FIRST TRADE: Equity barometers open higher after one day break; Nifty near 25,250 levels

Indian equities after declining in the previous session opened higher on the weekly expiry day tracking mixed Asian markets.  Sensex at the open was up by 0.19 per cent or 155.65 points at 82,508.29, while Nifty was up 0.18 per cent or 45.5 points at 25,244.2.

Meanwhile, the broader markets outperformed the headline indices.

Sectorally, there was a buoyant mood, with interest-sensitive sectors bearing the brunt, including PSU Bank, realty and auto stocks.

From the Nifty pack, top gainers included stocks like UltraTech Cement, Shriram Finance, Tata Steel, ITC and LTIMindtree, while the losers include HDFC Life, Nestle, BPCL, Britannia and Hindustan Unilever.

Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities said, "Markets are likely to be on a firm ground in early Thursday trades on positive Asian cues and a buoyant Gift Nifty index, while crude oil prices tumbling below $70 a barrel muted demand should cheer local investors. The benchmark Nifty is likely to trade in the green on investors’ hope that the Federal Reserve will be successful in piloting the economy to a soft landing. FIIs turning net buyers of domestic equities in past few sessions has been lending a major support. Technically, buy Nifty at current levels with targets at 25350-25551 levels and a stop loss at 24789.”