Equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty ended marginally lower on Friday, as positive macroeconomic data failed to lift spirits amid negative cues from global markets.
In a largely subdued session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 12.27 points or 0.02 per cent lower at 61,223.03. Similarly, the NSE Nifty slipped 2.05 points or 0.01 per cent to 18,255.75.
Asian Paints was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.66 per cent, followed by Axis Bank, HUL, Wipro, M&M, HDFC and Bharti Airtel.
On the other hand, TCS, Infosys, L&T, Tech Mahindra and HDFC Bank were among the gainers.
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul ended in the negative territory.
Stock exchanges in Europe were also witnessing selling pressure in mid-session deals.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude rose 0.86 per cent to USD 85.20 per barrel.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital market, as they sold shares worth Rs 1,390.85 crore on Thursday, according to stock exchange data.
On the domestic economic front, the wholesale price-based inflation bucked a 4-month rising trend in December 2021 and eased to 13.56 per cent, mainly on account of softening fuel, power and manufacturing items even though food prices hardened.
The country’s exports in December 2021 surged 38.91 per cent on an annual basis to USD 37.81 billion due to healthy performance by sectors such as engineering, textiles and chemicals, even as the trade deficit widened to USD 21.68 billion during the month, government data showed on Friday.