Markets continue to trade in a tight range with the Sensex up 50 points at 18,681 and the Nifty added 12 points at 5,675.
In the broader markets, the smallcap index advanced 0.7% outperforming the midcap index which was up 0.5% and the Sensex gained nearly 0.3%.
Among the sectoral indices, Power, IT, PSU and Oil & gas indices slipped into the red, losing 0.1-0.4%.On the other hand, Auto, Capital Goods and Realty was up 0.5-1%.
Among individual stocks, Man Industries (India) has locked 5% of upper circuit at Rs 216, also its lifetime high after the promoters raised their holdings in the company through open market purchase.
Shares of Vijay Mallya promoted companies- United Breweries (Holdings), United Breweries, Kingfisher Airlines and United Spirits are trading higher by 3-8% on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). All these stocks have gained more than 10% each in past two trading sessions.
Max India is trading higher by 3% at Rs 209 after Dynavest India, one of the promoter group firms, acquired around 2% stake of the company for Rs 100 crore through open market transactions.
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(Updated at 9:17 hrs)
Markets had a flat opening a of the September derivative contracts expire today. The Sensex opened up 51 points at 18,683 and the Nifty gained 12 points to start at 5,675.
Meanwhile, broader opened on a strong note with the smallcap and the midcap indices up 0.5% each outperforming the Sensex which was marginally up 0.3%.
US markets closed in the red on Wednesday as protests in Spain and Greece over euro zone austerity measures raised fresh concerns over Europe's ability to get its debt crisis under control. For the day, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.33%, at 13,413. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 0.57%, at 1,433. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 0.77%, at 3,094.
Meanwhile, apart from Nikkei which was flat with a negative bias, all the markets in Asian were in the green. The top gainers were Hang Seng, Jakarta Composite and KLSE Composite up 0.5-0.7%.
All the sectors on the BSE started in the green. Auto, Consumer Durables and Capital Goods indices up 0.6% each were the top gainers. However, IT and Power was flat with a positive bias.
Among the Sensex stocks, auto names like Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors gained 1% each. Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, L&T, Hindustan Unilever, HDFC which added 0.6-0.8% were the other notable gainers.
Tata Power, Coal India, Infosys, BHEL, Wipro and Reliance Industries started off in the red, losing 0.3-1%.
The market breadth was positive owing to the strength in the broader markets. 840 stocks advanced while 323 stocks declined on the BSE.
