Mumbai, May 21 (IANS): A day after it gained around 200 points, a benchmark index of Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip BSE Sensitive Index (Sensex), was trading marginally lower in the late-afternoon session on Thursday. It slipped down by four points or 0.01 percent.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading marginally down by 5.80 points or 0.07 percent at 8,417.45 points.

The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 27,885.36 points, was trading at 27,833.64 points (at 2.50 p.m.) -- down 3.57 points or 0.01 percent from the previous day's close at 27,837.21 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 27,911.44 points and a low of 27,712.73 points in the intra-day trade.

According to stock-brokers Angel Broking, Indian markets opened on a flat note tracking the SGX Nifty.

On the global front, the US indices ended marginally lower, after the US Fed meeting minutes expectedly indicated that a rate hike is unlikely in June.

"European markets extended gaining streak for the third consecutive day (on Wednesday), led by rally in telecommunication and banking shares. Indian markets edged higher (on Wednesday), led by rally in the IT stocks due to decline in rupee vis-a-vis the dollar," the stock-broking firm observed.

Healthy buying was observed in automobile, capital goods, information technology (IT), healthcare and realty sectors.

However, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), oil and gas, metal, power and consumer durables stocks came under heavy selling pressure.

The S&P BSE automobile index augmented by 133.65 points, capital goods index gained 104.10 points, IT index was higher by 36.33 points, healthcare index rose by 36.25 points and realty index was up by 16.81 points.

However, the S&P BSE FMCG index plunged by 60.16 points, oil and gas index lost 41.20 points, metal index drowned by 39.09 points, power index fell by 7.53 points and consumer durables index was down by 3.45 points.