Mumbai, Oct 28 (IANS): The Indian equity markets provisionally ended on a flat-to-positive note on Friday.

The key indices were dragged to the flat closing-line due to negative global cues and profit booking.

However, lower level buying support due to healthy quarterly results and bargain hunting arrested the fall.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) inched up by 22.75 points or 0.26 per cent to 8,638 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 27,983.14 points, provisionally closed at 27,941.51 points (at 3.30 p.m.) -- up 25.61 points or 0.09 per cent from the previous close at 27,915.90 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 28,000.14 points and a low of 27,789.84 points during the intra-day trade.

In contrast, the BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,556 advances and 1,094 declines.

On Thursday, the equity markets closed flat, even as short covering, along with bargain hunting, helped the key indices to pare initial losses.