Sensex, Nifty weak; Whirlpool down 3%, ZEE soars 6%

After scaling fresh record high in intraday trade on Monday, the benchmark indices started lower on Tuesday amid tepid global sentiment.

The indices, however, recouped most of the losses and turned flat. The Nifty50 index is down 15 points at 21,100 level and the BSE Sensex was down 10 points at 72,700.

Power Grid, Kotak Bank, Ultratech Cement, HDFC Bank, and Asian Paints were the top gainers on the BSE benchmark, while M&M, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, Tata Motors, HCL Tech, and Maruti Suzuki were the top laggards.

In the broader market space, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices were mixed with the former slipping 0.17 per cent but the latter rising 0.13 per cent.

Among sectors, the Nifty Auto index was the top laggard, down 0.5 per cent. On the flipside, the Nifty Media index climbed 2.6 per cent.

Buzzing stocks

Whirlpool of India: Shares of Whirlpool of India dropped 3 per cent after nearly 9 million equity shares changed hands in block deals today. Promoter firm, Whirlpool Mauritius was expected to sell 30.4 million shares, or 24% stake, via block deals today.

Zee Entertainment Enterprises: Shares of ZEE soared 6 per cent after The Economic Times reported that Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) and Sony Group are in discussions that may save the $10 billion merger the Japanese conglomerate had called off on January 22.

Deepak Fertilisers: Shares of Deepak Fertilisers jumped 10 per cent after the industrial chemicals and fertilisers producer and a Norway based international energy company, Equinor, entered into a long-term supply agreement for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).