Stocks to watch: Tata Power, Bharti Airtel in focus

Here, are some stocks you need to keep a tab on for today

Markets are likely to open in the positive territory tracking strength in the global markets. However, RBI's decision to keep the key policy rates unchanged coupled with corporate earnings to be posted by largecap companies including Bharti Airtel and Tata Power are likely to dictate the trend on the bourses later during the day.

Asian share markets followed Wall Street higher on Wednesday as revived risk sentiment dented the U.S. dollar and sovereign bonds, though it was far from clear how long the sudden mood swing would last.

In share markets, the Nikkei sprang ahead by 2.1 percent while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1.2 percent and Shares in Shanghai firmed 0.4 percent amid speculation that China's central bank would be the next to ease policy following moves in Australia and Singapore.

Earlier on Wall Street, the Dow had ended Tuesday 1.76 percent higher, while the S&P 500gained 1.44 percent and the Nasdaq 1.09 percent.

The early indicator SGX Nifty is up 0.5% to 8,862 levels.

STOCKS TO WATCH:

Oil marketing companies will remain in focus as petrol price is slashed by Rs 2.42 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.25 per litre in tandem with decline in international oil prices.

Hero MotorCorp  posted a 11 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in net profit to Rs 583 crore for the quarter ended December — sharply missing Street estimates. The earnings were lower due to marketing expenses at home and overseas, and investments in capacity expansion.

Torrent Pharmaceuticals proposed to double its borrowing limit to Rs 10,000 crore.

Reliance is likely to hog limelight as BP Plc has written down the value of its investment in eastern offshore KG-D6 block by $790 million besides another $830 million in impairment charges, following lower-than-expected gas price hike.

TVS Motor Company Ltd has posted a net profit of Rs 90.1 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 as compared to Rs 68.8 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2013, an increase of around 31 per cent. Total income rose to Rs 2,653 crore from Rs 2,058 crore, up 29 per cent.

Bharti Airtel's tower unit Bharti Infratel has posted a 23% jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 507 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2014. It had reported a net profit of Rs 411 crore in the same quarter previous fiscal.

Corporate earnings of Bharti Airtel and Tata Power among the 30-share Sensex will be keenly watched out by the investors.

Shares of NTPC turn ex-dividend today, 4 February 2015 for an interim dividend of Rs 0.75 per share for the year ending 31 March 2015.