Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS) After a subdued morning session, a benchmark index for Indian equities markets crept up around noon Friday and was ruling 167 points higher. RIL, SBI and ITC were among the heavy weights that were trading higher.
Indian markets were closed Wednesday and Thursday on account of holidays and were catching up on the lost action seen in global bourses on these two days.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) which opened at 16,963.67 points was ruling 16,844.16 points — up 167.41 points or 1 percent from its previous close at 16,676.75 points.
The Sensex had risen to almost touch the 17,000-mark in opening trade, before slipping.
The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was also trading higher, 0.91 percent up at 5,046.5 points.
Broader markets were ruling dull. The BSE midcap index was ruling 0.77 percent higher, while the BSE small cap index was up 0.28 percent.
Among the sectoral indices on the BSE, metal, oil and gas, consumer durables and realty stocks were among major gainers.
At the BSE, the market breadth was positive with 1,584 stocks advancing, 929 scrips declining and 100 remaining unchanged.
Other Asian markets were in the red as traders booked profits after four straight days of gains.
The benchmark Japanese Nikkei closed 1.16 percent down at 8,950.74 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was trading 1.19 percent lower at 20,339.42 points.
Chinese stocks were also in the red. The Chinese Shanghai Composite index was ruling 1.12 percent down at 2,527.31 points.
