Pre-market: Sensex likely to open on a quiet note

Markets may open on a soft note ahead of the Budget which the Finance Minsiter will be announcing later in the day.

Meanwhile, global markets were trading on a weak note. Hang Seng dropped 75 points to 22,937. Nikkei slipped 66 points 10,461. Seoul Composite and Straits Times shed 1% each to 1,941 and 2,997, respectively. However the Shanghai Composite has amanged to move up marginally to 2,882.

Back home on Friday, the Sensex oscillated in a range of a more than 300 points as the gains triggered by an upbeat economic survey were nullified by an insipid railway budget presented by Mamata Banerjee, before ending at 17700, higher by 68 points and the Nifty shut shop at 5303, up 40 points. There was divergence on the broader market front, though; the midcap index ended at 6353, lower by 14 points and the smallcap index ended at 7789, down 24 points.

The sectors to watch today would be the rate sensitives - banking, auto and realty.