Markets may open lower tracking weak global cues

Markets are likely to extend losses and open weak tracking negative global cues. The early indicator, SGX Nifty was flat at 6,225 at 0830 hrs.

Markets are expected to remain in the week as investors anticipate the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's previous board meeting and the start of the December quarter earnings results' season.

Investors await the minutes of the Fed's December meeting, due on Thursday, for insights on the voting members' stance on the bond-buying programme, known as quantitative easing (QE).

US stocks slipped on Monday after a mixed batch of economic reports, which showed a slowdown in growth in the US services sector and a rebound in new orders for factory goods.

Two measures of activity in the services sector indicated slower growth in December, indicating the economic recovery remains modest, while a separate report showed factory orders rose as expected in November.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 44.89 points or 0.27%, to end at 16,425.10. The S&P 500 lost 4.60 points or 0.25%, to finish at 1,826.77. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 18.22 points or 0.44%, to close at 4,113.68.

Asian shares stabilised on Tuesday after four straight days of losses, while the dollar rebounded from overnight weakness after disappointing U.S. services sector data raised concerns about stuttering growth in the world's largest economy.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat, and not far from a three-week low touched on Monday.

Stocks to Watch

Cadila Healthcare (Zydus Cadila) is expecting to launch its pentavalent vaccine aimed at treating five life-threatening diseases in children, by 2015.

The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has finished hearing Reliance Industries’ appeal against the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in an insider trading case dating back to 2007. SAT has reserved its order after hearing arguments by Janak Dwarkadas on behalf of RIL and D J Khambata for Sebi.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has summoned Jignesh Shah-promoted Financial Technologies (FTIL) for a hearing on Tuesday. In December 2013, Sebi had issued a showcause notice to FTIL, questioning its 'fit and proper' status to run MCX-SX.

Top companies — such as SAIL, Tata Steel, the Aditya Birla group’s Essel Mining and Odisha Mining Corp — are among the 70 that have violated environment and forest laws, the M B Shah Commission on illegal mining in Odisha has held.