Mumbai, July 15 (IANS) Led by losses in IT scrips, a benchmark index for Indian equities markets Friday edged lower to close 58 points in the red.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,694.19 points, closed at 18,560.08 points (provisional), down 58.36 points or 0.31 percent from its previous close Thursday at 18,618.2 points.

Some freak trades in the futures segment, which resulted in 12 of the Sensex scrips soaring 20 percent, resulted in the Sensex breaching the 19,000-mark in early trade and moving up to the intra-day high of 19,619.65 points. It retreated soon after to languish in the negative throughout the day.

The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also ended lower at 5,581.95 points, down 0.32 percent.

Broader markets too ended lacklustre. The BSE midcap index closed 0.11 percent down while the BSE smallcap index nudged up 0.04 percent.