Mumbai, Feb 22 (IANS) Indian equities markets were in an uptrend Monday, joining the rally in other Asian bourses. A key benchmark index for Indian equities managed to hold on to its early morning gains and was ruling 163 points higher in the afternoon.
At 1.14 p.m., the 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,191.32 points, was at 16,355.18 points, up 163.55 points or 1.01 percent from its previous close.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was at 4,891.25 points, against the previous close at 4,844.9 points, a gain of 0.96 percent or 46.35 points.

Broader markets were also in the green with the BSE midcap index up 0.62 percent and the BSE small cap index trading 0.37 percent higher.

All the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE were in the green, with those for metals, IT and telecom stocks gaining the most.

The market breadth was positive, with 1,486 stocks advancing, 1,202 on the decline and 78 remaining unchanged.

Other Asian markets were ruling in the positive terrain too.

The benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, gained 2.74 percent to close at 10,400.47 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was ruling 2.29 percent higher at 20,350.08 points.

The South Korean Kospi too closed in the green, moving up 2.08 percent to 1,627.1 points.

However, Chinese exchanges which reopened Monday after the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, were in the red. The Shanghai composite index was ruling 0.49 percent down at 3,003.4 points.