By IANS,
Mumbai : A key index of the Indian equities markets Thursday managed to end with some gains backed by capital goods and banking stocks, closing 0.37 points above its previous close.
The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that opened at 17,107 points closed at 17,166.73 points, up 64.09 points or 0.37 percent from Wednesday’s close at 17,125.22 points.
It had hit an intra-day high of 17,231.05 in the afternoon but shed some gains towards close.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,134.65 points, against the previous close at 5,112 points, a gain of 0.44 percent.
Broader market indices were also in the green owing to buying activity in smaller scrips, with the BSE smallcap index closing 0.89 percent higher and the BSE midcap index up 0.28 percent.
The market breadth was tilted towards the positive, with 1,668 stocks advancing, 1,151 scrips declining and 88 remaining unchanged.
Data with markets watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) showed that foreign funds were net buyers Thursday, having sold scrips worth $63.47 million.
Other Asian markets were a mixed bag.
A key Japanese index, the Nikkei, closed 1.42 percent or 141.9 points down at 9,862.82 points as profit booking continued.
The Hang Seng, a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, too, was in the negative at 21,700.04 points, 0.19 percent or 41.72 points down.
However, in China, the Shanghai composite index ended 0.45 percent in the green at 3,254.26 points.
The Kospi, the benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, too was ruling higher at 1,652.73 points, up 1.14 percent.
A late rally in the US Wednesday gave European markets some hope, pushing the FTSE 100 index, benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, to rule higher at 5,235.41 points, 31.52 points or 0.61 percent up.
The French index, CAC 40, was similarly ruling at 3,783.49 points, up 0.69 percent, while its German peer, the DAX, was trading 0.73 percent higher at 5,688.98 points.