Sensex, Nifty open higher; private banks lead sectoral gains

MUMBAI — Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Tuesday amid positive global cues and buying in private banking stocks.

Nifty opened at 22,603.25, an increase of 47.50 points or 0.21 per cent.

Meanwhile, Sensex opened at 72,508.05, up 125.58 points or 0.17 per cent.

Private banks led sectoral gains in early trade as Nifty Private Bank rose 0.75 per cent.

Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom index gained 0.5 per cent, while the metal index advanced 0.32 per cent.

Notably, chemical, energy, financial services and cement were also trading higher, while PSU banks and FMCG were largely flat.

On the losing side, Nifty Auto fell 0.4 per cent, followed by healthcare, pharma and consumer durables indices. Realty, IT and media indices were also marginally lower.

Market experts said the near-term tone remained cautiously constructive, supported by a firm opening and improved global cues, although the broader setup remained tentative following the recent decline.

Analysts said a sustained recovery in the opening hours, backed by broader market participation, would be important to determine whether the current bounce can extend.

The market could remain in a ‘sell on rally’ mode as elevated US bond yields were likely to keep foreign institutional investors (FIIs) selling, even as domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to support large-cap stocks amid strong fund inflows, according to them.

The experts said a sustained market rally would require a sharp decline in crude oil prices, although there was currently no clear indication of such a move.

On the technical front, analysts see 23,100-23,220 as near-term objectives, with 22,800 likely to pose an intermediate hurdle.

A failure to move above the 22,555-22,615 band could signal further consolidation, while the downside is expected to remain limited around 22,050 for now.