Equities close higher ahead of GST, consumer durables surge

Mumbai: The Indian equities on Friday pared all its morning losses to provisionally close in the green just ahead of the launch of the country's biggest indirect tax reform -- Goods and Services Tax (GST) -- at midnight.

According to market observers, positive European markets and healthy buying in consumer durables, FMCG and healthcare stocks trimmed losses and pushed the key equity indices higher.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 30,824.97 points, closed at 30,921.61 points -- up 64.09 points, or 0.21 per cent, from its previous close at 30,857.52 points.

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The wider Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) reclaimed the 9,500-mark to provisionally close higher by 16.80 points or 0.18 per cent at 9,520.90 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 30,965.45 points and a low of 30,680.66 points during intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was bullish -- with 1,354 advances and 1,210 declines.