Mumbai, July 28 - A key index of the Indian equities markets gave up its gains Tuesday to end trade 40.09 points lower than its previous close.

It had managed to crawl into the positive terrain about an hour before closing bell after languishing in the red for most of the day, but ended in loss.

The 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened at 15,428.5 points, lost 40.09 points or 0.26 percent to close at 15,334.95 points (provisional).

The Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too ended in the red, closing 0.29 percent lower at 4,559.2 points.

Broader market indices did better and ended in the positive terrain, with the BSE midcap index closing 1.1 percent up and the BSE smallcap index ending 1.61 percent higher.