The key domestic benchmarks are likely to open higher today tracking a positive trend in fellow Asian markets and a strong finish at Wall Street overnight amid optimism that the European Central Bank (ECB) will bolster stimulus while Apple’s record holiday sales estimate bolstered outlook over US corporate earnings. China’s Shanghai Composite was trading with slim gains while Hang Seng rose as Chinese officials assured over growth in the world’s second biggest economy despite a Q3 slowdown and stressed that the impact of economic reforms will show only after some time. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged as a weaker yen boosted the appeal of exporter stocks. Back home, investor sentiment will remain supported by hopes of a pickup in growth after the government stepped up reforms including deregulation of diesel prices and raising natural gas prices to stem subsidy burden and pare the fiscal deficit. However, some volatility may be seen at Dalal Street ahead of the Diwali holidays on Thursday and Friday. Investors will be eying the Q2 earnings data of HDFC and Kotak Bank today.
