Mumbai, Feb 17 : A benchmark index of Indian equities markets was trading flat with a mere gain of 43 points at 11.30 a. m. Monday as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram began presenting the interim budget for 2014-15 in the Lok Sabha.

Good buying was observed in bank, healthcare and information technology (IT) stocks. However, metal, automobile and oil and gas scrips declined.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,438.87 points, was trading at 20,410.25 points in the late morning session, up 43.43 points or 0.21 percent from the previous day's close at 20,366.82 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 20,481.76 points and a low of 20,338.95 points during the trade so far.

The S&P BSE bank index was trading higher by 79.02 points, followed by healthcare index up 30.20 points and IT index up 14.89 points.

However, the S&P BSE metal index was down 74.94 points, automobile index was lower by 38.26 points and oil nad gas index slipped by 21 points.

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was trading flat at 7.25 points or 0.12 percent up at 6,055.60 points. (IANS)