Positive global cues, healthy buying buoy equity indices

Key Indian equity indices traded in the green during the mid-afternoon session on Friday as positive global cues, coupled with healthy buying in capital goods, consumer durables and banking stocks, kept investor sentiments buoyed.

The broader Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange scaled a fresh intra-day high of 10,461.70 points and the barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE of 33,692.58 points.

Around 1 p.m., the Nifty50 rose by 18.45 points, or 0.18 per cent, to trade at 10,442.25 points.

The BSE Sensex, which opened at 33,667.34 points, traded at 33,634.20 points -- up 60.98 points, or 0.18 per cent, from its previous session's close.

The BSE market breadth was bullish -- 1,456 advances and 1,116 declines.

"The benchmark indices turned flat after inching up to record highs, tracking positive trend seen in Asian markets," Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, told IANS.

"Asian shares rose in early trade on Friday after US stocks closed mixed," he added.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices closed on a flat-to-negative note on the back of negative global cues and selling pressure in stocks of index heavyweights like State Bank of India (SBI), ITC, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and ONGC, among others.

The Nifty50 fell by 16.70 points, or 0.16 per cent, to close at 10,423.80 points, while the BSE Sensex closed at 33,573.22 points -- down 27.05 points or 0.08 per cent.

--IANS

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