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Sensex dips 18.35 points

The National Stock Exchange-based operators were the main sellers in the market, leading brokers said, and added that FIIs and domestic institutions adopted the role of wait-and-watch.

Reflecting the downtrend, the BSE Sensitive index opened lower at 3359.47 points, touched day's high of 3371.61 points, low of 3345.34 points before closing at 3348.35 points suffering a net loss of 18.35 points as against the previous close of 3366.70 points.

The BSE National index finished at 1441.72 points over the last working day's close of 1448.88 points, losing 07.16 points.

The BSE-200 and Dollex indices settled down at 320.32 and 137.70 points as compared to previous close of 321.69 and 138.22 points respectively.

The volume of the business was very thin in the market. The Tata Funds has sold considerable amount of TELCO shares, another broker said, and added that the company circle had bought a nominal amount of the bluechip Bajaj Auto shares.

Tata Tea has shown excellent performance during the last financial year and may announce a net profit of Rs 1.22 billion. Similarly, Aptech Limited, a leading information technology company, has recommended 1:1 bonus to its shareholders for the year ended December 31, 1997.

The market experts opined that this trend will continue till the general elections and only after is the the market sentiment likely to change.

Total turnover was Rs 6.6 million involving 24 million shares. Out of 6,915 scrips, a total number of 1,410 scrips were traded on both system.

ITC registered a turnover of Rs 1.8 billion, Tata Tea Rs 1.1 billion, Castrol Rs 678.8 million, TELCO Rs 473.3 million, Reliance Rs 470.3 million, SBI Rs 355.6 million, Bajaj Auto Rs 264.1 million, Hind Lever Rs 245.1 million, MTNL Rs 126 million, ACC Rs 121.8 million, TISCO Rs 85.2 million, L and T Rs 52.4 million, Sterlite Rs 40.3 million, BPL Rs 378. million, BHEL Rs 34.6 million in the specified sectors.

Good transaction were observed at LML Rs 98.5 million, Aptech Rs 54.3 million, Corporate Bank Rs 25.1 million, Tata Infotech Rs 4.8 million, Asian hotels Rs 4.2 million, Kreb Bioche Rs 4.1 million, Dig Equip Rs 4 million at 'B1' counters.

UNI