Sensex closes down 21 points

The 50-stock National Stock Exchange index Nifty fell by 11.60 points to 5,105.07.

Marketmen said selling pressure mounted following a spurt in monthly inflation which trebled to 4.78 per cent in November against 1.34 per cent a month ago,driven by rising prices of food items like pulses,fruits and vegetables.

A mixed trend in overseas markets also influenced the trading sentiment to some extent.

Brokers said rising inflation might prompt the Reserve Bank to signal hike in interest rates.

They said foreign funds booking profits before calendar year end also supported the down-trend.

Among the 30-BSE index related stocks,17 closed with losses while 13 rose. The major losers during the day were consumer durables,bank and metal stocks.

Howver,rise in stocks of Information Technology,Capital Goods,Auto,PSU,Power,Healthcare,Teck and Oil and Gas saved the market from any major fall.