Mumbai, Feb 25 (IANS): A benchmark index of the Indian equities market Tuesday closed 41 points higher on buying in consumer durables and information technology stocks.

The 30-scrip sensitive (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,877.72 points, closed at 20,852.47 points, up 41.03 points or 0.20 percent, from the previous day's close of 20,811.44 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 20,912.54 points and a low of 20,777.73 points in the day's trade.

The wider 50-scrip NIFTY of the national stock exchange (NSE) closed the day's trade up 13.95 points or 0.23 percent at 6,200.05 points.

The S&P BSE consumer durables index was up 171.21 points, followed by IT index, up 85.99 points, while automobile index closed the day's trade higher by 72.17 points, capital goods index was up 57.80 points and technology, entertainment and media (TECk) index went up 45.50 points.

However, the metal index was down 155.39 points, followed by bank index, lower by 10.28 points; oil and gas index, down 7.30 points; and power index, down 6.44 points.

The prominent Sensex gainers were Wipro, up 2.95 percent at Rs.595.15; Bajaj Auto, up 2.14 percent at Rs.1,902; BHEL, up 1.92 percent at Rs.159.45; Cipla, up 1.90 percent at Rs.374.50; and Bharti Airtel, up 1.57 percent at Rs.287.35.

The major losers included Sesa Sterlite, down 2.26 percent at Rs.179.70; Coal India, down 2.26 percent at Rs.246.35; Tata Steel, down 2.25 percent at Rs.360.90; Tata Power, down 2.06 percent at Rs.80.95; and Gail India, down 1.50 percent at Rs.357.40.

Among the Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 1.44 percent up while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was lower by 0.32 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index ended lower by 2.04 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.86 percent down, and Germany's DAX Index was lower by 0.48 percent. The French CAC 40 Index declined 0.50 percent.

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