Mumbai: Persistent capital inflows coupled with higher Asian cues on easing of eurozone debt worries pulled up the BSE benchmark Sensex by 126 points in late morning trade on 17 August.

Shares of auto, IT, oil & gas, technology, healthcare, banking and consumer durables firmed up on good buying support.

The 30-share barometer resumed higher at 17,701.20 and shot up to 17,795.81, before quoting at 17,783.55 at 1030 hrs, a gain of 126.34 points, or 0.72 percent, from its last close.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also moved up by 33.10 points, or 0.62 percent, to 5,396.05 at 1030hrs.

Major gainers from the Sensex pack were Tata Motors (2.44 percent), Hindustan Unilever (1.70 percent), HDFC (1.27  percent), Infosys (1.20 percent), ITC (1.20 percent), M&M (1.17 percent), Reliance Ind (1.12 percent) and Maruti Suzuki (1.12 percent).

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth net 95.01 crore on 16 August, as per provisional figures from the stock exchanges.

Asian markets were mostly higher in the early trade on positive cues from U.S. stocks and after comments from Germany's chancellor to ease euro-zone debt worries.

Key benchmark indices in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Indonesia were up between 0.10 percent to 0.95 percent, while those in Taiwan and South Korea were down by 0.19 percent to 0.47 percent.