Market review: Sensex fails to maintain mid-week gains, loses 75 points

The NSE 50-share Nifty dropped 31.90 points, or 0.54 per cent, to end the week at 5,847.70.

Good buying in metal stocks following indication of economic recovery in China, the world's largest consumer of copper and aluminium, boosted the market sentiment.

Pharma, IT and auto shares also were in demand.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their uying spree during week, investing a net Rs 4,590.94 crore, including the provisional figure of December 21.

According to analysts, the next week will witness volatility in the markets as traders generally prefer to roll over positions ahead of the expiry of derivatives segment.

The December series will end on Thursday. The BSE and NSE will remain shut on December 25 on account of Christmas.

Major losers from the Sensex pack were L&T (3.01 per cent), HDFC (2.81 per cent), ITC (2.69 per cent), HDFC Bank (1.80 per cent), Bharti Airtel (1.54 per cent), RIL (1.94 per cent) and M&M (1.30 per cent).

However, Tata Steel rose by 8.13 per cent, Hindalco 7.62 per cent, Jindal Steel 5.52 per cent, Cipla 3.67 per cent, Sterlite Ind 3.31 per cent, Tata Motors 2.57 per cent, Maruti Suzuki 1.99 per cent, Sun Pharma 1.85 per cent, HUL 1.63 per cent and Hero MotoCorp gained 1.52 per cent.

Among the sectoral indices, the BSE-Capital Goods dropped by 2.15 per cent, BSE-CD 1.80 per cent, BSE-Oil&gas 1.23 per cent, BSE-Realty 0.90 per cent and Bankex lost 0.80 per cent.

However, the BSE-Metal rose by 4.44 per cent, BSE-HC (health care) by 0.97 per

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