Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS): A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading flat at 54.44 points or 0.27 percent up in the pre-noon trade Monday, just ahead of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presenting the interim budget for 2014-15 in the Lok Sabha.

Good buying was observed in bank, consumer durables and information technology (IT) stocks. However, metal, automobile and oil and gas scrips declined.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,438.87 points, was trading at 20,421.26 points in the pre-noon session, up 54.44 points or 0.27 percent from the previous day's close at 20,366.82 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 20,481.76 points and a low of 20,391.13 points during the trade so far.

The S&P BSE bank index was trading higher by 87.24 points, followed by consumer durables index up 39.77 points and IT index up 36.85 points.

However, the S&P BSE metal index was down 73.11 points, automobile index was lower by 26.08 points and oil nad gas index slipped by 17.41 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading flat at 16.60 points or 0.27 percent up at 6,064.95 points.