Healthy macro data lifts equity markets

Continuing the upward trend evinced all this week, healthy macro-economic data and positive global cues lifted the Indian equity markets higher on Friday.

The key indices provisionally closed the day's trade with appreciable gains, with healthy buying witnessed in capital goods, oil and gas, and health care stocks.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) edged up by 40.60 points or 0.49 per cent to 8,328.35 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 27,064.33 points, provisionally closed at 27,144.91 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- up 145.19 points or 0.54 per cent from the previous close at 26,999.72 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 27,243.36 points and a low of 27,061.40 points.

The BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,556 advances and 1,156 declines.

The benchmark indices on Thursday touched their highest intra-day levels in the last eight months. The barometer index surged by 259.33 points or 0.97 per cent, while the Nifty edged up by 83.75 points or 1.02 per cent.

--IANS

ppg/vt