Sensex, Nifty Seen Tad Higher At Open

Indian shares look set to open a tad higher on Tuesday as traders return to their desks after a long holiday weekend.

That said, mixed cues from global markets and concerns over rising oil prices may trigger profit taking as the session progresses.

Indian markets were closed on Monday to celebrate Holi, the festival of colors. Domestic markets will only have three trading sessions this week as exchanges will also be closed on Friday for Good Friday.

The truncated week may see considerable volatility on eve of upcoming F&O expiry and the release of several economic reports, including readings on current account balance, core sector output and fiscal deficit balance.

As per latest RBI data, India’s foreign exchange reserves have hit an all-time high of 642.292 billion US dollars by the end of the week ending March 15.

Benchmark indexes Sensex and Nifty eked out marginal gains last week despite FPIs being net sellers for the week to the tune of $314 million.

Asian markets traded mixed this morning as investors positioned themselves ahead of the release of key U.S. and European inflation readings.

Gold ticked lower in Asian trading while Treasuries and the dollar were little changed.

Oil prices extended recent upward momentum as heightened geopolitical tensions exacerbated supply concerns.

Russia struck critical infrastructure in Ukraine’s western region of Lviv with missiles, with one missile briefly flying into Polish airspace.

Moscow launched 57 missiles and drones in the attack that also targeted the capital Kyiv.

Elsewhere, the Houthis warned Saudi Arabia that it would be a target if it provides aid and support to the US-British aggression against the group.

U.S. stocks fluctuated before ending lower overnight after China introduced new guidelines that have significant implications for major U.S. technology firms, including Intel, AMD and Microsoft.

On the data front, a report showed that sales of new U.S. single-family homes unexpectedly fell in February.

The S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite both shed around 0.3 percent, while the Dow slipped 0.4 percent.

European stocks ended mixed on Monday after a busy week of central bank meetings in Asia, Europe and the United States.

The pan European STOXX 600 ended flat with a positive bias. The German DAX edged up 0.3 percent, while France’s CAC 40 finished marginally lower and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.2 percent.