Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS): A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex), provisionally closed Wednesday's trade 163 points or 0.56 percent up as capital goods stocks surged.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed the day's trade with healthy gains. It ended Wednesday's trade 56.95 points or 0.65 percent up at 8,866.30 points.

The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 29,136.07 points, closed at 29,298.84 points (3.30 p.m.), up 162.96 points or 0.56 percent from the previous day's close at 29,135.88 points.

The Sensex had touched a high of 29,411.32 points and a low of 29,126.91 points in the intra-day trade.

Healthy buying was observed in capital goods, consumer durables, automobile, information technology and bank sectors. However, metal, oil and gas and realty scrip came under selling pressure.

The S&P BSE capital goods index surged by 223.53 points, consumer durables index rose 207.33 points, automobile index gained 174.12 points, IT index increased by 129.64 points and bank index moved up 97.80 points.

However, metal index declined by 93.57 points, oil and gas index fell 42.90 points and realty index slipped 7.68 points.