Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS): After five consecutive days of losses, a benchmark index of Indian equities markets ended Wednesday's trade in the positive zone -- up 36 points or 0.17 percent.

Healthy buying was observed in healthcare, automobile and metal stocks while selling pressure bogged down capital goods, consumer durables and realty company's scrips.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,767.42 points, (provisionally) closed at 20,729.38 points, up 36.14 points or 0.17 percent from its previous day's close at 20,693.24 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 20,786.41 points and a low of 20,688.18 points intra-day.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed trade 12.35 points (provisionally) or 0.20 percent up at 6,174.60 points.

In Wednesday's trade, the S&P BSE healthcare index was up 104.44 points followed by automobile index which gained 85.57 points and metal index which moved up by 41.18 points.

However, capital goods index was down by 133.33 points, consumer durables index was lower by 34.00 points and realty lost 6.19 points.

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