India’s benchmark indices opened in the red on Thursday, tracking mixed trends across Asian markets and early selling pressure in auto, metal, and realty stocks.

As of 9:30 am, the Sensex declined 221.03 points, or 0.28 percent, to 79,895.46, while the Nifty slipped 75.55 points, or 0.31 percent, to 24,253.40.

In the broader market, the Nifty Bank was down 152.60 points (0.28 percent) at 55,217.45, while the Nifty Midcap 100 eased 36.70 points (0.07 percent) to 55,004.40. The Nifty Smallcap 100, however, edged higher by 10.85 points (0.06 percent) to 16,980.60.

Market participants expect increased volatility during the session as traders roll over positions ahead of the April F&O expiry.

“Markets may find support amid RBI’s benign inflation outlook, renewed FII interest, easing Fed concerns, and improving US-China trade sentiment. Nifty remains bullish above its 200-DMA (24,052), with an upside target of 24,858. Preferred strategy: buy on dips,” said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities.

Within the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hindustan Unilever, and SBI were among the top gainers, while Eternal, Infosys, HDFC Bank, Sun Pharma, ICICI Bank, and TCS led the decline.

Analysts noted that PSU banks may offer better entry points after further correction. Meanwhile, railway stocks are attracting investor attention, though a clearer trend confirmation is awaited.

Globally, Wall Street ended higher overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.07 percent to 39,606.57, the S&P 500 gained 1.67 percent to 5,375.86, and the Nasdaq Composite surged 2.50 percent to 16,708.05.

In Asia, markets opened mixed: Japan and Jakarta were trading in the green, while Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and China were in the red.

(With inputs from IANS)