro STOXX 50 futures were last down 0.1 per cent, FTSE futures slipped 0.7 per cent and S&P 500 futures ESc1 were down 0.1 per cent.

In the commodity market, crude oil prices fell after OPEC said it expected demand to drop more than expected, although data showing a decline in US inventories lent support.

(With inputs from Reuters)