Sensex crosses 30,000-mark; closes 217 points dow

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex), Wednesday touched a new record high of 30,024.74 points but closed the day's trade at 217 points (provisional) or 0.73 percent down.

The market was initially upbeat after India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, cut its key lending rates by 25 basis points, expecting inflation to soften further in the coming fiscal. However, profit-booking wiped out the day's gains in the fag-end of the trading session.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also touched an intra-day record high of 9,119.20 points. It closed the day's trade down 78.55 points or 0.87 percent at 8,917.70 points (provisionally).

The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 29,937.27 points, closed the day's trade at 29,377.18 points (at 3.30 p.m.) down 216.55 points or 0.73 percent from the previous day's close at 29,593.73 points.

The Sensex had touched a high of 30,024.74 points and a low of 29,289.05 points in the intra-day trade.