Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS): Indian frontline indices closed on a flat note on Wednesday as investors are waiting for November CPI (Consumer Price Index) data, which will be released by the government on Thursday.

At closing, Sensex was up 16 points at 81,526 and Nifty was up 31 points at 24,641.

The broader market trend was positive. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), 2143 shares closed in the green, 1,839 settled in the red and 113 shares closed without change.

Among the sectoral indices, Auto, IT, Fin Service, pharma, FMCG, metal and realty were top gainers and PSU Bank, media, energy and pvt bank were top laggards.

Midcap and smallcap stocks outperformed the largecap in the trading session. Nifty midcap 100 index closed at 59,292, up 157 points or 0.27 per cent and Nifty smallcap 100 index closed at 19,657, up 74 points or 0.38 per cent.

According to the market experts, "The Indian market exhibited subtle movements, reflecting mixed sentiments prevailing in global markets ahead of the US CPI inflation data release, which could influence the FED policy. The US dollar strengthened, while bond yields saw a marginal uptick."

"Defensive sectors, including FMCG and pharmaceuticals, experienced an uptick. Additionally, the metals sector saw gains driven by optimism surrounding potential stimulus measures from China," they added.

In the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finance, Nestle India, Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement, Infosys, Maruti, Bharti Airtel and Hindustan Unilever were the top gainers. JSW Steel, NTPC, SBI, Reliance, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank and Titan were the top losers.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their buying on December 10, buying equities worth Rs 1,285.96 crore, while domestic institutional investors also bought equities worth Rs 605.79 crore on the same day.

The market opened at a flat note. At around 9.27 a.m., Sensex was trading at 81,515.06 after gaining 5.01 points or 0.01 per cent, while the Nifty was trading at 24,623.8 after rising 13.75 points or 0.06 per cent.