Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS): A benchmark index of Indian equities market closed 73 points up in volatile trade Monday. Realty, capital goods and banking stocks were the main gainers.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,619.90 points, closed at 18,536.89 points (provisional), 72.62 points or 0.39 percent up from its previous day's close at 18,464.27 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 18,715.03 and a low of 18,480.54 points in intra-day trade. The BSE midcap index was up 76.67 points while the smallcap index rose 75.60 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange closed 0.51 percent up at 5,606.15 points.

On the sectoral front, the BSE realty index was up 104.53 points while the capital goods index was up 369.42 points and the banking index was up 383.59 points.

Jindal Steel was the biggest Sensex gainer closing 5.90 percent higher at Rs.394.20.

Other major gainers were SBI, up 5.71 percent at Rs.2,083; ICICI Bank, up 5.17 percent at Rs.1,058.35; Sterlite Inds, up 4.41 percent at Rs.103; BHEL, up 4.35 percent at Rs.213.50; and Larsen and Toubro, up 4.25 percent at Rs.1,550.10.

The major Sensex losers were ITC, down 5.52 percent at Rs.253.30; TCS, down 5.25 percent at Rs.1,337.85; Dr Reddys Lab, down 4.29 percent at Rs.1,671; Infosys, down 2.82 percent at Rs.2,558.60; and Hindustan Unilever, down 2.45 percent at Rs.534.