Sensex, Nifty eke out marginal gains in early trade

New Delhi, August 31

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty witnessed volatility in early trade on Thursday and gained marginally as investors await firmer global cues and GDP numbers.

Economic reports from the US indicate a slowdown in growth which could mean that the US Federal Reserve might not go for aggressive rate hikes. The US GDP rose 2.1 per cent in the second quarter of this year, lower than estimated earlier, according to analysts.

On Thursday, the 30-share Sensex rose 49.13 points or 0.08 per cent to 65,136.38 points while the broader Nifty inched up 4.25 points or 0.02 per cent to 19,351.70 points.

The indices started off on a positive note, then declined and recouped the lost ground to trade in the green.

Majority of the Sensex stocks were in the positive territory, with Jio Financial Services gaining 4.98 per cent while Maruti Suzuki and Axis Bank rising more than 1 per cent.

In the Nifty pack, as many as 29 shares were trading in the green.