Mumbai, Nov 4 (IANS): A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Friday slipped from the day's highs amid some profit booking even as Greece looked set to abandon plans of holding a referendum on the European bailout package.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 17,674.7 points, was ruling at 17,539.71 points a little before 2 p.m., up 57.78 points or 0.33 percent from its previous close at 17,481.93 points.

It had climbed to 17,702.26 points in morning trade.

The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was also trading higher, 12.8 points or 0.24 percent up at 5,278.55 points.

Broader markets also gained with the BSE 500 index up 0.44 percent. The BSE midcap index was up 0.63 percent while the BSE smallcap index was trading 0.49 percent higher.

The market breadth at the BSE was positive with 1,536 stocks advancing and 1,142 scrips declining, while 140 remained unchanged.

Prominent Sensex gainers included Sterlite, Hindalco, HeroMoto Corp and SBI, while among losing scrips were Tata Power, Hindustan Unilever, ONGC and RIL.

Asian markets rose after increasing signals came that Greece Prime Minister George Papandreou's plans of conducting a referendum on the European bailout package may not go through even as he prepared to face a confidence vote in the Greek Parliament.

The Japanese Nikkei rose 1.86 percent to close at 8,801.4 points, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 3.12 percent higher at 19,842.79 points.

The Chinese Shanghai composite index also rose 0.81 percent and closed at 2,528.29 points.

European markets too opened in the green.