Sensex volatile; Infy, HDFC, SBI, NTPC gain

Equity benchmarks were extremely volatile in trade at 14:54 hours. Capital goods, metal, FMCG and healthcare companies' shares were putting pressure on the markets. TCS, Bharti, ONGC, Wipro, ICICI Bank and Tata Motors too were down.

However, Infosys, Reliance Industries, HDFC, SBI, HDFC Bank, NTPC, Tata Power, M&M, Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, Reliance Infrastructure and BPCL were quite supportive.

Worries in Libya are not over yet. Also, the United Kingdom has frozen nearly USD 3.2 billion Libyan wealth fund assets, reports CNBC-TV18 quoting agencies. London brent crude spiked up above the USD 116 a barrel mark, up 1% and crude oil was inching up to USD 103 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

There were reports that rebels in North Yemen threw bombs and stage anti-government protests resulting in dead and wounded were reported. The army used rockets on protesters, agencies reported.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading at 18,493, up 3 points and the 50-share NSE Nifty was at 5,543, up 6 points. Breadth also turned into negative; about 571 shares advanced as against 713 shares declined on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

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Nifty choppy; L&T, BHEL, ITC, ONGC, TCS dip

The benchmark Nifty was sailing through choppy waters at 14:07 hours. Capital goods, FMCG, metal and select healthcare companies' shares were witnessing selling pressure. TCS, ONGC, Bharti, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank and PNB too were down.

London brent crude also touched USD 116 a barrel again, gained by USD 1.25 a barrel. Even the crude oil was trading near to USD 103 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Praveen Kumar, head-south Asia (Oil and Gas Team), FACTS Global Energy said the crude oil movement dependent on geopolitical tensions.