Market may open flat to slightly lower; IIP data in focus.

The government will unveil industrial production data for February 2012 today, 12 April 2012. Industrial production growth is projected at 6.5% in February 2012, according to median estimate of a poll of economists carried out by Capital Market. Industrial production grew 6.8% in January 2012.

Key benchmark indices edged lower on Wednesday, 11 April 2012 after an earthquake of 8.6 magnitude struck Indonesia at mid-afternoon. The BSE Sensex shed 44.44 points or 0.26% to settle at 17,199.40, its lowest closing level since 29 March 2012.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 445.77 crore on Wednesday, 11 April 2012, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges. Their outflow totaled Rs 1043.86 crore in three trading sessions from 9 to 11 April 2012.

Indonesia, along with monitoring centers and neighboring countries, lifted a tsunami alert nearly five hours after a 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of the country on Wednesday. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said it had canceled its tsunami watch for both the 8.6 earthquake and an 8.2 magnitude aftershock.

Asian stock markets were modestly higher on Thursday, but investors remained cautious amid geopolitical risks as North Korea's planned launch of a long-range rocket depressed the mood. Key benchmark indices in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore rose by between 0.12% to 0.48%. Key benchmark indices in South Korea and Taiwan fell by between 0.15% to 0.81%.

U.S. stocks bounced back Wednesday after a five-day slide, bolstered by a strong start to the corporate-earnings season and a drop in Spanish and Italian government borrowing rates