Sensex slips 3 points to close at 51,934; Nifty at 15,575

Mumbai:�Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty closed higher in restricted trade on Wednesday as investors awaited key US inflation data for further cues.

The 30-share BSE Sensex rose by 16.09 points or 0.02 per cent to close at 81,526.14 even as 17 of its constituents declined and 13 advanced. Snapping its three-day losing run, the broader NSE Nifty advanced 31.75 points or 0.13 per cent to settle at 24,641.80.

As many as 2,146 stocks advanced, 1,840 declined and 110 remained unchanged on the BSE. The market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms climbed by Rs 91,110.2 crore to Rs4,60,46,637.96 cr (Rs460.46 lakh cr or $5.43 trillion). "The Indian market exhibited subtle movements, reflecting mixed sentiments prevailing in global markets ahead of the US CPI inflation data release, which could influence the Fed policy," said Vinod Nair, head (research), Geojit Financial Services.

"The market exhibited a lackluster performance on Wednesday as it traded within a narrow range of just 107 points, marking the smallest trading range over the past seven sessions. The index remained close to its previous trading range, with relatively low trading volume suggesting a compression in volatility," said Ameya Ranadive, Chartered Market Technician, CFTe, Sr Technical Analyst, StoxBox.

From the 30-share Sensex pack, Bajaj Finance, Nestle India, Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, Infosys, Maruti, Bharti Airtel and Hindustan Unilever were among the gainers.