A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Tuesday closed trade 50 points higher after fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare and realty stocks rallied.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,681.38 points, closed at 19,742.52 points, up 51.10 points or 0.26 percent from its previous close at 19,691.42 points.

The BSE Sensex touched an intra-day high of 19,761.78 points and a low of 19,632.59 points.
The BSE midcap index was up 4.61 points, while the smallcap index was lower by 22.54 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) too closed in green -- up 13.30 points or 0.22 percent at 6,001.70 points.

In the Sensex sectoral indices, consumer durables was down 157.85 points, followed by metal index, which was lower by 108.80 points and capital goods index which fell by 77.68 points.

But fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) index gained 62.30 points, while the healthcare index was up 60.45 points and realty index moved 26.46 points higher.

The major Sensex gainers were ITC, up 2.18 percent higher at Rs.285.30; HDFC, up 1.95 percent at Rs.839.65; BHEL, up 1.42 percent at Rs.243.55; Cipla, up 1.31 percent at Rs.428.85; and Sun Pharma, up 1.30 percent at Rs.752.95.

Fourteen of the 30 Sensex scrips closed in red.

Among the main losers were Tata Steel, down 1.55 percent at Rs.433.70; Wipro, down 1.46 percent at Rs.398.30; Larsen and Toubro (L&T), down 1.45 percent at Rs.1,566.45; Infosys, down 1.41 percent at Rs.2,341.20; and Sterlite Inds, down 1.08 percent at Rs.118.90.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei index was down 0.86 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.94 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index closed lower by 0.41 percent.

The European markets were all in green. Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.18 percent while the German DAX was trading higher by 0.15 percent. The French CAC 40 was up 0.59 percent.