Mumbai, July 10 - Indian equities markets were sluggish during morning trade Friday, with a key index ruling 23 points below its last closing figure a little before noon.

Around 11.35 p.m., the 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened higher at 13,803.12 points, was at 13,733.99 points - 23.47 points or 0.17 percent below Wednesday's closing figure.

Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too, was ruling in the negative terrain, 0.09 percent down at 4,077.35 points.

Broader market indices, however, were doing better with the BSE midcap index trading 0.62 percent higher and the BSE smallcap index moving up 0.61 percent.

Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, those for energy, healthcare and FMCG scrips were losing the most, while those for IT, realty, and technology stocks were gaining.

The market breadth tilted towards advances with 1,042 stocks rising compared to 1,019 declining. Seventy-four remained unchanged.

In the early morning trade, rallying stocks were led by Infosys, which declared a first quarter profit of Rs.1,527 crore (Rs.15.27 billion or $313 million) for this fiscal, registering a 17.3 percent growth year-on-year.

The Infosys scrip rose to Rs.1,739, a 3.75 percent increase from its previous close of Rs.1,676.75, before settling at Rs.1,720.40 at around 11.