Indian equities close with gains, banks stocks surge

Healthy buying in banking stocks pushed the Indian equity markets higher on Friday, coupled with broadly positive European indices, a marginally strong rupee and foreign funds' inflows.

The key indices provisionally closed the day's trade in the green.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by 21.70 points or 0.24 per cent to 9,108 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 29,350.60 points, provisionally closed at 29,421.40 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- up 89.24 points or 0.30 per cent from the previous close at 29,332.16 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 29,539.85 points and a low of 29,350.17 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was marginally bearish -- with 1,471 declines and 1,346 advances.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices closed the day's trade with gains of more than half a per cent each on short covering.

--IANS

ppg/vt