Sensex, Nifty cautious ahead of US Fed meet

News Agencies | Updated on: 20 March 2018, 11:31 IST

Benchmark indices BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty were trading in the positive terrain, after a weak opening following a weak trend in global equity markets.

The BSE Sensex opened 112 points lower and turned range-bound on Tuesday, amid losses in metal, healthcare, realty, consumer durables and banking counters, ahead of the US Fed’s key policy meet that begins later in the day. The NSE Nifty also opened 45.15 points, or 0.44%, lower at 10,049.10.

A weak trend in other Asian markets, following overnight losses on the Wall Street, dampened market sentiment, brokers said.

However, the gauge turned positive later in the morning, trading at 33,000.17, 77.05 points or 0.23% higher. The NSE Nifty too was trading in the positive terrain at 10.30 am, trading 0.19% or 19.35 points up at 10,113.60.

Sectoral indices led by metal, healthcare, realty, consumer durable and banking stocks were trading in the negative terrain, falling by up to 1.38%.

Also Read: UltraTech offers Rs 7,266 cr to Binani Cement to pay-off bank debts

The laggards were Bharti Airtel, NTPC, Kotak Bank, M&M, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, Sun Pharma and ITC, falling up to 1.42%

Tata Steel, Adani Ports, Tata Motors and Infosys were among the top gainers, rising up to 3%

Meanwhile, on a net basis, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth Rs 191.52 crore, while foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 292.23 crore on Monday, provisional data released by the stock exchanges showed.

In the Asian region, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.72 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei shed 0.09%, while Shanghai Composite Index down 0.26% in their early deals.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 1.35% lower as technology firms are hit by worries about regulation in light of the Facebook data breach scandal on Monday.

Also Read: Swiggy introduces UPI-based payment for delivery fleet

--PTI

First published: 20 March 2018, 11:31 IST