Markets Trade Higher, Bharti Airtel Top Gainer

The Nifty opened the day and the week higher, as global cues remained strong with Asian markets following the US Dow Futures higher.

The Sensex was trading with 61 points, while the Nifty was up 200 points in trade.

Shares in Lakshmi Vilas Bank were trading 4 per cent lower after shareholders voted out seven directors, which also included the Managing Director.

Coal India saw its share price rise, after reports that power select plants located in the southern part of the country have agreed to substitute imported coal with the dry-fuel produced by the Coal India

Government sector Central Bank of India shares were flat after the Rs 255-crore qualified institutional placement programme issue price was fixed at Rs 15.38 per share.

Banking stocks were trading higher ahead of the Supreme Court (SC) hearing on 'interest on interest' for loans under moratorium is. An unfavourable verdict may see shares of banking stocks fall, as profits of banks could take a hit. Stocks like SBI, ICICI Bank and PNB, which had fallen significantly last week were trading higher.

Meanwhile, Asian markets were seeing gains with the Japanese Nikkei up 1 per cent, while the Hang Sang and the Australian markets too were higher.