Markets may see flat to negative opening

Indian equities are likely to open flat on Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. SGX Nifty is trading at 5,712 (07.17 a.m.), 13.5 points lower than Thursday"s closeof 5,725.5.

Asian stocks fell as worse-than- expected earnings results from Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. weighed on technology shares. Losses were limited after consumer confidence and an index of leading indicators in the U.S. rose. Japanese benchmark index Nikkei 225 rose 1.20 points, or 0.01%, to trade at 8,984.06.

Oil prices finished flat around USD 92 a barrel Thursday in international markets. US benchmark crude eased 2 cents to finish at USD 92.10 a barrel. Brent crude, which many U.S. refiners use to make gasoline, fell 80 cents to USD 112.42 in London.

US stocks fell on Thursday, with technology stocks hit hard after Google's surprisingly weak earnings - released prematurely during the trading day - disappointed investors. The Dow Jones industrial average dipped 8.06 points, or 0.06%, to close at 13,548.94.

European stocks traded mixed on Thursday as a measure of U.S. manufacturing beat estimates, while investors awaited the outcome of a two-day summit of the European Union's leaders. UK's benchmark index FTSE 100 declined 12.03 points, or 0.20%, to end at 5,898.88.

In the spot market, the Dollar Index increased 0.01% to 79.37 (21:35 ET).

World commodity prices gained on Thursday with the increase in Reuters Jefferies CRB Index by 0.53%.