Mumbai, Sep 1 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities Wednesday was ruling 121 points higher in noon trade, joining other rebounding Asian bourses. Metals and realty stocks were in the forefront of buying activity.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,027.12 points, was trading in noon trade at 18,087.72 points, 116.6 points or 0.65 percent up from its previous close at 17,971.12 points.

It had risen to 18,125.56 points earlier.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling 0.6 percent up at 5,435 points.

Broader markets indices were also ruling in the green. The BSE midcap index was up 1.37 percent while the BSE smallcap index was ruling 1.53 percent higher.

Consumer durables, PSU, and telecom scrips also saw healthy buys. All the 13 BSE sectoral indices were in the positive.

The market breadth was positive with 2,117 scrips advancing, compared to 714 stocks declining and 79 remaining unchanged.

Other Asian markets moved up, tracking positive cues from Wall Street.

The Japanese Nikkei rose 1.17 percent to close at 8,927.02 points.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was ruling 0.29 percent higher at 20,596.27 points. The Chinese Shanghai Composite index, however, fell from its intra-day highs to rule 1.02 percent down at 2,611.91 points.