Sensex down by 28 pts at 10,876 on profit booking

Mumbai, Mar 22 (UNI) The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensitive Index (Sensex) opened five points lower at 10,900 as compared to the last close of 10,905 points.

The benchmark index traded 28 points down at 10,876 points at 1114 hours as profit-booking by investors continued to weigh on the markets.

Yesterday, Sensex crossed the 11,000 mark first time ever in the morning trade, touching 11,017 points.

The US markets, too, closed lower, while nearer home the Japanese Nikkei was 1.19 per cent up so far.

The crude oil prices also jumped up by more than two US dollar to USD 62.46 per barrel in the New York Mercantile Exchange this morning, as compared to yesterday's price of just above USD 60 per barrel.

However, BSE Health Care index was up by 1.52 per cent this morning, whereas most of the other sectoral indices were in the red including the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices.

Leading drug companies gained this morning--Dr Reddy's Lab was up by 6.23 per cent, Cadila Healthcare up by 3.80 per cent, Cipla up by 2.25 per cent, Aurobindo Pharma up by 1.33 per cent, Ranbaxy up by 0.87 per cent and Matrix Laboratories up by 1.72 per cent.

Other top gainers on the 30 share Sensex were BHEL, HDFC Bank, Tata Power, Satyam Computers, HDFC, Tata Steel and Reliance Indistries.

The top losers on the Sensex were Bajaj Auto, Hindalco, ACC, Hero Honda, Maruti, Gujarat Ambuja Cements, Larsen&Toubro, TCS, ITC and Tata Motors.

The National Stock Exchange 50 share S&P CNX Nifty index traded 10 points down at 3,251 points. Earlier, the Nifty opened flat at 3,263 as compared to the last close of 3,262 points.

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