Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 24 points at the opening bell amid positive Asian cues.

Overseas, Asian shares were trading higher on Tuesday despite renewed geopolitical tensions, with China accusing the US of fueling cyber security fears. Investors also awaited developments on the US-China trade front. The White House reportedly said on Monday that trade talks between the two economic powerhouses will continue in Washington on Tuesday, with higher level negotiations starting later in the week.

According to media reports, the Chinese government said Monday that the US is attempting to curtail its technology development by claiming that Chinese mobile network gear might pose a cybersecurity threat to foreign countries which adopt the equipment. The US alleged that Beijing might use Chinese tech companies to gather intelligence about foreign countries, even though those claims have yet to be substantiated.

US stock market was shut on Monday for a public holiday.

Closer home, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 1,239.79 crore on 18 February 2019, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 2,336.74 crore on 18 February 2019, as per provisional data.

Domestic stocks ended with steep losses yesterday, 18 February 2019, amid broad based selling pressure in index pivotals. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 310.51 points or 0.87% to 35,498.44. The Nifty 50 index fell 83.45 points or 0.78% to 10,640.95.

On the economic front, the central board of the Reserve Bank of India on Monday, 18 February 2019, decided to transfer an interim surplus of Rs 28,000 crore to the central government for the half-year ended 31 December 2018. This is the second successive year that RBI will be transferring an interim surplus.

In a separate notification, RBI said that based on an assessment of prevailing liquidity conditions and also of the durable liquidity needs going forward, it has decided to conduct purchase of the following Government securities under open market operations for an aggregate amount of Rs 12,500 crore on Thursday, 21 February 2019, through multi-security auction using the multiple price method.