Sensex down 39 points on Wipro Q3 results; RIL cushions fall

Mumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) In a lacklustre trading today, theBSE bellwether Sensex ended about 39 points down on lower thanexpected Q3 results by software exporter Wipro, amid sellingby foreign funds and weak Asian cues.

However, the top heavyweight and petrochem giant RILhelped cushion the Sensex fall by rising 1.73 per cent, aheadof its third quarter results to be announced late today.

Smart rise in SBI, ICICI Bank, BHEL and M&M too supportedthe market to some extent.

Wipro tumbled 4.59 per cent, top loser from the Sensexpack on below expectations Q3 results. The company reported a9.60 per cent jump in consolidated net profit. The companyalso surprised markets with resignations of the joint-CEOs ofits IT business.

India''s largest electric equipment maker by sales BharatHeavy Electricals (Bhel) gained ahead of its Q3 result today.

The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share barometer moved majorpart of the day in the negative terrain in a range of nearly133 points before closing at 19,007.53, a net fall of 39.01points or 0.20 per cent.

The NSE 50-issue Nifty also declined by 15.10 points or0.26 per cent to 5,696.50.

As per the provisional data, Foreign InstitutionalInvestors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 943.91 crore while localfunds bought shares worth Rs 256.32 crore yesterday. MORE PTIVMP RSU SBP SA