1140: Marketbuzz Podcast with Ekta Batra: Sensex, Nifty 50 likely to open higher, financials, ABB India in focus

Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open higher on November 21, tracking global peers, amid expectations that US interest rates have peaked. India's GIFT Nifty was up 0.31% at 19,803 as of 8:14 am, above the benchmark Nifty 50's November 20 close of 19,694.

The previous session was a range bound one but the mid cap index hit a record high crossing 42,000. Though Bank Nifty was flat, financials will continue to be in focus as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened norms for consumer credit.

Meanwhile, Brent crude is at around $82 per barrel, which would be a slight negative for the year in markets.

In terms of the global setup, the US market continued to gain with the NASDAQ hitting a 22-month high. Microsoft was in focus after hitting a fresh 52 week high. This is after Sam Altman has been announced to lead a new AI team at Microsoft. Asian markets too traded largely higher in morning trade.

Also, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes will be watched out for later in the day.

Stocks to watch: ABB India, Titagarh Rail Systems, HDFC Life Insurance, Karnataka Bank, Tata Power and more 

Tune in to the Marketbuzz Podcast for more cues