Asian stock markets are higher today as geopolitical tensions eased off after North Korea’s missile launch. The Nikkei 225 is up 0.55% while the Hang Seng is up 0.76%. The Shanghai Composite is trading flat. Meanwhile, stock markets in America finished in green overnight.

Back home, share markets in India have opened the day on a firm note. The BSE Sensex is trading higher by 197 points while the NSE Nifty is trading higher by 72 points. The BSE Mid Cap and BSE Small Cap index opened the day up by 0.9% and 1.2% respectively.

All sectoral indices have opened the day in green with stocks from metal sector and realty sector leading the losses. The rupee is trading at 64.02 to the US$.

In news from economic sector, as per Livemint, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sent commercial banks a second list of at least 26 defaulters with which it wants creditors to start the process of debt resolution before initiating bankruptcy proceedings.

As per the reports, the accounts should first be resolved through any of RBI’s schemes before 13 December, failing which cases should be filed against these companies under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

Reportedly, the defaulters’ list comprises companies primarily in the power, telecom, steel and infrastructure sectors. Videocon Industries Ltd and Jaiprakash Associates Ltd are the two large companies among the list of 26 defaulters, accounting for over Rs 1 trillion of debt.

Power stocks opened the day on a firm note with KSK Energy share price and Reliance Infra share price witnessing majority of the buying momentum. As per an a leading financial daily, the government’s 5% stake sale in NTPC Ltd got off to a flying start with 86% of shares reserved for institutional investors getting subscribed by yesterday afternoon.

The market sentiment towards NTPC has continued to improve in the past 18 months, with the government’s initiative on reforms in the power sector. Revival of state electricity boards (SEBs) will improve electricity demand which are NTPC’s major customers, which earlier remained impacted due to the poor financial health of SEBs. Also, improved coal security and supply tie-ups for power plants also helped.