Mumbai, Nov 20 (IANS) A late rally by banking and energy stocks Friday helped a benchmark index close above the 17,000-mark, up 1.

47 percent, after languishing in the negative terrain for most part of the day.

The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) -- which opened at 16,772.75 points against Thursday's close at 16,785.65 points -- shut shop at 17,032.25 points (provisional), closing 246.6 points or 1.47 percent higher.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,059.95 points, against the previous close at 4,989 points, a gain of 1.42 percent.

Broader market indices also ended in the green with the BSE midcap index up 1.22 percent and the BSE smallcap index closing 0.41 percent higher.