Mumbai, Feb 9 (IANS) A benchmark index of Indian equities Tuesday shut shop 106 points higher and above the psychologically important 16,000-mark, pushed up primarily by IT and healthcare stocks.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 15,940.

73 points, closed at 16,042.18 points, up 106.57 points or 0.67 percent from its previous close at 15,935.61 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 4,792.65 points, against the previous close at 4,760.4 points, a gain of 0.68 percent or 32.25 points.

Broader markets also ended in the green with the BSE midcap index closing 0.44 percent up and the BSE small cap index a similar 0.44 percent higher.

IT, telecom, PSU and healthcare stocks saw buying interest, while realty and energy scrips came under selling pressure.

The market breadth was positive, with as many as 1,500 stocks advancing, compared to 1,302 on the decline and 79 remaining unchanged.

Among top gainers on the Sensex were Grasim, up 4.81 percent at Rs.2,681.65; ACC, up 3.24 percent at Rs.869.15; Infosys, up 2.92 percent at Rs.2,470.90; and Wipro, up 2.49 percent at Rs.652.45.

Top losers included DLF, down 1.51 percent at Rs.306.75; Hindalco, down 1.4 percent at Rs.134.20; M&M, down 1.07 percent at Rs.990.75; and HUL, down 0.96 percent at Rs.233.

According to data with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors were net sellers Tuesday, having sold scrips worth $172.3 million.

Except in Japan, most other Asian markets closed in the green.

The benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, closed 0.19 percent lower at 9,932.9 points, while the Hang Seng of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange shut shop 1.22 percent higher at 19,790.28 points.

The Chinese Shanghai composite index too closed in the positive territory, at 2,948.84 points, 0.47 percent down, while the Korean Kospi ended 1.14 percent higher at 1,570.49 points.

European markets were sluggish at the time of closing bell here.

The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling 0.21 percent higher at 5,103.05 points, while its German peer DAX was trading at 5,450.61 points, down 0.11 percent.

However, the French CAC 40 index was down 0.11 percent at 3,603.13 points.