Sensex, Nifty Flat in Early Trade; Asian Paints, Maruti Among Top Gainers

Indian stock markets opened flat on Thursday with a cautious tone. The Sensex saw a minor gain while the Nifty slipped slightly. Asian Paints was a top gainer, surging over 4.4%, along with Maruti and Reliance.

Indian stock markets on Thursday (November 6) started on a cautious note as investors took a breather after recent volatility. The benchmark indices opened flat, mirroring the mixed cues from global markets. The BSE Sensex inched up 57 points to 83,516.69, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped 4 points to 25,593.35. On Wednesday, the Sensex had ended at 83,459.15 and the Nifty at 25,597.65.

Asian Paints Adds Colour to Early Trade

It was a bright morning for Asian Paints, which surged more than 4.4% in early trade, leading the list of top gainers. Maruti Suzuki, SBI, Reliance, and Adani Ports also opened in the green, lending support to the market.

On the other hand, Eternal, Bajaj Finance, BEL, Titan, and Kotak Mahindra Bank saw some early selling pressure, with Eternal falling around 1.4%.

In the broader market, the BSE Midcap index edged up 0.07%, while the Smallcap index slipped 0.02%, showing that investors are treading carefully across segments.

Market breadth leaned slightly negative 1,145 stocks gained, 1,396 declined, and 105 remained unchanged in the early session.

Gift Nifty and FIIs Hint at Caution

The Gift Nifty, which gives a hint of how the Nifty might move, pointed to a subdued start, opening 144.5 points lower at 25,798.

Meanwhile, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued to book profits, selling shares worth Rs 1,883 crore on November 4. In contrast, Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) stepped in as buyers, picking up equities worth Rs 3,500 crore, helping cushion the fall.

Global Cues: Asia Trades Mixed

Across Asia, markets were mixed following a strong finish on Wall Street overnight.

• Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.29%,
• Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 545 points,
• South Korea’s Kospi gained 53 points, and
• China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.88%.

Analysts say investors are holding back ahead of key economic data releases and corporate earnings. While blue-chip names like Asian Paints are painting the market green, the overall tone remains cautious.