Mumbai, Oct 12 (IANS): Investor-anxiety over the ongoing quarterly results subdued Indian equity markets on Monday and led a barometer index to provisionally close with loss of 159 points or 0.59 percent on Monday.

Initially, both the Indian bellwether indices opened in the green on the back of positive Chinese markets. However, both indices soon ceded their gains, as investors were spooked regarding the uncertainty over the second quarter results.

Notwithstanding the downward trend, hopes of healthy macro data points on industry output and inflation later in the day somewhat arrested the fall.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also provisionally closed in the negative territory. It was lower by 41.35 points or 0.50 percent at 8,148.35 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (S&P Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 27,242.60 points, provisionally closed at 26,920.95 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- 158.56 points or 0.59 percent down from its previous close at 27,079.51 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 27,305.04 points and a low of 26,855.75 points in the intra-day trade.

The barometer index had closed with gains of 233.70 points or 0.87 percent on October 9, the last trading day.