Key Indian equity market indices open higher

Mumbai, Jan 5 (IANS) Taking cues from global markets the key Indian equity market indices opened higher on Thursday.

The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which had closed at 26,633.13 points on Wednesday, opened higher at 26,738.42 points.

Minutes into trading, it was trading at 26,755.63 points, up by 122.50 points, or 0.46 per cent.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 51-scrip Nifty, which had closed at 8,190.50 points, was quoting at 8,232.20 points, up by 41.70 points or 0.51 per cent.

Weak domestic cues dragged the Indian equities markets lower on Wednesday.

Investors' sentiments were subdued on the back of weak domestic services data for December -- the Nikkei Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) which stuck almost unchanged at 46.8, coupled with a lack of consensus at the GST Council meet.

The Sensex was down by 10.11 points or 0.04 per cent at the Wednesday's closing. In the day's trade, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index had touched a high of 26,723.37 points and a low of 26,606.06 points. The Nifty, was marginally down by 1.75 points or 0.02 per cent.

On Thursday, Asian indices were showing a mixed trend after US stocks rallied on Wednesday digesting minutes from the Federal Reserve's December meeting.

According to the minutes, policy makers agreed that information received over the intermeeting period indicated that the labour market had continued to strengthen and that economic activity had been expanding at a moderate pace since midyear.

Oil prices, too, rose on expectations of drops in US inventories.

On Thursday Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading in red, down 0.25 per cent, Hang Seng up by 1.11 per cent while South Korea's Kospi was also down by 0.15 per cent. China's Shanghai Composite index was quoting in green, up by 0.08 per cent.

On a positive note, Nasdaq closed in green, up by 0.87 per cent and FTSE 100 was up by 0.16 per cent at the closing on Wednesday.