BSE was starting to slide back into the red after logging gains in the early morning, a little after noon today, and was ruling only 31 points higher than its last closing figure.

At 12.15 p.m., the 30-scrip index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened higher at 14,103.65 points was at 14,075.28 points - 31.88 points or 0.2%3 above Monday's closing figure.

Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was ruling marginally up by 0.09% at 4,169.55 points.

But the broader indices came under pressure, with the BSE midcap index trading 0.67% lower and the BSE smallcap index moving down 1.56%.

Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, FMCG, auto and capital goods were ruling at the top, while PSU, energy and realty scrip came under selling pressure.

Among gainers on the Sensex at this time were ITC, up 6.4% at Rs.210.45; Maruti Suzuki, up 4.56% at Rs.1,082.20, M&M, up 4.24% at Rs.740.55; and Hero Honda Motors, up 4.07% at Rs.1,414.

The losers included Tata Power, down 3.11% at Rs.1,067.35; Reliance Industries, 3.09% at Rs.1,835; Reliance Communications, down 3.03% at Rs.261.25; and ONGC, down 2.74% at Rs.1,041.