Sensex, Nifty fall; caution prevails ahead of earnings

Indian shares edged lower on Friday, tracking Asian markets ahead of a U.S. jobs report due later in the day and the start of domestic quarterly earnings season, but indexes were still headed for their best weekly gains in nearly a month.

Analysts expect non-farm payrolls to have risen by 175,000 last month from 151,000 in August, according to a Reuters survey of economists - a pick-up that could put pressure on the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.

Back home, investors were also girding themselves for the July-September quarter results, starting with software maker Infosys Ltd on Oct. 14.

"There is no positive trigger and the earnings season has just started," said Saurabh Jain, assistant vice president of research at SMC Global Securities.

The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.27 percent at 8,685.95 by 0608 GMT, but was up 0.79 percent for the week.

The benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.23 percent lower at 28,041.02, but was up 0.56 percent on the week.

Both indexes were set for their best weekly gain since the week ended Sept. 9.

Among the losers, Bharti Infratel Ltd was down 2.24 percent, after gaining 5.11 percent in the last three sessions.

The Nifty IT Index extended losses for the third straight session. Tata consultancy Services Ltd and Infosys Ltd fell more than 1 percent each.

Among the gainers, Tata Motors Ltd rose as much as 2 percent and was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty.