The Sensex has slipped into the red after a positive opening with the index shedding 33 points at 18,294 and the Nifty lost 13 points at 5,492
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Updated at 1000hrs
The Sensex has started on a positive note with the index gaining 90 points at 18,418 and the Nifty too added 29 points to start the day at 5,535. In the broader markets, the smallcaps started at 8,477, up 0.5% and midcaps gained 0.7% at 6,868.In the opening trades, the BSE benchmark index is underperforming the broader markets, gaining 0.3%
Among the BSE sectoral indices, Realty, FMCG and IT has started the day in the negative, shedding 0.03% - 0.4%. On the other hand, Metal, Capital Goods and PSU has gained between 0.5%- 0.9% and are the top gainers on the charts.
In the Asian markets, Hong Kong stocks traded mixed early the day, with resource shares rising on higher commodity prices overnight, but with some financials losing ground on concerns of policy tightening after China's official purchasing managers' index showed manufacturers' input-prices on the rise. The benchmark Hang Seng Index is up 0.1% at 23,479.
The Nikkei added 35 points to 10,273 and Shanghai Composite was flat at 2,794. Seoul Composite and Straits Times advanced 0.5% each to 2,083 and 3,194, respectively.
HDFC, Reliance Communications, DLF, Bharti Airtel, L&T and Sterlite up 1% each are the top gainers in the morning trades.
Tata Motors, TCS, ICICI Bank and Maruti Suzuki down 1% are the top losers followed by Mahindra & Mahindra, ITC, Jindal Steel, Tata Steel and BHEL shedding 0.4% - 0.7%
The market bredath is positive. of the total 1424 stocks traded on the BSE, 870 stocks have advanced while 491 have declined.
