The markets ended flat with a positive bias. The S&P has upgraded outlook on India to stable.
Banking, metals and IT led the rally on Thursday. Dealers expect the Nifty's expiry around 5250-5300. HNIs and retail investors were active in midcaps.
Unitech ended flat; CNBC-TV18 reported that the company may demerge non-core assets.
Fund flows
FII were net buyers to the tune of Rs 484 crore while DIIs net sellers of Rs 53 crore in cash markets on March 18, as per provisional data.
Global cues
The US markets ended flat; The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied for eight session.
US economic data was mixed but mildly supportive.
F&O cues
The Nifty Futures ended at 8-point premium. Rollovers initiated for April series; banking stocks saw long positions.
The Nifty 5200 Put added 14 lakh shares in open interest (OI) and Nifty 5300 Put added 9 lakh shares in Open Interest.
Idea gained 4% and its Open Interest was up 16%; Apollo Tyres rose 5% and its Open Interest was up 55%; Polaris rallied 5% and its Open Interest was up 23%.
Indian Hotels went up 6% and its Open Interest was up 7%; M&M was down 3% and its Open Interest was up 30%.
