The Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher led by realty and consumer durables stocks amid caution ahead of corporate results season that begins later this week.

The 30-share BSE index Sensex ended higher by 32.67 points or 0.1 per cent at 31,846.89 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty closed up 9.05 points or 0.09 per cent at 9,988.75.

Among BSE sectoral indices, realty index gained the most by 2.2 per cent, followed by consumer durables 0.9 per cent, FMCG 0.66 per cent and IT 0.39 per cent. On the other hand, oil & gas index fell 1.01 per cent, infrastructure 0.81 per cent, power 0.59 per cent and PSU 0.54 per cent.

Domestic sentiment was buoyed as GST Council has offered relief for exporters and SMEs. Bringing significant relief to small and medium businesses and exporters, the GST Council has lowered the GST rates for 27 items.

Top five Sensex gainers were Coal India (+1.81%), HUL (+1.37%), Kotak Bank (+1.34%), Dr Reddy's (+1.34%) and Adani Ports (+1.16%), while the major losers were PowerGrid (-1.68%), ONGC (-1.58%), Reliance (-0.73%), NTPC (-0.68%) and Bajaj Auto (-0.58%).

Corporate results

Analysts expect a weak performance in the July-September quarter, due to the impact of the withdrawal of higher-denomination currencies from circulation late last year and the rollout of a national goods and services tax on July 1.

Market heavyweights Tata Consultancy Services Ltd and Reliance Industries Ltd are scheduled to report their quarterly numbers this week.

“The Nifty may not be able to sustain at 10,000 level in the next half of October as reality dawns on the guidance which companies are expected to provide soon. We can see more stock and sector-specific moves in the near term,” said Sanjiv Bhasin, executive vice president, market and corporate affairs, IIFL.

Chinese shares climbed on Monday after a week-long break as a disappointing survey on the country’s service sector did little to dent optimism on global growth, while political uncertainty caused turbulence for the Turkish and British currencies.

Liquidity was lacking with Japan and South Korea on holiday and a partial holiday in the United States where stocks will be open but bonds will be closed.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.1 per cent, having rebounded by 1.7 percent last week. E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 were trading 0.15 per cent firmer, while futures for the Treasury 10-year note rose 1 tick.

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