Sensex, Nifty open in green; Biocon surges over 3%, Airtel down 1%

NEW DELHI: Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty on Friday opened on a firm note, tracking a record high closing for US stocks overnight. Most Asian markets were trading higher. The domestic market was no exception.

At 9.25 am, the 30-share Sensex was trading 106.13 points, or 0.32 per cent, up at 33,255.48. The NSE barometer Nifty50 index was trading 33.90 points, or 0.33 per cent, higher at 10,260.45 at around the same time.

"The month of December is laden with events on both local and international fronts which would determine the short-term course of the market," Kunj Bansal - Executive Director & CIO – Equity, Centrum Wealth Management said.

Among Sensex stocks, TCS rose 0.99 per cent to Rs 2,660.45 on BSE. ONGC, Adani Ports and Tata Motors advanced 1 per cent, 0.99 per cent and 0.94 per cent, respectively. Bharti Airtel, Coal India and HDFC fell 0.74 per cent, 0.43 per cent and 0.23 per cent, respectively.

Auto stocks were in focus ahead of auto sales data. The sector is expected to register higher YoY growth backed by a low base of the year-ago period. As a result of demonetisation, sales in November were impacted negatively, which should result in double-digit YoY growth for most companies in November, Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities said in a note.