Bombay: Share prices on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) closed slightly lower on Friday on profit taking amid caution ahead of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) indices weightings, dealers said.

The 30-share BSE sensitive index closed down 14.73 points at 3,655.03, a drop of 0.4 per cent.

"Early gains were wiped out as traders booked profits ahead of the MSCI changes and on concerns over the reported erosion in US-64s net asset value (NAV)," a dealer with a foreign brokerage said.

India's state-run overseas telephone company, Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL), closed down Rs 5.45 at Rs 344.85 after a high-level group of government officials and the management deferred a widely anticipated decision on a special dividend.

The VSNL stock dropped over five per cent from its intra-day high of Rs 366.90.

Technology stocks closed mixed with funds seen buying in Infosys technologies, NIIT and traders booking profits in Satyam Computer.

Infosys closed up Rs 33.05 at Rs 3,942.05, while NIIT was up Rs 15 at Rs 464.65.

India's state-run domestic telecom giant Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) closed up Rs 4.90 at Rs 155.05.

Gujarat Ambuja closed up Rs 2.50 at Rs 192.75 after the company said it has approved the sale of a 9.8 per cent stake to Warburg Pincus Equity Partners affiliate Affinity Investments Ltd at Rs 225 per share.

AFP