Sensex gains 28 pts,Nifty up 7.4 pts

All sectoral indices were trading in the positive zone with gains of up to 0.90 per cent.

Similarly,the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty inched up by 7.40 points,or 0.14 per cent,to 5,394.10. Brokers said fresh buying by funds and retail investors amid a mixed trend in Asian bourses mainly influenced the trading sentiment.

In Asian region,Japan’s nikkei index was up by 0.34 per cent,while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index traded marginally lower by 0.04 per cent in opening trade.

The US Dow Jones industrial average index ended 0.77 per cent higher in Friday’s trade.

Sensex,Nifty: At the start of the week,here are some stocks to watch out for:

GLOBAL MARKETS

* The Nifty futures in Singapore Exchange today is unchanged,while the MSCI-Asia Pacific index excluding Japan fell 0.3 percent.

* U.S. stocks climbed on Friday on news the European Central Bank is considering setting targets in a new bond-buying program that could help contain euro-zone borrowing costs and on hopes of more stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

* Asian shares edged down in choppy trade,while gold and oil rose on Monday,encouraged by a fresh report of a potential framework for the European Central Bank’s new bond buying scheme.

FACTORS TO WATCH

* After being paralysed for a week over the controversial sale of coal blocks,India’s parliament is likely to resume legislative business today.

The ruling Congress Party is keen to clear 31 pending bills in the remaining two weeks of the present session but will need the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to call off its demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation.

* The trade ministers of India and China will meet in New Delhi on Monday. A news conference will be held at 0730 GMT.

* RBI Deputy Governor K.C.Chakrabarty to deliver address on financial inclusion.

INDIAN STOCKS TO WATCH

FINANCIAL/REGULATORY

* The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a petition seeking an investigation into India Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s alleged role in handing over 2G spectrum well below the market price.

* The remainder of the Monsoon Session of Parliament looks set for a standstill,with BJP adamant on the resignation of the Prime Minister,though it stands isolated among opposition parties,many of whom favour a debate instead of disruption.

* An inter-ministerial panel is likely to meet in the first week of September to decide on appointment of investment bankers to further offload government’s 10 percent stake in NMDC.

* RBI has widened its probe into the affairs of HSBC and Standard Chartered to a host of other foreign banks for alleged breach of controls against money laundering and terror financing,sources said.

* CX Partners,a home-grown private equity firm has signed a definitive agreement to acquire up to 26 percent stake in Security and Intelligent Services by acquiring the minority stake of U.S. hedge fund DE Shaw as well as buying new shares of the security company.

* India’s foreign exchange reserves fell to $288.92 billion as of Aug. 17,from $289.17 billion in the previous week,the central bank said in its weekly statistical supplement on Friday.

ENERGY/COMMODITIES

* The Indian government does not perceive any loss from allocations of coal blocks which are not yet producing,the country’s Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said on Friday.

* Reliance Power has denied receiving a financial benefit for being permitted to use surplus coal to another power project saying that information on additional coal in the three blocks were known to all bidders.

India’s auditor had asked for a review of the government decision to allow use of surplus coal for Reliance Power’s Chitrangi power project,which is located close to Sasan.

* Reliance Industries,Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and GAIL want to buy shares in LNG terminals on the east coast of the United States to ship gas to India more cheaply,said a banker directly involved with the discussions.

* The union home ministry has barred Adani Port and Special Economic Zone,Lanco Infratech and Punj Lloyd from participating in two major port projects on security grounds.

* Larsen & Toubro plans to sell a stake in its wholly-owned infrastructure unit within the next two months,chairman A.M. Naik said at the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting on Friday.

* GVK Power & Infrastructure will sell minority stakes in its Australian rail and port subsidiaries to raise funds for developing a coal mine in Queensland,Vice Chairman Sanjay Reddy said.

* Global mining major Rio Tinto will be investing to the tune of $500 million in developing a diamond mine at Bunder in Madhya Pradesh,which is likely to start commercial production from 2016, Rio Tinto Diamonds Managing Director Bruce Cox told reporters.

* The government has decided to put on hold allocation of mines having minerals other than coal in view of the Mines and Minerals Bill pending before Parliament.

* With chances of El Nino weather pattern receding,the Agriculture Ministry hopes that rainfall in September would be better than earlier forecast,helping in bridging the shortfalls in sowing area to some extent.

* Gold imports to India,the world’s biggest consumer,are likely to fall by as much as 26 percent,or by 200 to 250 tonnes,in 2012 as record high prices hit the budgets of consumers,said the head of Thomson Reuters GFMS on Friday.

* Coal India can more than double its output to 1,132 million tonnes from this year’s target of 464 million tonnes if it secures necessary approvals,company officials said.

TELCO

* Bharti Airtel has shortlisted banks including Standard Chartered and JPMorgan to manage a share sale in its telecoms tower unit to raise more than $750 million,two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

AUTOS

* Suzuki Motor Corp Chairman Osamu Suzuki said his company had no plans of either withdrawing its operations from the country or shutting Maruti Suzuki’s plant in Manesar.

RETAIL

* Marico’s beauty and wellness arm Kaya is likely to miss its forecast to break even by 2013 as it continues investing in new stores and formats,a top company official has said.

PHARMA

* Cadila Healthcare Ltd has informed the stock exchange that it has concluded the agreement to re-launch KINLYTIC in North America with Microbix Biosystems. Both companies are now working towards regulatory approval expected by late 2014.

OTHER FACTORS TO WATCH

* Euro steadier,Aussie struggles near two-mth lows

Brent rises above $115,tropical storm threatens supply

Stocks More on Reliance Power

Company INFO More on NMDC