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By 11:30, the 30-share Sensex was up 5 points at 19,505 and the 50-share Nifty was down 1 point at 5,897.
According to Kunal Bothra, technical analyst, LKP Securities, "Its been a tough market in terms of stock picking and patience testing. With a 10-20 point daily range on Nifty, it becomes extremely difficult to fathom any sort of concrete view. However, we believe that if 5850 holds on Nifty spot for this week then it could be a positive sign for many beaten down stocks."
On the global front, Japan's Nikkei share average edged down 0.3% at 11,374 as investors awaited the appointment of a new Bank of Japan governor and eyed risks in the euro zone. Shanghai Composite and Hang Seng slipped 0.3-1% each.
Back home, the forex and money markets are closed today on account of 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti'.
On the sectoral front, BSE Healthcare and Consumer Durable indices have surged by almost 1% each followed by counters like Power, Realty, Auto, IT, PSU and FMCG, all gaining marginally. However, BSE Metal and Oil & Gas indices are trading marginally lower.
The main gainers on the Sensex at this hour include Cipla, ONGC, BHEL, Sterlite, HUL, NTPC, M&M and Infosys, all gaining between 1-2%.
Among losers, Bharti Airtel, GAIL, CIL, JSPL, RIL and Tata Steel have dipped between 1-2%.
The broader markets are outperforming the benchmark indices, both gaining 0.5-1%.
The overall market breadth in BSE remains positive with 1,220 shares advancing and 992 shares declining.
