Mumbai : Value buying, along with rupee appreciation lifted the Indian equity markets during the early morning trade session on Tuesday.

Healthy buying was witnessed in the oil and gas, automobile and metal stocks.

The wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) edged-up by 38.90 points or 0.47 per cent to 8,274.95 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 26,811.63 points, traded at 26,859.78 points (around 10.00 a.m.) -- up 133.23 points or 0.50 per cent from the previous close at 26,726.55 points.

The Sensex has so far touched a high of 26,902.05 points and a low of 26,804.17 points during the intra-day trade.

The BSE market breadth was skewed in favour of the bulls -- with 1,336 advances and 590 declines. -IANS