Markets may open flat

Indian equities are likely to open flat on Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. SGX Nifty is trading at 5,323 (07.35 a.m.), 2 points lower than Thursday"s closeof 5,325.

Asian stocks fell as reports on industrial output in South Korea and Japan add to signs of slowing economic growth and on speculation Europe"s debt crisis is worsening. Japanese benchmark index Nikkei 225 fell 75.61 points, or 0.84%, to trade at 8,908.17.

Oil prices fellto nearUSD 94 a barrel Thursday in international markets. Benchmark oil fell 87 cents to finish trading at USD 94.62 in New York. Brent crude rose 11 cents to end at USD 112.65 a barrel.

US stocks fell on Thursday after several days of muted trading as investors took a defensive posture before Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke"s much-awaited speech on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 106.77 points, or 0.81%, to 13,000.71. European stocks fell on Thursday as data from Japan to Germany added to evidence that global growth is slowing while speculation cooled that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke will announce more stimulus. UK"s benchmark index FTSE 100 declined 24.08 points, or 0.42%, to end at 5,719.45.

In the spot market, the Dollar Index decreased 0.07% to 81.63 (21:51 ET).

World commodity prices gained on Thursday with the decrease in Reuters Jefferies CRB Index by 0.20%.