Sensex opens on a flat note

Indian equities opened the session marginally in the green on buying by funds and retail investors in select stocks amid firm Asian cues.

At 9.15 a.m., the 30-share BSE index Sensex was up 30.09 points (0.15 per cent) at 19,923.94 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty was up 23.3 points (0.4 per cent) at 5,905.55.

Asian stocks, except Nikkei, are headed for the best monthly gain since September 2010 after US jobless claims data pointed to a improving labour market, reviving hopes of a reduction in US monetary stimulus.

But a stalemate in US congressional negotiations over the budget and increasing the federal borrowing limit is likely to cap the gains in global shares.

In the Asian trade, Japan's Nikkei fell 16.52 points or 0.11 per cent to 14,782.60, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 20.91 points or 0.09 per cent at 23,145.90 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was up 12.65 points or 0.24 per cent at 5,307.10.

On Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average ended down 60.59 points or 0.4 per cent at 15,274.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 4.53 points or 0.27 percent, at 1,692.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 7.05 points, or 0.19 percent, at 3,761.21.