Markets witness positive opening

The markets have witnessed a positive start tracking firm global cues. The Sensex is up 64 points at 17,195. Nifty has gained 20 points to 5,209.

On the global front, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.9% to 13,210. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index moved up 0.7% to 1,400 levels.

Asian shares inched up on Friday, tracking US stocks which jumped overnight on strong housing data and earnings, but concerns over the health of European banks weighed on investor risk appetite after Standard & Poor's downgraded Spain's rating.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2%, while Japan's Nikkei average opened virtually flat.

Back home, the Nifty is likely to seek support around 5,175-5,165, while it could face resistance around 5,200-5,210, technical analysts suggest.