Sensex Poised for Flat Start, Tata Motors to be in Focus

The Nifty and Sensex are set to open on a flat note in trades today as indicated the Nifty futures traded on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Singapore Nifty or SGX Nifty was up 0.09 per cent or 7 points at 7,653.

Meanwhile, Asian stocks slipped on Thursday as weak oil prices continued to feed global growth worries, while the euro held solid gains after a policymaker poured cold water on market expectations of more easing by the European Central Bank.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 0.2 percent.

Japan's Nikkei fell 1 percent to hit a 1-month low and Australian shares dropped 0.8 percent. South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.2 percent.

Overnight, U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday in a choppy session as oil resumed its decline, fuelling investor worries about global economic growth and causing the S&P 500 index to track the move in the commodity.

After a morning rally for both oil and stocks, the three major U.S. stock indexes fell as oil reversed course and investors also prepared for a Federal Reserve meeting next week that is expected to result in an interest rate hike.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 75.7 points, or 0.43 percent, to 17,492.3, the S&P 500 lost 15.97 points, or 0.77 percent, to 2,047.62 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 75.38 points, or 1.48 percent, to 5,022.87.

Back home, foreign institutional investors sold shares worth Rs 527 crore on Wednesday while domestic investors purchased shares worth Rs 864.71 crore.

Stocks in Focus

Tata Motors: Tata Motors will be in focus today as the company's luxury car brand Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) reported strong November wholesales growth of 23 per cent. JLR needs to grow at 1 per cent to meet FY16 guidance. This data implies that new Discovery Sport has started picking.

State Bank of India: Reports suggest that the SBI is likely to sell its 15 per cent stake in NSE for Rs 6,000 crore.

Reliance Industries: Reliance Jio may look to buy smaller telecom companies for more wave length.

Aurobindo Pharma: Drug firm Aurobindo Pharma has received final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture and market its oral contraceptive Levonorgestrel tablets.

(With inputs from Reuters)