The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex ended 32 points lower at 26,726, while the National Stock Exchange Nifty dropped 7.75 points down at 8,236 as the Indian bourses traded flat on Monday. Observers said the figures were influenced by the beginning of the quarterly reporting season as investors speculated over the impact of demonetisation on corporate earnings, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.

The sectors of fast moving consumer goods, basic materials, banking and realty saw a spurt in buying activity. Overall, the FMCG stocks were up by 0.61%, and capital goods shares rose by 0.19%. Stocks of realty firms also made some progress, trading 0.18% higher. ITC, Tata Motors, HDFC, Reliance and Bajaj Auto were the top gainers on Sensex, while Dr Reddy’s, Coal India, ONGC, Asian Paints and Lupin lagged during the day’s trading.

The rupee opened at a weaker 68.15 against the dollar. It went down by 19 paise from Friday’s 67.96. Asian currencies also opened lower – South Korean won dropped by 1%, China offshore was down by 0.36%, Taiwan dollar by 0.34%, Filipino peso by 0.26%, Japanese yen by 0.24%, Malaysian ringgit by 0.15%, Chinese renminbi by 0.13% and Singapore dollar by 0.1%.