Sensex opens in the green, R Infra recovers

The Indian markts have opened in the positive with the Sensex up 44 points at 17,636 and the Nifty started the day gaining 17 points at 5,270. In the broader markets, the smallcaps are flat in the opening trades while the midcaps have started down 0.3% underperforming the Sensex, down 0.1%

Among the sectoral indices, Consumer Durables down 3.5% is the top loser followed by Realty and Bankex down 0.3% each. The major gainer in the opening trades are Power, Oil&Gas and FMCG up 0.2- 0.3%

Reliance Infrastructure up 7% is the top gainer on the Sensex in the opening trades unlike yesterday where the scrip was in red for the major part of the day. Reliance Communications, ITC, Hero Honda and HDFC gaining 1% - 4% are some of the other noteable gainers.

Sterlite, Bharti Airtel, Hindalco,Cipla,DLF,Infosys and Jindal Steel down 1% -2% are the top losers on the Sensex.

In the Asian markets, Hong Kong shares are extending their drop after losing ground in the previous three sessions, as energy producers slid further on a fall in crude-oil prices overnight, while worries about Chinese policy tightening kept property developers pressured. The Hang Seng Index id down 0.6% at 23,020.

In the other markets, Nikkei dropped marginally to 10,614 as investors started to book profits.Jakarta Composite tumbled 1.7% to 3,356. Taiwan Weighted dropped 1% to 8,907. Straits Times and Seoul Composite slipped 0.5% each in trades.Meanwhile, Shanghai Composite managed to hold in green at 2,781.

The market breadth is negative. Of the total 1371 stocks traded on the BSE, 748 stocks have declined while 568 have advanced.