Indian stock markets ended Wednesday on a flat note despite gains during early trading. While the Bombay Stock Exchange ended 2.76 points down at 26,210.68, the National Stock Exchange Nifty gained two points to close at 8,034.85. Stocks of Fast-moving Consumer Goods and pharmaceutical companies were among the top performers on both indices, while automobile companies faced selling pressures by investors, Business Standard reported.

Companies like Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Wipro saw gains, while Tata Steel and and Hero MotoCorp were among the under-performers. Sentiment was also impacted by the purchase of equities worth Rs 1,502 crore by domestic investors on Tuesday, even as foreign investors sold stocks worth Rs 712 crore reported. The BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices outperformed the headline indices, rising by 0.53% and 0.87%.

Markets extended gains made on Tuesday during early trading on Wednesday, with the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex rising by 151.41 points at 26,364.85 and National Stock Exchange Nifty gaining 52.20 points at 8,085.05 (as of 12.25pm). , NDTV reported.

Meanwhile, Asian stocks remained mixed after the United States Nasdaq rose to record highs on Tuesday. While Japan’s Nikkei traded flat at 19,041.72, Australia’s S&P ASX 200 gained 1% to 5,685.00, AP reported. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.4%, while the Shanghai Composite fell by 0.3%.

After sharp falls in Indian stocks on Monday, analysts said markets were likely to remain dull this week, keeping the year-end holidays in mind. However, bourses rebounded on Tuesday, with the Sensex gaining 406.34 points and the Nifty ending 124.60 points higher.