Indian benchmark indices ended flat in choppy session on Thursday. Stock markets closed with marginal gains in a volatile trade as investors booked profits at higher levels amid mixed global cues. Among the sectors, IT and auto stocks remained under pressure, while buying was seen in in the metal and pharma stocks. Strengthening gains, the rupee Thursday further appreciated marginally to 69.51 against the US dollar intra-day. On a net basis, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 2,722.28 crore on Wednesday while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 1,508.14 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed. Asian shares lost their footing though, after Chinese data signalled further weakness in the world's second-biggest economy. European shares hit a 5-month high, but that was just not sufficient enough for investors back home. Global crude benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.41 per cent to USD 67.83 per barrel.

The 30-share index settled for 37754.89 up by 2.72 points or by 0.01 per cent and then NSE Nifty was at 11343.25 up by 1.55 points or by 0.01 per cent. The BSE Sensex touched intraday high of 37907.78 and intraday low of 37693.69 The NSE Nifty touched intraday high of 11383.45 and intraday low of 11313.75

The top gainers of the BSE Sensex were NTPC Ltd. (Rs. 153.80,+3.53%), IndusInd Bank Ltd. (Rs. 1682.80,+2.84%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Rs. 467.10,+2.41%), YES Bank Ltd. (Rs. 249.85,+2.25%), Coal India Ltd. (Rs. 243.35,+2.03%), among others. The top losers of the BSE Sensex were Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (Rs. 187.45,-3.65%), HCL Technologies Ltd. (Rs. 1006.55,-2.11%), Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (Rs. 2755.35,-1.81%), Tata Motors Ltd. (Rs. 90.05,-1.26%), Tata Motors Ltd. (Rs. 179.70,-1.05%), among others.

Among sectors, Realty index was at 1949.23 up by 39.84 points or by 2.09%. Indiabulls Real Estate Ltd. (Rs. 88.05,+6.21%), Phoenix Mills Ltd. (Rs. 658.35,+5.11%), DLF Ltd. (Rs. 201.35,+4.68%), Prestige Estates Projects Ltd. (Rs. 211.15,+1.56%), Sunteck Realty Ltd. (Rs. 454.85,+1.53%),. On the flip side, IT index was at 14897.56 down by -63.07 points or by -0.42%. Take Solutions Ltd. (Rs. 124.95,-5.80%), Rolta India Ltd. (Rs. 8.94,-4.99%), Brightcom Group Ltd. (Rs. 3.11,-4.89%), MIC Electronics Ltd. (Rs. 1.32,-4.35%), Sasken Technologies Ltd. (Rs. 640.00,-3.10%),.

The Market breadth, indicating the overall strength of the market, was weak. On BSE out of total shares traded 3063, shares advanced were 1322 while 1573 shares declined and 168 were unchanged.