Markets Upbeat: Sensex Rises Over 200 Points, Nifty Crosses 10,900

Indian stock markets started Monday's session on a positive note amid gains in Asian peers, and were set to finish calendar year 2018 higher. 

Bombay Stock Exchange BSE benchmark index Sensex rose 208 points to touch 36,285 in early trade, while the NSE Nifty hit 10,923, up 63 points from the previous close. Advances in auto, metal and financial sectors pushed the markets higher.

At 9:22 am, the Sensex traded 158 points higher at 36,235 and the Nifty was up 63 points at 10,922. Top gainers on the-50 scrip index were Indiabulls Housing Finance, Tata Motors, Hindalco Industries and Bajaj Finserv, up between 1.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent.

Asian stocks crept higher on Monday as hints of progress on the China-US trade standoff provided a rare glimmer of optimism in what has been a rough year-end for equities globally.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan added 0.2 per cent, but was still down 16 per cent for the year. E-Mini future for the S&P 500 firmed 0.68 per cent.

The Sensex and Nifty are set to finish 2018 with returns of at least 5.9 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively.

Analysts expect global cues to dictate the movement in domestic markets until next week, with Infosys due to kick off the corporate earnings season on January 11. (Agencies)