Sensex, Nifty Open Lower as Global Cues Remain Mixed; PSU Bank Stocks Under Pressure

Indian equity benchmarks opened weak on Monday, tracking mixed cues from global markets, as investors kept a close watch on fresh signs of rising tensions in West Asia. At 9:20 am, the BSE Sensex was trading 286.59 points, or 0.37 per cent, lower at 77,722.66, while the NSE Nifty50 slipped 61.30 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 24,304.70. Ahead of the opening, GIFT Nifty had indicated a soft start, trading down 28.5 points, or 0.12 per cent, reflecting a subdued overnight global setup in which the S&P 500 declined 0.17 per cent, the Dow Jones fell 0.20 per cent, and the Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.13 per cent.  The weakness was not limited to the headline indices. The Nifty MidCap index was down 0.36 per cent, and the Nifty SmallCap index fell 0.17 per cent in early trade, with pressure visible in PSU bank stocks as well.