Sensex further up in afternoon trade

Mumbai, March 26 : A benchmark index for Indian equities Friday built on its morning gains and was ruling 112 points higher than its previous close, about 90 minutes before the end of trade.

Auto stocks were among the chief gainers. Buying interest in these stocks has been fuelled by hopes of better-than-expected sales for the quarter ending March.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,558.85 points, was ruling at 17,670.58 points, 111.73 points or 0.64 percent higher than its previous close.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S and P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,289.15 points, a gain of 0.55 percent or 28.75 points from its previous close.

Broader markets were in the green as well, with the BSE midcap index ruling 0.74 percent higher and the BSE small cap index ruling 0.41 percent up.

Consumer durables, auto and energy stocks saw buying interest, while IT and telecom scrips came under selling pressure.

The market breadth was slightly negative, with 1,377 stocks advancing, compared to 1,423 on the decline, while 90 remained unchanged.

In other Asian markets, most benchmark indices ended trade dull.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 1.32 percent at 21,053.11 points, while the Chinese Shanghai composite index closed 1.24 percent higher at 3,059.72 points.

The South Korean Kospi ended trade with modest gains, up 0.55 percent at 1,697.72.39 points, while the Japanese Nikkei shut shop 1.55 percent in the green at 10,996.37 points.