Mumbai, Oct 9 : Indian stock markets opened flat but with a slight positive tone on Thursday, taking cues from upbeat global trends.

At the opening bell, the Sensex was up 17 points, or 0.02 per cent, at 81,791, while the Nifty gained 17 points, or 0.07 per cent, to trade at 25,063.

'From a technical standpoint for Nifty, a sustained move above 25,150 could open the door for an upside toward 25,200'25,250,' analysts said.

'On the downside, immediate support is placed around 24,950'24,900, which may serve as potential accumulation zones for long positions,' they added.

'Overall, the index is expected to remain range-bound between 24,900 and 25,200 in the near term,' experts mentioned.

Broader markets also saw some strength, with the Nifty MidCap index rising 0.3 per cent and the Nifty SmallCap index advancing 0.21 per cent.

On the institutional front, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) extended their buying streak for the second consecutive session on October 8, purchasing equities worth Rs 81 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 329 crore on the same day.

Asian markets traded higher after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hit record closing highs overnight on Wall Street.

Investor sentiment also improved after US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan to pause fighting in Gaza and allow the release of hostages and prisoners.

According to experts, traders remained cautiously optimistic, tracking global cues and geopolitical developments.

"The results season starting today will be keenly watched by the market. IT stocks have witnessed some recovery from the bottom, but the headwinds for the segment continue to be strong,' market experts said.

'Banking stocks have largely remained range bound on muted earnings expectations. The NIM pressure and rising delinquencies in the unsecured loan segments will weigh on banking results generally. So, watch out for the out-performers in the segment,' they added.

/IANS