MARKETS ON MONDAY: Indices end higher for eighth session, Infosys down 3%

Benchmark indices recovered lost ground to end higher for eighth straight session, their longest gaining run so far this year.

Meanwhile, in economic data, March wholesale price inflation (WPI) came in at 2.47 per cent on Monday versus 2.48 per cent month-on-month, data showed. 

3:38 PM

Nifty Realty gained over 1.5%: Top gainers in the pack

COMPANY	LATEST	PREV CLOSE	GAIN()	GAIN(%)	VOLUME
INDBULL.REALEST.	192.00	180.75	11.25	6.22	20645312
PRESTIGE ESTATES	303.50	295.60	7.90	2.67	229646
DLF	213.75	210.25	3.50	1.66	5850707
OBEROI REALTY	513.90	508.15	5.75	1.13	132667
H D I L	41.65	41.50	0.15	0.36	6323884

3:35 PM

Sectoral trend

3:34 PM

Top Sensex Gainers and Losers

3:30 PM

Markets at Close

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 34,305, up 112 points while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 10,528, up 48 points

3:20 PM

Oil prices drop as fears about Syria strikes fallout wane

 

Oil fell nearly 2% on Monday after US drilling activity rose and fears waned about escalating tensions in the Middle East following air strikes on Syria over the weekend.

The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles on Saturday, targeting what they said were three chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack on April 7.

 

The oil price had risen nearly 10% in the run-up to the strikes, as investors bulked up on assets, such as gold or US Treasuries, that can shield against geopolitical risks.

3:10 PM

SBI drops out of India's top 10 most valued companies

 

State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest state-owned bank, lost its place in the list of the country’s 10 most valued companies in terms of market capitalisation after the stock price of bank declined for the fourth straight trading days on the BSE.

 

With the m-cap of Rs 2,229 billion (Rs 2.229 trillion), SBI is currently stands at 11th rank, behind of Kotak Mahindra Bank, which has m-cap of Rs 2,231 billion (Rs 2.231 trillion) at 02:18 pm, the BSE data shows. READ MORE

3:00 PM

Indiabulls Group shares in focus; Indiabulls Ventures zooms 37% in two days

 

Shares of Indiabulls Group companies such as Indiabulls Ventures, Indiabulls Real Estate and Indiabulls Housing Finance were trading higher by up to 20% on the BSE on Monday.

 

Indiabulls Ventures hit a new high of Rs 381, up 20% in intra-day today, gaining 37% in past two trading days from Rs 278 on Thursday, on back of heavy volumes. READ MORE

2:45 PM

Global Markets Alert

 

US stock futures firmed and oil fell on Monday as investors wagered the latest U.S.-led strike on Syria would not escalate into a wider conflict, though Asian markets turned mixed as selling in bank shares slugged Chinese indexes.

 

EMini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 rose right from the start and were last up 0.4%, while Eurostoxx 50 futures STXEc1 added 0.27%. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.3%. Yet MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.4% as Chinese blue chips skidded 1.7%.

2:31 PM

Supreme Court asks Jaiprakash Associates to deposit Rs 1 bn by May 10

 

The Supreme Court today directed realty firm Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) to deposit Rs 1 billion with its Registry by May 10.

 

The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also directed the Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) to consider the representation of JAL on revival plans as per law.

 

Meanwhile, the counsel for the firm told the apex court that it had already deposited Rs 1 billion on April 12 in pursuance of an earlier order. READ MORE

2:16 PM

Can RBI press for open currency?

 

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) decision to lower the boom on crytocurrency will have multiple repercussions. Some of those may be unforeseen and unpleasant. The RBI has decreed that banks and non-banking financial companies must stop services and support to cryptocurrency exchanges, and to any entity for the purpose of cryptocurrency trading.

 

In effect, this cuts bitcoin and its siblings off the formal banking system. Does that mean that cryptocurrency trading will stop? No. All legitimate and legal trading in crypto will stop. READ MORE

2:01 PM

Markets at 2 pm

S&P BSE Sensex	34,277.79		0.25%
Nifty 50	10,506.60		0.25%
S&P BSE 200	4,620.61		0.34%
Nifty 500	9,292.30		0.27%
S&P BSE Mid-Cap	16,688.38		0.06%
S&P BSE Small-Cap	18,047.13		0.36%

1:46 PM

Borrowing plan: States edge out corporates from bond market

 

Rising state government borrowing has depressed sentiment in the market with investors staying away from investing in central government securities for fear of rising valuation-linked losses.

 

The supply of state paper, considered high-quality because of government backing, is raising yields across bonds. It has pushed up sovereign bond yields and, as a result, threatens corporate bond yields. Incessant supply means the private sector is elbowed out from the market by states. At a time when banks are not lending freely to companies, such crowding out does not augur well for them. READ MORE

1:31 PM

Coinsecure's search for stolen bitcoins begins, writes to 42 exchanges

 

Delhi-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinsecure's search for stolen bitcoins has begun. The firm has written to 42 global exchanges and roped in US-based blockchain investigative firm Chainalysis to track the movement.

 

Last week, Coinsecure reported to the police 438 bitcoins worth Rs 190 million were siphoned off to an unknown address on the internet, blaming one of its top executives for the heist. READ MORE

1:17 PM

This stock rallied over 40% in two days after tepid market debut

 

Shares state-owned Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani) rallied more than 40% in past two trading sessions on back of heavy volumes.

 

The trading volumes on the counter jumped nearly three-fold with a combined 11.69 million equity shares representing 6% of total equity have changed hands on the NSE and BSE so far, the exchanges data shows. READ MORE

1:00 PM

Top BSE500 losers

COMPANY	PRICE()	CHG()	CHG(%)
UCO BANK	20.55	-1.80	-8.05
VAKRANGEE	126.00	-6.60	-4.98
JBF INDS.	106.15	-5.55	-4.97
TATA MOTORS-DVR	193.00	-9.80	-4.83
TATA MOTORS	339.50	-17.15	-4.81