The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which started the day on a positive note today, lost some of its early gains as pressure built on some frontline scrips a couple of hours into trade.

The Sensex stood at 16,773.04, up 106.64 points (0.64%) as against its last closure at 16,666.4.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broad-based Nifty was ruling at 5,025.85, up 0.45% from its previous close at 5,003.1.

The BSE midcap index surged 1.14% and the BSE smallcap index was trading 1.16% higher.

The major gainers on the Sensex comprised Sterlite Ind, Jindal Steel, ITC and M&M.

Maruti Suzuki, ICICI Bank and L&T topped the losers' list.

The majority of benchmark indices in Asian markets were ruling in the green.

Investors got some relief after after China reassured capitalists that it doesn't plan to sell the European debt it holds.

The Japanese Nikkei was ruling 0.9% up at 9,726.19, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 1.77% at 19,774.62.

The Shanghai Composite Index was, however, ruling flat at 2,654.42 points, down 0.06%. (With Inputs from Agencies)