BENGALURU: Indian shares were off to a positive start on Friday, aided by high weightage information technology (IT) and financials stocks, as analysts find valuations attractive after a recent correction, ahead of key economic data to gauge the path for future rate hikes.

The Nifty 50 index was up 1.10% at 17,268.50, as of 9:52 a.m. IST.

The S&P BSE Sensex rose 1.18% to 58,640.64. All 13 major sectoral indexes advanced. The heavyweight financials index rose 1.2%, while IT jumped 1.5%.

Forty of the Nifty 50 constituents logged gains.

The Nifty is on course to extend losses for the fourth month, its longest losing streak since 2001. The recent correction has rendered valuations attractive, according to analysts.

Global brokerage firm Morgan Stanley upgraded India to “equal weight” from “under weight”, citing economic resilience and valuation premiums.

Investors at home are awaiting a set of macroeconomic indicators, including current account data and external debt.

Indian shares open higher ahead of monthly derivatives expiry

Data on personal consumption expenditures (PCE) in the US, the Fed’s preferred indicator of inflation, is also due later in the day.

Asian equities indexes advanced, on strong economic data from China.

Among individual stocks, Bharat Electronics surged over 7% after the company bagged multiple orders from the Ministry of Defence.

JSW Energy shares rose over 3% after the company acquired renewable energy portfolio of Mytrah Energy.

On the flip side, shares of Lupin fell more than 2% after the US FDA issued a Form 483 with 10 observations for the company’s Pithampur unit-2 manufacturing facility.