Domestic equity benchmarks opened on a tepid note on Thursday as fresh concerns over the US-China trade deal kept global investors on edge.

After opening slightly higher, the 30-share index turned negative to trade 41.31 points, or 0.10 per cent, lower at 40,610.33. Similarly, the broader Nifty slipped 17.75 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 11,981.35.

Top losers in the Senses pack included Bharti Airtel which fell up to 1.51 per cent, Axis Bank 1.12 per cent, Yes Bank 0.68 per cent, RIL 0.56 per cent and M&M 0.43 per cent.

On the other hand, L&T rose up to 2.21 per cent, IndusInd Bank 1.54 per cent, HCL Tech 1.22 per cent and SBI 1.20 per cent.

On Wednesday, the Sensex ended 181.94 points, or 0.45 per cent, higher at 40,651.64, while the Nifty closed a tad below the crucial 12,000-mark, advancing 59 points, or 0.49 per cent, to end at 11,999.10.

Foreign institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 566.52 crore in the capital market in the previous session, while domestic institutional investors purchased equities worth Rs 183.41 crore, data available with stock exchange showed.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading in the red as reports of a delay in the US-China trade deal dampened global investor sentiment.

Stocks on Wall Street ended on a negative note on Wednesday.

On the currency front, the rupee depreciated 2 paise (intra-day) against the US dollar to trade at 71.83 in early session.

Brent futures, the global oil benchmark, slipped 0.29 per cent to USD 62.22 per barrel.