Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS): A day after key economic data on industrial production and inflation renewed India Inc.'s hopes for a lending rates cut, a benchmark index of Indian equities markets traded flat in late afternoon session Tuesday.

In the trade so far, healthy buying was observed in capital goods, banking, automobile and healthcare stocks.

However, selling pressure was observed in oil and gas, realty, information technology (IT) and technology, entertainment and media (TECK) sectors.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 27,611.56 points, was trading at 27,599.94 points (2.00 p.m.), up 14.67 points or 0.05 percent from the previous day's close at 27,585.27 points.

The Sensex has touched a high of 27,670.19 points and a low of 27,503.79 points in the trade so far.

capital goods, banking, automobile and healthcare stocks.

The S&P BSE capital goods index gained 100.55 point, followed by banking index which was up 99.05 points, automobile index which rose 98.20 points and healthcare index which was higher by 78.79 points.

However, oil and gas index dropped by 69.13 points, realty index was lower by 18.84 points, IT index was down 12.37 points and TECK index slipped by 3.16 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading 24 points or 0.29 percent up at 8,347 points.