MARKET EYE WEEKAHEAD-Indian shares boosted by foreign investors

* Indian shares are expected to remain firm as Wall Street hits record highs while foreign investors look set to end the year as strong net buyers. * Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have bought around $2.5 billion in shares as of Thursday in December, bringing their net purchases for the year so far to around $19.9 billion. * The gains could allow indexes to post a second consecutive yearly advance, with the NSE index up 6.9 percent so far this year, compared with a 27.7 percent gain in 2012. * Investors will also be paying close attention to Apollo Tyres (BSE: APOLLOTYRE.BO - news) Ltd, whose $2.5 billion agreement to buy Cooper Tire & Rubber Co is due to expire on Dec. 31. * Traders are also awaiting the release of a RBI report due by the end of the month that is expected to unveil a major change in the monetary policy to explicitly make managing consumer inflation, rather than wholesale prices, its main objective. * Investors will also start shifting their focus towards October-December earnings results starting in January. KEY FACTORS/EVENTS TO WATCH Mon: India foreign investment regulator to discuss Tesco Plc (Xetra: TCO.DE - news) , Vodafone Group Plc FDI proposals Tues: April-Nov fiscal deficit Thurs: Dec manufacturing PMI