SGX Nifty indicates a positive opening for Sensex, Nifty
Asian stocks are trading mixed on Thursday as Australia reported a higher-than-expected trade surplus in July.
Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 19 points at the opening bell.
Global markets
Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed on Thursday as Australia reported a higher-than-expected trade surplus in July. Australia recorded a trade surplus of 12.117 billion Australian dollars (about $8.93 billion) in July, according to data released Thursday by the country’s Bureau of Statistics.
The Nasdaq closed Wednesday at a record high, and the S&P 500 rose but just missed a fresh peak, as September kicked off with renewed buying of technology stocks.
US manufacturing activity unexpectedly picked up in August. The ISM said its index of national factory activity inched up to 59.9 last month from a reading of 59.5 in July.
US private employers hired far fewer workers than expected in August. Private payrolls increased by 374,000 jobs last month after rising 326,000 in July, the ADP National Employment Report showed on Wednesday.
Domestic markets
Back home, key benchmark indices ended with modest losses on Wednesday, amid profit selling after recent steep gains. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 214.18 points or 0.37% at 57,338.21. The Nifty 50 index lost 55.95 points or 0.33% at 17,076.25.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 666.66 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 1,287.87 crore in the Indian equity market on 1 September, provisional data showed.