Sensex falls 1,500 points intraday, closes flat; caution over valuations

Indian equity benchmarks saw minor declines: Nifty dropped 0.12%, Sensex 0.09%. Investor caution persisted over high valuations and new capital gains tax. Nikhil Ranka predicted consolidation between 23,700 and 24,500, while Chirag Mehta foresaw potential corrections. Mid-cap and small-cap stocks weakened; 2,223 BSE stocks fell. Quantum Mutual Fund noted capex disappointment and lack of demand-boosting measures.