The domestic bourses opened in the positive terrain, led by buying in interest rate-sensitive financial stocks ahead of the Reserve Bank of India monetary policy due next week. The Bombay Stock Exchange’s 30-share index Sensex opened up 15.47 points at 19,997.04 while the National Stock Exchange’s 50-share Nifty gained 4.35 points to open at 6,052.85. On the global front, most of the Asian markets, led by Japanese markets, were trading lower as investor sentiment were dampened after the Bank of Japan deferred new monetary stimulus.

In the overnight trading, US stock closed higher on hopes that Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday may try to pass a nearly four-month extension of the U.S. debt limit. Back home, investors will keep a close eye on stocks of Reliance Communications which will announce its third quarter numbers latter today. At 9:27 hours, the 30-share barometer index of Bombay Stock Exchange, Sensex witnessed buying across Oil and Gas , HC, PSU, IT, Teck, Power, Realty, Metal, Oil and Gas, Consumer Durables, Bankex, Capital Goods, Metal, indices was trading 15.47 points or by 0.08 per cent higher at 19,997.04.

In a similar fashion, NSE, Nifty was trading at 6,052.85 up by 4.35 points or by 0.07 per cent. The BSE MIDCAP was at 7,089.73 down by 0.32 points or by 0 per cent, while the BSE SMLCAP was at 7,312.72 up by 0.44 points or by 0.01 per cent. The Market breadth, indicating the overall strength of the market, was positive. On BSE out of total shares traded 1202, shares advanced were 796 while 354 shares declined and 52 were unchanged.

The top gainers of the BSE Sensex pack were Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (Rs. 823.25, 1.22%), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (Rs. 1583.10, 0.83%), Hindalco Industries Ltd. (Rs. 120.70, 0.79%), HDFC Bank Ltd. (Rs. 658.65, 0.78%), ITC Ltd. (Rs. 290.90, 0.78%), among others. Among the thirteen sectoral indices on BSE, Bankex index was leading the gain and was trading higher at 14,507.71 up by 72.61 points or by 0.5 per cent. Union Bank of India (Rs. 264.85, 1.28%), IndusInd Bank Ltd. (Rs. 422.65, 1.14%), YES Bank Ltd. (Rs. 513.85, 0.94%), HDFC Bank Ltd. (Rs. 658.65, 0.78%), Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (Rs. 645.25, 0.73%). Following the Bankex index, BSE Power index was at 2,014.73 up by 9.59 points or by 0.48 per cent. JSW Energy Ltd. (Rs. 72.45, 1.26%), CESC Ltd. (Rs. 335.50, 1.01%), Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. (Rs. 544.90, 0.83%), ABB Ltd. (Rs. 688.15, 0.81%), Suzlon Energy Ltd. (Rs. 18.85, 0.80%).

Meanwhile, most of the Asian stock markets dropped, led by Japan’s Nikkei, after the Bank of Japan deferred new monetary stimulus. The Bank of Japan’s latest aggressive easing fell short of some expectations for immediate action, triggering profit-taking in exporters such as automakers. The Bank doubled its inflation target to 2 per cent which injected fear among investors that there would be no action this year. Among the Asian stocks, Japan’s Nikkei was trading lower by 0.86 per cent. On the flip side, Hong Kong’s HANG SENG INDEX was up by 0.12 per cent, while Shanghai Composite was trading 0.12 per cent below the baseline from previous closing.