Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS): A benchmark index for Indian equities markets was trading flat in Thursday's late afternoon session after a heavy selling pressure led to the decline of consumer durables, information technology (IT) and technology, media and entertainment (TECk) stocks.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 19,479.84 points, was ruling at 19,402.83 points around 2 p.m. -- down by 14.63 points or 0.08 percent from its previous close at 19,417.46 points.

The BSE Sensex touched an intra-day high of 19,504.40 points and a low of 19,325.52 points. The BSE midcap index was down 12.79 points, while the smallcap index was lower by 34.88 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange was down 13.70 points or 0.23 percent at 5,891.90 points.

The BSE consumer durables index was down 43.96 points. The IT index was down 21.58 points and the TECk index down 8.14 points.

However, the auto index increased by 64.86 points. The public sector undertakings (PSU) index up 12.91 points and metals index was up 11.04 points.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.91 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng was higher by 0.35 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.60 percent.