Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS): Taking a cue from positive investments sentiment, the key Indian equity market indices opened higher on Friday.

The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which had closed at 28,301.27 points on Thursday, opened higher at 28, 670.43 points.

Minutes into trading, it was quoting at 28, 655.43 points, up by 354.16 points, or 1.25 per cent.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 51-scrip Nifty, which had closed at 8,778 points, was quoting at 8,865.85 points, up by 87.85 points or one per cent.

The Indian equities markets on Thursday remained bullish amid healthy macro-data, coupled with broadly positive Asian indices and value buying.

The key domestic indices closed with substantial gains of more than half a per cent each, as healthy buying was witnessed in healthcare, automobile, and metal stocks.

The Sensex was up by 145.71 points or 0.52 per cent at the Thursday's closing. In the day's trade, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index had touched a high of 28,327.84 points and a low of 28,146.19 points.

The Nifty, too surged by 53.30 points or 0.61 per cent.

On Friday, Asian indices were showing a negative trend.

Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading in red, down 0.66 per cent, Hang Seng down by 0.47 per cent while South Korea's Kospi was in red, down by 0.23 per cent.

China's Shanghai Composite index was quoting in red, slipped by 0.29 per cent.

On a negative note, Nasdaq closed in red, down by 0.08 per cent and FTSE 100 was also down by 0.34 per cent at the closing on Thursday.