Equities trade flat-to-positive; Yes Bank, RIL top gainers

Mumbai, April 24: Key Indian equity indices on Tuesday traded on a flat note with marginal gains as broadly positive global cues, along with healthy buying in oil and gas and healthcare stocks kept investors' sentiments buoyed.

Yes Bank, Reliance Industries (RIL), Adani Ports, ICICI Bank and HDFC were the top gainers on the BSE during mid-afternoon trade session.

However, heavy selling pressure in metals, IT and consumer durables stocks trimmed gains of the benchmark indices, market observers said.

Around 1 p.m., the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) traded flat at 10,585.20 points -- up 0.50 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 34,491.38 points, traded at 34,520.38 points -- up 69.61 points or 0.20 per cent from its previous session's close.

The Sensex has so far touched a high of 34,612.43 points and a low of 34,465.49 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bearish with 1,291 declines and 1,168 advances.

"Indian markets opened mixed, Sensex rose 147 points and Nifty reclaimed 10,600 mark in early trade on Tuesday on sustained buying by domestic institutional investors amid firm Asian cues," said Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls.

On Monday, the equity indices closed a volatile trade session on a flat-to-positive note as healthy quarterly results drove investors' sentiments.

The Nifty50 closed higher by 20.65 points or 0.20 per cent at 10,584.70 points, while the Sensex closed at 34,450.77 points -- up 35.19 points or 0.10 per cent.