Markets may see a flat opening

The Indian markets may resume the holiday-shortened week on a subdued note tracking the marginally higher Asian indices.

Headlines for the day:

Tata Group to invest Rs1.2 lakh crore in 5 yrs

Sterlite to double copper-smelting plant in Tuticorin

SBI to make loans dearer, others to follow suit



Events for the day:

Major corporate action

Muthoot Finance IPO opens today
Results: Indusind Bank, HDFC Bank, IFCI
For more events and news, log on to Sharekhan.com

Pre-market report

Indian indices

Today's opening is likely to be on a flat note tracking marginal gains in the Asian region. The global indices are cautious and the domestic markets will need positive trigger to rally.

The markets are likely to remain rangebound. Selling pressure may continue in Infosys Technologies' stock owing to disappointing numbers, which may dampen market sentiments. Bulls will take a backseat during this week and investors will bear a cautious approach.

The quarterly numbers of domestic companies will dominate the future course of trade in near term.

HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank results are scheduled to be announced today; their shares will remain in focus.

Diversified business house Tata Group will invest up to Rs1.2 lakh crore across sectors in the domestic market in the next five years as it looks to more than double its revenues to $150 billion; this will keep the Tata Group shares in limelight.

Daily trend of FII/MF investment in equities

The FIIs have bought Indian stocks worth a net of Rs203.10 crore on April 15, 2011 as compared to the net sell of Rs474.60 crore on April 13, 2011. The domestic investors have bought Indian shares worth a net of Rs231 crore on April 13, 2011.

Global signals

The European markets ended slightly higher on Friday (April 15, 2011), but posted their first weekly loss in a month as the return of worries over the euro zone debt crisis prompted investors to book recent lofty gains on peripheral equities.

The encouraging economic indicators lifted the US markets higher on Friday, but the market's recent struggles are set to continue into next week when more than one-fifth of S&P 500 companies report results.

Majority of the Asian indices were trading marginally higher, with the Tokyo market weighed by continuing worries over the impact on corporate earnings from the last month's natural disasters. SGX Nifty was trading 11.5 points up; indicating for a flat start on the Dalal Street.

Commodity cues

Crude oil prices rose on Friday, with Brent crude surging past $123 a barrel, as improving US consumer confidence and industrial production eased concerns about rising fuel costs.