Markets open higher tracking global cues, bankex slips

Markets have opened in the positive zone. All eyes are now on the RBI policy review slate d for March 19, 2013. The Sensex is up 78 points at 19,648. Nifty is up 32 points at 5,941.

The US equity markets closed marginally higher on the back of better-than-expected retail sales data while European markets finished mixed. Investment guru Marc Faber advised caution while trading in equities. The Dow ended up 84 points at 14,539.

In Asia this morning markets were mostly in green. Shanghai Composite and Hang Seng have added around 0.3% in morning trades. Nikkei, however, has jumped to 12,481 -up 0.8%. At 630 hrs IST the SGX Nifty was unchanged at 5,936.

According to data released on Thursday, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rose to 6.84 per cent in February, from 6.62 per cent the previous month, reflecting the impact of fuel price corrections made by the government.

Most of the sectoral indices, barring bankex, are in the green. BSE consumer durables index is leading the gains. The index is up 1.4% at 6,905. BSE metal index is up 1.3% mirroring cues from the London Metal Exhange. OIl & gas, power, IT and PSU shares are also in the green. BSE bankex, however, is down 0.2% at 13,770.

Broader markets have gained in line with the benchmark index. BSE Mid-cap index is up 29 points at 6,455. Small-cap index is up 0.3% at 6,253.

Hindalco has gained 2.5% in opening deals and is trading at Rs 98. HDFC, Sterlite and HUL are up as well. Tata Steel and Bajaj Auto are up around 1% each. On the other hand, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank from the banking space, and Tata Motors and Maruti from the auto sector, are down 0.1-1% each.

OVL, Oil India have jointly bid for stake in Mozambique field. The stake on offer from Videocon and US explorer Anadarko Petroleum Corp, which is also the operator of the field. ONGC is up 1.37% at Rs 326. Oil India is up 0.5%.

Coal India is up 0.6%  on news that the company has marshaled additional supplies to fire power units. Between the April-January period in FY13, CIL’s production increased six per cent and off-take grew eight per cent.

BSE market breadth is fairly positive this morning. Out of 1462 stocks traded, 899 shares have advanced while 500 shares have declined.