Indian share prices closed 0.11 percent higher on Wednesday, shedding most morning gains after European markets opened weak, dealers said. They said the Sensex rose as much as 1.85 percent in early trade, after computer giant IBM said on Tuesday it had approved a multibillion-dollar share buyback program which could boost its earnings.
The 30-share Mumbai Sensex index rose 19.8 points to 17,825.99, off a day's high of 18,137.28. Gainers led losers 1,437 to 1,292 on volume of 58.59 billion rupees (1.46 billion dollars). The rupee strengthened against the dollar to 39.77 from 39.91 but weakened against the euro to 59.8 from 59.13.
India's second largest software exporter Infosys Technologies fell 44.7 rupees or 2.69 percent to 1,617.4 while engineering multinational Larsen and Toubro rose 112.7 rupees or 3.2 percent to 3,630.95. The country's top car maker Maruti Suzuki India rose 19.5 rupees or 2.4 percent to 832.1.