Indian shares opened lower on Wednesday as Middle East worries persisted, and investors awaited the Federal Reserve's rate decision later in the day for directional cues.
The key barometers hovered near the flat line in early afternoon trade. Metal shares tumbled while autos and FMCG shares bucked weak market trend.
At 12:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 6.05 points or 0.01% at 51,943.49. The Nifty 50 index lost 15.25 points or 0.10% at 15,567.55. The Nifty pared losses after hitting the day s low of 15,528.30 in early afternoon trade.
In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.39% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index slipped 0.51%.
The market breadth was weak. On the BSE, 1,112 shares rose and 1,857 shares fell. A total of 124 shares were unchanged.
Derivatives:
The NSE s India VIX, a gauge of market s expectation of volatility over the near term, jumped 5.92% to 17.89. The Nifty 29 July 2021 futures were trading at 15,564.45, at a discount of 3.10 points as compared with the spot at 15,567.55.