Asian shares are lower today as Japanese and Hong Kong shares show losses. The Nikkei 225 is down 0.1% while the Hang Seng is down 0.9%. The Shanghai Composite is trading down by 0.2%.
Back home, India share markets are witnessing buying interest as BJP is leading Karnataka elections. The BSE Sensex is trading up by 347 points while the NSE Nifty is trading up by 88 points. The BSE Mid Cap index is trading up by 0.4%, while the BSE Small Cap index has opened the day up by 0.7%.
Sectoral indices have opened the day on a positive note with metal stocks and energy stocks witnessing maximum buying interest.
The rupee is trading at 67.54 to the US$.
Market participants are closely tracking the vote count for Karnataka elections.
At the time of writing, data showed BJP leading Karnataka polls.
There are high stakes involved as the outcome of this election would also determine the direction of the country's reforms and policies in the runup to the 2019 elections.
The final vote count will be known within a few hours. We'll keep a close watch on the developments in this space and keep you updated. Stay tuned.
The US 10-year bond yield edged higher on Monday, as trade tensions eased in the wake of US President Donald Trump's pledge to help Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp, which has been penalized for violating US sanctions with Iran. In the news from currency markets, the dollar inched higher against a basket of currencies on Tuesday, as hopes for easing global trade tensions pushed US bond yields higher.
In the news from global financial markets, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (one of the top state-run Chinese banks) has launched China's first India-dedicated publicly offered investment fund. As per the news, the bank is urging the Chinese to invest heavily in the fund, stating that the Indian economy is entering the golden age of economic take-off.
