Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) A key Indian equities index was trading in a flat and tight range post-noon Thursday and was ruling about 33 points higher even as mid-to-small sized scrips gained.
At 12.40 p.m., the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened at 17,265.47 points and was ruling at 17,267.73 points, up 36.62 points or 0.21 percent from its previous close at 17,231.11 points.

Around the same time, at the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was at 5,151.05 points, against the previous close at 5,144.6 points, a gain of 0.13 percent.

Broader market indices were also in the green, with the BSE midcap index up 0.93 percent and the BSE small cap index ruling 0.88 percent higher.

The market breadth was tilted towards the positive, with 1,649 scrips advancing, 1,010 declining and 97 remaining unchanged.

Among major gainers at this time were Reliance Infra, up 2.5 percent at Rs.1,096.20; Tata Motors, up 2.46 percent at Rs.765.30; Hero Honda, up 1.65 percent at Rs.1,731.55, and ONGC, up 1.49 percent at Rs.1,196.20.

Among the losers were Jaiprakash Associates, down 1.43 percent at Rs.144.85; NTPC, down 1.07 percent at Rs.227.45; Bharti Airtel, down 0.92 percent at Rs.323.10, and ITC, down 0.65 percent at Rs.252.

Other Asian markets were doing better.

A key Japanese index, the Nikkei, closed 1.53 percent or 158.89 points up at 10,536.92 points helped by gains in stocks of exporters.

In China, the Shanghai composite index was ruling 2.59 percent higher in the green at 3,153.41 points, with realty stocks rallying on hopes that a land auction by the government slated next week would be successful.

The Kospi, the benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, was up 1.26 percent at 1,682.34 points.

The Hang Seng, a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, was also up at 21,517 points, 0.88 percent higher.