BSE Sensex closes flat, even as mid-cap, small-cap shares crash as much as 60%

The broad-based National Stock Exchange index rose by 4.45 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 5,854.75.

Brokers said market participants adopted a cautious approach before the railway and general budgets this week.

Sensex had lost over 325 points in past two sessions.

IT, Tech and Auto stocks attracted good buying support while realty, capital goods, metal refinery and PSU shares were at the receiving end, said equity dealers.

Country's second largest software services exporter, Infosys was the top gainer from the sensex pack with a rise of 2.84 per cent on hopes of sops for exporters in Union Budget.

SBI firmed up by 1.11 per cent after it said today that a issue price of Rs 2,312.78 a share has been for preferential allotment to the government to raise Rs 3,004 crore as part of capital infusion plan for this fiscal.

Outside major indices, sares of Jet Airways tanked more than 4 per cent amid investor concerns whether its stake-sale deal with Abu-Dhabi based carrier Etihad would materialise.

Globally, Asian stocks closed mixed with upward bias. Japanese shares rose 2.43 per cent on speculation the next Bank of Japan governor will deploy aggressive monetary easing.

Other indices from China, Hong Kong and Singapore ended with gains while from South Korea and Taiwan settled with losses.

European markets were trading higher in late morning session. The CAC was up by 0.66 per cent, the DAX by 1.07 per cent and the FTSE by 1.25 per cent.

Back home, 15 out of the Sensex scrips firmed up while

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