Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 18 points at the opening bell.

Overseas, Asian markets were trading lower on Tuesday as investors refrained from making major bets before 15 December, when the next round of US tariffs on Chinese imports is due to take effect.

In US, stocks ended lower on Monday following economic reports that pointed to weakness in China's economy. Investors also kept a close eye on trade negotiations ahead of Sunday's tariff deadline for 15% import duties on $156 billion of annual consumer imports.

Reports out of China indicate that trade tensions have hurt the world's second-largest economy, as China's exports unexpectedly dropped 1.1% in November from a year earlier, while shipments to the US fell 23%.

Back home, key equity market barometers ended with small gains after a volatile session on Monday. The barometer index, the BSE Sensex, rose 42.28 points or 0.10% to 40,487.43. The Nifty 50 index rose 16 points or 0.13% to 11,937.50.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 459.22 crore yesterday, 9 December 2019, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 74.93 crore, yesterday, 9 December 2019, as per provisional data.