Sensex opens down on Asian cues

Markets in India have opened soft on weak cues from Asian peers.

The Sensex opened down at 17,537. The index thereafter dropped to a low of 17,418 and is now down 97 points at 17,461.

Nifty is down 30 points at 5,248.

Asian markets have opened lower. The Hang Seng is down 304 points (1.4%) at 20,804. The Straits Times and the Seoul Composite are down 1% each.

BSE IT and metal indices are weak in earky trades. Indices have declined 1% each to 5,299 and 17,475, respectively.

Realty, oil and power sector are down as well. However, the consumer durables and healthcare indices are up marginally in green.

Hindalco has dropped 1.5% to Rs 175. Sterlite has slipped 1.5% to Rs 816.

Wipro has shed 1.7% at Rs 662. TCS is weak at Rs 756 - down 1.3%. Infosys has declined 1.2% at Rs 2703.

Jaiprakash Associates dropped 1.4% to Rs 145. ACC and DLF are down around 1% each.

Tata Steel has declined 1.2% at Rs 611.

Hero Honda, Reliance Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro, SBI and Hindustan Unilever have also dropped in early trades.

However, Tata Motors has managed to gain 0.7% to Rs 880. HDFC has added 0.7% to Rs 2,842. Cipla is up marginally at Rs 345.