Markets may open flat

Indian equities are likely to open flat on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012. SGX Nifty is trading at 5,618 (07.25 a.m.), 6 points higher thanMonday"s closeof 5,612.

Asian stocks swung between gains and losses as an advance among companies with profits less tied to economic growth offset declines at those aligned to swings in the global economy amid concern Spain will need a bailout. Japanese benchmark index Nikkei 225 rose 9.42 points, or 0.10%, to trade at 9,168.81.

Oil traded near USD 99 a barrel Monday in Asia, largely holding on to gains after the Federal Reserve last week announced new steps to boost the U.S. economy. Benchmark crude for October delivery was down 20 cents at USD 98.80 a barrel at midafternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude was down 20 cents at USD 116.48 in London.

US stocks fell on Monday in light trading after a rally that drove the S&P 500 last week to its highest level in nearly five years and as falling oil prices hit energy shares. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 40.27 points, or 0.30%, to end at 13,553.10.

European stocks declined on Monday as concern of a deepening economic slowdown in China overshadowed optimism resulting from the Federal Reserve"s third round of quantitative easing. UK"s benchmark index FTSE 100 declined 22.03 points, or 0.37%, to end at 5,893.52.

In the spot market, the Dollar Index decreased 0.04% to 78.98 (21:40 ET).

World commodity prices fell on Monday with the decrease in Reuters Jefferies CRB Index by 2.01%.