Mumbai, July 31 (IANS):  Strong corporate earnings and encouraging cues from Asian markets prompted investors to come back to the buying table at Indian equities markets Friday as a key index closed 282 points up from its last closing figure.

The 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened lower at 15,449.47 points, shut shop at 15,670.31 points -- 282.35 points or 1.83 percent higher than Thursday's closing figure.

Friday's close is the highest for the Sensex in 2009.

Similarly, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed in the positive terrain, 1.42 percent up at 4,636.45 points.

Broader market indices also ended in the green with the BSE midcap index ending 1.17 percent higher and the BSE smallcap index moving up 0.03 percent.

The rally was led by FMCG, energy and banking stocks, while some selling was seen in realty scrips.

The market breadth was positive with 1,401 stocks advancing, 1,299 declining and 101 remaining unchanged.

Among the gainers on the Sensex were Hindalco, up 6.65 percent at Rs.100.20; Tata Motors, up 6.61 percent at Rs.421.55; ONGC, up 5.91 percent at Rs.1,164.50 and SBI, up 5.29 percent at Rs.1,814.

Among the losers were Bharti Airtel, down 3.06 percent at Rs.410.55; Reliance Communications, down 2.11 percent at Rs.275.65; Hero Honda, down 2.08 percent at Rs.1,605.50 and DLF, down 1.48 percent at Rs.396.15.

Data with the market watchdog, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), showed that foreign funds were net buyers, lapping up scrips worth $244.2 million Friday.

In other Asian markets, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, too shot up to close at a 10-month high at 10,356.83, 191 points up from its last closing figure.

The Hang Seng, the primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, too ended high in the green at 20,573.33 points, up 339.25 points.

Key European indices were ruling flat with the FTSE of Britain trading at 4,631.32 points, up 0.01 points.

The French index, CAC 40, was at 3,440.35 points, 4.86 points higher than its previous close, while its German peer DAX, was trading in the green at 5,360.18, down 0.48 points.