The Sensex opened with a positive gap of 30 points at 20,903. But, weakness in overseas markets saw the index soon slip into the negative zone. The index dropped to a low of 20,701 - down 202 points from the day's open.

Fresh buying at lower levels helped the index recoup losses and rebound into the positive zone. The buying momentum was so strong that the index rallied past the 21,000-mark to hit a fresh all-time intra-day high of 21,113 - up 413 points from the day's low.

The index, however, could not hold gains as a fresh round of profit-taking dragged the index into red. The Sensex finally ended almost flat 20,870 - down three points.

The market breadth was fairly negative - of 2,912 stocks traded, 2,128 declined, 766 advanced and 18 were unchanged today.

Index movers...

NTPC soared 4.5% to Rs 277. HDFC [Get Quote] surged 3.5% to Rs 3,174.

Reliance Communications [Get Quote] gained 2% at Rs 821. Hindalco [Get Quote] and HDFC Bank rallied 1.7% each to Rs 212 and Rs 1,745, respectively.

DLF and Grasim [Get Quote] moved up 1.5% each to Rs 1,169 and Rs 3,451, respectively.

Reliance Energy [Get Quote] was up over 1% at Rs 2,565.

...and the shakers

Mahindra & Mahindra plunged 2.7% to Rs 808.

BHEL dropped 2% to Rs 2,444. ONGC [Get Quote], ICICI Bank [Get Quote] and Ranbaxy [Get Quote] slipped 1.7% each to Rs 1,299, Rs 1,310 and Rs 412, respectively.

ACC and Maruti [Get Quote] declined 1.5% each to Rs 970 and Rs 926, respectively.

ITC was down over 1% at Rs 228. 

Value & volume toppers

Reliance Natural Resources [Get Quote] topped the value chart with a turnover of Rs 701.70 crore followed by Reliance Capital [Get Quote] (Rs 369.30 crore), Reliance Petroleum [Get Quote] (Rs 331.80 crore), Reliance Communications (Rs 308.50 crore) and Reliance Energy (Rs 222 crore).