At 7:30 am, the Nifty futures were trading higher by 0.15 per cent on Singapore Stock Exchange.
The domestic stock markets are likely to have a listless opening, after the flat closing in the previous session, going by indications from SGX Nifty futures trading. Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a cautious start for the index in India, with a 21-point gain. At 7:30 am, the Nifty futures were trading at 13,175, higher by 21 points or 0.15 per cent, on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
Asian shares were mixed on Thursday after a choppy day of Wall Street trade, thanks in part to a disappointing U.S. jobs report, while the greenback languished near 2-1/2 year lows on growing optimism of a coronavirus vaccine.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside of Japan were barely changed following two straight days of gains. Japan’s Nikkei was 0.2 per cent weaker while South Korea’s KOSPI was flat and Australia’s benchmark index was slightly higher. Chinese shares opened a tad lower.
The S&P 500 climbed to a record high close on Wednesday and the Nasdaq Composite Index dipped as investors weighed upbeat vaccine developments and a potential coronavirus fiscal package against a bleak private jobs report.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2 per cent to end at 29,883.79 points and S&P 500 gained 0.18 per cent at 3,669.01. The Nasdaq Composite, however, slipped 0.05 per cent to 12,349.37, dragged by a 2.7 per cent slide in Tesla Inc.
Meanwhile, oil prices settled higher on Wednesday as Britain’s approval of a COVID-19 vaccine boosted hopes for a demand recovery and on mounting expectations that producing countries will maintain output limits next year.
Brent crude oil futures settled up 83 cents, or 1.75 per cent, at $48.25 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude settled up 73 cents or 1.64 per cent at $45.28 a barrel.
The markets had a flat closing on Wednesday; the BSE Sensex ended 37 points lower at 44,618 and NSE Nifty 50 index rose 5 points to settle at 13,114.