Sensex flat; HDFC up 1%, GDP number eyed

Moneycontrol Bureau

The BSE benchmark Sensex regained from low point of the day to trade flat as key banking stocks pick up steam ahead of the FY13 GDP numbers. A CNBC-poll forecasts FY13 GDP at 5 percent.

HDFC, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank were trading with marginal to 1 percent gains. Other stocks lending support to the benchmarks include Power Grid, JP Associates, Infosys, TCS, HUL, Tata Motors and Ranbaxy labs. Stelite, NTPC, Cipla, Bharti and Hero MotoCorp remained top losers.

At 11.08 AM, the Sensex was down 9.06 points at 19630.66, and the Nifty was down 2.55 points at 5956.65.

In the midcap segment, fall for Manappuram intensified after it posted worse-than-expected third quarter numbers. It was trading with a sharp cut of 11. 8 percent. Opto Circuit is another loser in  the segment, the stock lost 3 percent and had been falling since the beginning of the week.

Among the gainers, Hexaware, Purvankara, Prism Cement and Honeywell Automotive were the top movers trading with 2-4.5 percent gains.