Sensex, Nifty edge higher; Airtel jumps

By Tanvi Mehta

REUTERS - Indian shares traded marginally higher on Friday after hitting a record high at open as financials gained, while healthcare and energy stocks edged lower as investors took a breather after a prolonged rally.

Investor sentiment has been upbeat in India with the government's recent announcement of a recapitalisation plan for banks.

"Overall, markets can be volatile as they've hit steep levels ... This quarter, results are better than expected," said Siddharth Sedani, vice president, Head Equity Advisory, Anand Rathi.

The broader NSE Nifty was 0.16 percent up at 10,440.05 as of 0541 GMT and was poised to end the week 1.2 percent higher.

The benchmark BSE Sensex, up 0.20 percent higher at 33,641.56, was set to post a weekly gain of 1.5 percent.

Both indexes are on track to post their second consecutive weekly gains.

Shares of Bharti Airtel Ltd surged as much as 4 percent to their highest level in over a decade. The stock has risen nearly 78 percent this year as of Thursday's close.

Vedanta Ltd also rose to a near 7-year high after it posted a 47 percent jump in second-quarter profit on Thursday.

Among losers, Glenmark Pharmacueticals Ltd fell as much as 3 percent as a fall in second-quarter profit and sequential rise in debt concerned analysts.

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Vyas Mohan)