Equities close higher ahead of GST, consumer durables surge

The Indian equity markets on Friday pared all its morning losses to provisionally close in the green just ahead of the launch of the country's biggest indirect tax reform -- Goods and Services Tax (GST) -- at midnight.

According to market observers, positive European markets and healthy buying in consumer durables, FMCG and healthcare stocks trimmed losses and pushed the key equity indices higher.

The wider Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) reclaimed the 9,500-mark to provisionally close higher by 16.80 points or 0.18 per cent at 9,520.90 points.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 30,824.97 points, closed at 30,921.61 points -- up 64.09 points, or 0.21 per cent, from its previous close at 30,857.52 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 30,965.45 points and a low of 30,680.66 points during intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bullish -- with 1,354 advances and 1,210 declines.

--IANS

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