New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) A key Indian equities index ended 129 points up Thursday, having given up some of the late gains it garnered in what otherwise was a dull day of trading.
Foreign funds came to the rescue of the markets, picking up the trading volume by buying about $288.9 million worth of scrips, as per data available with markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened at 17,265.47 points and ended at 17,336.04 points, up 129.5 points or 0.75 percent from its previous close at 17,231.11 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty closed at 5,178.4 points, against the previous close at 5,144.6 points, a gain of 0.66 percent.

Broader market indices also closed in the green, with the BSE midcap index ending 0.72 percent up and the BSE small cap index 0.6 percent higher.

The market breadth was tilted towards the positive, with 1,598 scrips advancing, 1,253 declining and 77 remaining unchanged.

Among major gainers at this time were Tata Motors, up 4.42 percent at Rs.779.95; Hindalco, up 2.97 percent at Rs.157.75; Reliance Infra, up 2.87 percent at Rs.1,100.15, and Tata Steel, up 2.06 percent at Rs.615.75.

Among the losers were Jaiprakash Associates, down 1.87 percent at Rs.144.20; Bharti Airtel, down 1.59 percent at Rs.320.90; Reliance Communciations, down 0.14 percent at Rs.174.50, and Grasim Industries, down 0.04 percent at Rs.2,417.40.

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 ended 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, also closed higher at 21,517 points, up 0.88 percent.

Some of the European markets were functioning before it shut for an extended weekend on account of Christmas on Friday.

The FTSE 100 index, benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling 0.26 percent higher at 5,386.17 points. It had started trade on a flat note and looked like continuing in the same manner through the day as volumes remained on the lower side.

The French index, CAC 40, was 0.16 percent up at 3,917.09 points.

German and Italian markets were closed.