Sensex, Nifty open weak; HUL top gainer

The market on Friday opened lower than expected as the Sensex traded down 59.70 points or 0.2 percent at 25730.52, and the Nifty traded down 35.30 points or 0.4 percent at 7865.10.

Shares such as Tata Motors, Wipro, Bajaj Auto, Asian Paints and HUL are top gainers while Dr Reddy's Labs, Tata Steel, BHEL and NTPC are losers in the Sensex.

The Indian rupee slipped in early trade as it opened lower by 16 paise at 66.78 per dollar against previous close of 66.62.

According to the market analysts the global risk-off coupled with weak IIP and CPI numbers are expected to weigh on Indian markets. The dollar gained against the yen after Japan's Central Bank governor said there was more room to ease monetary policy if needed.

Oil prices advanced in the US, with Brent crude futures settling up 48 cents at USD 48.08 a barrel, while US crude futures finished up 47 cents to USD 46.70. US stocks ended mixed, with gains in telecommunications and consumer staples helping make up for a tumble in Apple to a two-year low.