Equity benchmark Sensex opened over 200 points higher on Thursday, but soon pared its initial gains on profit-booking and was trading in the negative territory amid a mixed trend in global markets. After opening at its lifetime peak of 54,576.64, the 30-share index turned flat, slipping 8.33 points or 0.02 per cent to 54,361.44. In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty inched 8.95 points or 0.06 per cent lower to 16,249.85 in early trade. shares of Vodafone Idea cracked by 23 per cent to Rs 4.62 per unit as Kumar Mangalam Birla stepped down as Non-Executive Chairman after offering to give up his stake in the debt-ridden telecom company.
