Market likely to open on a negative note

Indian equities are likely to open negative on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012. SGX Nifty is trading at 5,729 (07.22 a.m.), 20 points lower than Thursday"s closeof 5,749.

Asian stocks swung between gains and losses as Japanese companies including Fanuc Corp. and Yamaha Corp. reported disappointing earnings, while Australia's Macquarie Group rose on higher profit. Japanese benchmark index Nikkei 225 rose 6.02 points, or 0.07%, to trade at 9,061.22.

Oil prices have risen slightly on Thursday, buoyed by better-than-expected data in the United States that offset worries about demand in the world's biggest crude-consuming nation. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December, added 32 US cents from Wednesday's close to settle at USD 86.05 a barrel on Thursday. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in December gained 64 US cents, closing at USD 108.49 a barrel in London trade.

US stocks eked out small gains on Thursday in another uninspiring session on Wall Street, with worries about weak business spending keeping investors wary. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 26.34 points, or 0.20%, to 13,103.68 at the close.

European stocks climbed on Thursday as companies including Unilever and Sanofi posted results that exceeded analysts' estimates. UK's benchmark index FTSE 100 advanced 0.27%, to end at 5,805.05.

In the spot market, the Dollar Index decreased 0.01% to 80.03 (21:41 ET).

World commodity prices gained on Thursday with the increase in Reuters Jefferies CRB Index by 0.02%.