Sensex Edges Higher, Nifty Holds 8,250; SBI, Infosys Lead Gains

12:10 p.m.: The Sensex continued to hold on to the gains while Nifty traded above 8,250 with some buying seen in IT stocks. The broader markets outperformed with BSE smallcap index up around 0.80 per cent. Infosys, SBI, Tech Mahindra and Bank of Baroda were among the top Nifty50 gainers. 

10.10 a.m.: Bharti Infratel was the top loser in Nifty, down 2 per cent followed by BPCL and Coal India, which were down over 1.5 per cent each. Meanwhile, Hindalco was the top gainer in the Nifty, up 1.65 per cent. Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Zee and ITC were among the other top five gainer in Nifty, rising between 1.1 to 1.3 per cent. 

10.05 a.m.: Sensex shed most of its early gains after pharma and banking shares witnessed selling pressure. The pharma sub-index of NSE traded 0.46 per cent lower while Nifty Bank was down 0.25 per cent. 

9:21 a.m.: Indian markets opened higher on Friday with Sensex rising over 100 points and Nifty above 8250, tracking mostly higher global markets.  However, markets could not sustain higher levels and pares the early gains amid some selling pressure in banking stocks. 

9:15 a.m.: Vijay Chopra, MD & CEO of Enoch Ventures, said that Nifty is likely to face pressure at 8,300 levels.Mr Chopra said that it is too early to say that the foreign institutional investors have resumed buying in Indian markets. FIIs were big sellers in November. 

9:14 a.m.: Asian stocks were mostly higher with Japan's Nikkei rising to its highest level in a year, supported by Wall Street gains and solid buying of exporters on the back of a weaker yen.

9:10 a.m.:  Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 700 crore yesterday.