The key benchmark indices were trading higher in the afternoon deals today. The Sensex was up 138 points at 17,333 levels and the Nifty rose 34 points to 5,143.

While realty, banking and oil & gas stocks moved higher, metal and auto counters were under some pressure.

Among the Sensex stocks, SBI led the gainers. The stock rose 4.3 per cent. DLF, JP Associates and HDFC advanced more than 2.4 per cent each.

Sterlite Ind, however, was the biggest loser in the pack. The stock shed more than 5 per cent. M&M, ITC and Tata Steel also lost more than 1 per cent each.

Asian stocks mostly edged lower on Friday despite the Dow Jones industrials closing above 10,000 points for a second day as a monthslong rally lost steam.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average was down 13.45, or 0.1 percent, at 10,225.20 and South Korea's Kospi dropped 7.64, or 0.5 percent, to 1,651.34. Australia's benchmark dropped 0.4 percent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 26.63, or 0.1 percent, to 22,025.71.