Mumbai, Nov 8 (IANS): A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading 96.01 points down late afternoon Thursday. Capital goods, bank and oil and gas stocks declined.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,779.74 points, was ruling at 18,806.40 points, 96.01 points 0r 0.51 down from its previous day's close at 18,902.41 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 18,865.21 points and a low of 18,736.45 in intra-day trade. However, the BSE midcap index was up by 47.76 points, while the smallcap index was higher by 46.57 points.

On the sectoral front, the BSE capital goods index was down 161.96 points, followed by the bank index lower by 109.35 points, oil and gas index down 68.76 points and information technology (IT), down 37.37 points.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was lower by 25.45 points or 0.44 percent up at 5,734.65 points.

Among other Asian markets, the trend was also down - Japan's Nikkei was down by 1.51 percent, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was trading 2.29 percent lower and Shanghai's Composite Index was down 1.63 percent.