Sensex steadies after early excitement from exit polls

Mumbai: The stock market maintained a steady line after a strong opening on Friday as exit polls predicted that the BJP would win Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.

The 30-share BSE index came off its early high, but was still up 269.51 points -- 0.81 percent -- at 33,516.21 at 1128 hours.

For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,300-mark at 10,342.55, a gain of 90.45 points, or 0.88 percent.

Coal India, which advanced 2.55 percent, was in the lead. HDFC, Bajaj Auto, Adani Ports and L&T too advanced.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth Rs 232.17 crore yesterday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 374.21 crore.

Overseas, Asian markets edged lower, with Japanese and Hong Kong markets leading the decline, after US markets closed in the red.

US stocks closed lower yesterday as a few Senators raised some concerns about the tax bill.