Key Indian equity market indices open higher

Mumbai, Dec 14 (IANS) The key Indian equity market indices on Thursday opened higher after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rate following its two-day policy meeting while raising its economic growth forecast for 2018.

The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which had closed at 33,053.04 points on Wednesday, opened higher at 33,114.69 points.

Minutes into trading, it was quoting at 33,146.57 points, up by 93.53 points, or 0.28 per cent.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 51-scrip Nifty, which had closed at 10,192.95 points, was quoting at 10,223.90 points, up by 30.95 points or 0.30 per cent.

Continuing with losses for the second day in a row, the key Indian equity indices on Wednesday gave up all their morning gains to end a volatile trade session in the red as investors booked profits in metals, capital goods and banking stocks.

According to market observers, apart from domestic macro-data marring investors' risk-taking appetite, caution ahead of the US Federal Reserve's policy outcome kept the global markets on tenterhooks.

The Sensex was down by 174.95 points or 0.53 per cent at the Wednesday's closing. In the day's trade, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index had touched a high of 33,404.26 points and a low of 32,988.82 points. The Nifty too was down by 47.20 points or 0.46 per cent.

On Thursday, Asian indices were mostly showing a mixed trend. Japan's Nikkei 225 was trading in red, down by 0.03 per cent, and Hang Seng up by 0.01 per cent while South Korea's Kospi was up by 0.96 per cent. China's Shanghai Composite index was quoting in red, down by 0.43 per cent.

Nasdaq closed in green, up by 0.20 per cent while FTSE 100 was down by 0.05 per cent at the closing on Wednesday.