Sensex ends down 138 points at 12,020

Following Tuesday's phenomenal gains, the Sensex this morning opened 44 points higher at 12,202. Profit-taking thereafter saw the index slip to a low of 11,934 - down 268 points from the day's open.

Renewed buying interest in select index heavyweights helped the index rebound into the positive zone and touch a high of 12,256 - up 322 points from the day's low. The index, however, could not hold gains and slipped back into red as elections results jitters resurfaced.

The Sensex finally ended with a loss of 138 points at 12,020. The Nifty lost 46 points to close at 3,635.

Metal and IT stocks pulled the index down today. The BSE Metal index shed over 2% to 7,813 and the IT index slipped over 1.5% to 2,793.

The market breadth was negative. Out of 2,579 shares traded, 1,340 declined ,1,152 advanced  and 89 were unchanged.

INDEX SHAKERS...

Tata Steel  dropped over 3.5% to Rs 265. Sterlite and ONGC shed 3.4% each to Rs 475 and Rs 852, respectively.

Jaiprakash Associates was down 3% to Rs 137.

Maruti and SBI dropped over 2.5% each to Rs 838 and Rs 1,262, respectively.

Mahindra & Mahindra, TCS,  Reliance Communications, HDFC Bank were down 2% each.

...AND THE MOVERS

ACC and HDFC advanced 3% each to Rs 615 and Rs 1,897, respectively.

Grasim Industries added around 2% to Rs 1,803.

OTHER PROMINENT LOSERS...

Rei Agro slumped 6% to Rs 54. Fortis Healthcare, Suzlone, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Rural Electrification, Areva, India Infoline, Opto Circuits, Cummins and GMR Infrastructure declined 4-5% each.

...AND THE GAINERS

Yes Bank zoomed over 10.5% to Rs 88. Bajaj Auto, Mundra Port, Asian Paints, Century Textiles, IDFC, Federal Bank, Shriram Transport Finance, Oriental Bank of Commerce and MTNL gained 4-7% each.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

DLF topped the BSE value chart, because of 168 million block deal, with a total turnover of Rs 4,153.15 crore. It was followed by Reliance (Rs 284.08 crore), Reliance Capital (Rs 268 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 256.81 crore) and HDIL (Rs 244.42 crore) .

DLF also led the volume chart with trades of 180 million shares. It was followed by Cals Refineries (24.41 million), Unitech (22.27 million), Suzlon (21.71 million) and Birla Power (17.49 million) on the BSE.