Indices open flat; ICICI Pru IPO to close today

Domestic markets opened flat on Wednesday as global investors remained nervous on Bank of Japan verdict.

At 0917 hours, the BSE Sensex was trading at 28,551.63, up 28.43 points, or 0.10%. The NSE Nifty was trading at 8788.80, up 12.90 points, or 0.15%.

On 30-share benchmark, among top gainers were Adani Ports (1.15%), Tata Steel (0.81%), Axis Bank (0.69%), Bharti Airtel (0.59%) and Cipla (0.52%). Among losers were Maruti Suzuki (-0.57%), Bajaj Auto (-0.47%), Coal India (-0.39%), Tata Motors (-0.39%) and ICICI Bank (-0.26%).

The initial public offering of ICICI Prudential Life will close today. Till yesterday, the IPO subscribed 52%.

The Indian Rupee opened marginally up at 66.99 per dollar as against previous close at 67.01.

On global front, Asian shares got off to a tentative start, while the yen was steady as investors braced for the outcome of the Bank of Japan`s policy meeting amid heightened speculation the central bank will make crucial changes to its massive easing programme, a Reuters report said.

The BOJ is expected to make negative interest rates the centrepiece of a new policy framework - widely seen as a desperate attempt to show it still has the firepower to lift Japan out of years of stagnation.

Markets are also watching out for the US Federal Reserve policy decision, due later in the global day, the report added.