Indian stocks paused on Thursday, with the Sensex and Nifty ending almost flat as a four-day rally lost momentum.
The S&P BSE Sensex inched up 12 points (0.01%) to 84,478.67, while the NSE Nifty 50 added just 3 points to close at 25,879.15. On the 30-stock Sensex, Asian Paints, ICICI Bank, Power Grid, Larsen & Toubro, and Bajaj Finserv led the gainers, rising between 1% and 4%.
Asian Paints surged 3.8%, extending its 4% rally from the previous session after reporting stronger profits driven by growth in its decorative paints segment.
Meanwhile, the IT index slipped 0.5% as investors booked profits following a nearly 5% rise over the past three sessions.
Positive sentiment from easing inflation and hopes of an India-US trade deal was balanced by caution ahead of the Bihar election results.
Also Read: Sensex volatile, Nifty steady above 25,850