Mumbai : Broadly positive global cues and healthy buying in automobile, metal and healthcare stocks lifted the key Indian equity indices — the NSE Nifty50 and the BSE Sensex — on Friday.

According to market observers, the S&P BSE automobile index rose by almost 2 per cent on the back of healthy automobile sales data reported for last month.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) rose by 56.50 points, or 0.57 per cent, to provisionally close (at 3.30 p.m.) at 9,974.40 points.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 31,769.34 points, closed at 31,892.23 points — up 161.74 points or 0.51 per cent from its previous close at 31,730.49 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 31,944.10 points and a low of 31,707.27 points during intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bullish with 1,592 advances and 994 declines.

On Thursday, the benchmark indices pared losses to close in the green, supported by short covering in consumer durables, automobile and oil and gas stocks and positive European markets.

The Nifty50 closed at 9,917.90 points — up 33.50 points or 0.34 per cent — while the Sensex closed higher by 84.03 points or 0.27 per cent at 31,730.49 points.

—IANS