Mumbai, May 7 (IANS): A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets was trading nearly half a percent up in afternoon trade Tuesday, following positive international cues and a renewed buying spree by foreign institutional investors (FIIs).

Stocks like bank, healthcare and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) rallied. However, metal, consumer durables and information technology (IT) stocks plummeted.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 19,697.33 points, was trading at 19,764.87 points in afternoon session, up 91.23 points or 0.46 percent from its previous day close at 19,673.64 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 19,806.06 points and low of 19,697.33 points in the intra-day trade.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading 0.48 percent or 28.75 points down at 5,999.80 points.

There was healthy buying spree in interest-sensitive stocks like banks, healthcare and FMCG.

The BSE bank index was up 111.14 points and the healthcare index was up 84.28 points. FMCG index was trading 82.90 points higher.

However, the metal index was down 34.18 points, followed by the consumer durables index, down 10.94 points, and the information technology (IT) index that was trading 0.20 points lower.