Pre-Market: Cautious opening on cards

US jobs report and China trade data to be watched out for in the day.

Markets are expected to open on a cautious note tracking similar trend in Asian shares ahead of the crucial reports from US and China to get a sense of the pace of growth recovery in world’s two-biggest economies.

 

Investors are now focused on US non-farm payroll report which may show US added 160,000 jobs in February. Also the trade data from China, the world's top consumer of commodities, will be a key event to watch out for later in the day. .

 

Meanwhile, jobless report on Thursday showed the number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits declined to a six-week low, showing further improvement in the labour market.

 

 

 

At 6:45AM IST, SGX Nifty traded down 0.50 points to 5905.00

 

The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was nearly flat.

 

Asian shares gained Japan's Nikkei stock average opening up 1 percent to 12, 104. Overnight, US markets notched-up with Dow Jones gaining 33.25 points to 14329.49 while Nasdaq rose 9.72 points to end at 3232.09. 

 

 

Following stocks are expected to move today:

 

Debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines, would like to retain its airport slots, especially in Mumbai. Sanjay Agarwal, the CEO, met Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Arun Mishra on Thursday in this regard, said sources.

 

Lenders to debt-laden media firm Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DCHL) have started the process of recovering their loans, starting with intangible assets.