Indian share prices fell 0.19 percent on Thursday, snapping three straight days of gains, with the benchmark Sensex unable to sustain a record intraday peak on profit booking by investors, dealers said. They said the markets appeared due for a small correction as it had run-up smartly on strong economic growth forecasts.
The 30-share Sensex index rose to a new intraday high of 13,790.82 before retracing in volatile trade to 13,680.83, down by 25.7 points over its previous close. The previous intraday record was 13,740.39 on Wednesday. The index has risen almost 46 percent since the start of the year.
"We saw fresh highs but the markets just could not sustain at these levels. It would be healthy if a sharper correction of 500-700 points is seen next week," said Hiten Mehta, fund manager with Fortune Financial Services Ltd.