Firmness continued on the bourses in afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 195.54 points or 0.8%, up close to 145 points from the day's low and off about 30 points from the day's high. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was quite strong, with more than 3 gainers for every loser on BSE. The BSE Small-Cap index was up almost 2.5%. The BSE Mid-Cap index was up more than 2%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. Gains in Asian and European stocks and upmove in US stocks on Wednesday, 21 May 2014, underpinned sentiment on the domestic bourses.
Auto stocks were mixed. Most pharma stocks declined as rupee edged higher against the dollar. Tyre stocks rose across the board, with Apollo Tyres and CEAT hitting record high and JK Tyre & Industries hitting 52-week high.
Key benchmark indices edged higher amid initial volatility. The Sensex extended initial gains in morning trade. A bout of volatility was witnessed as the key benchmark indices regained strength after paring intraday gains in mid-morning trade. It hovered in positive terrain in afternoon trade.
Asian stocks edged higher on Thursday, 22 May 2014, after Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policy makers see a muted risk of inflation from continued US stimulus and as a China manufacturing gauge rose to a five-month high this month.
At 13:20 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 195.54 points or 0.8% to 24,493.56. The index jumped 226.74 points at the day's high of 24,524.76 in early afternoon trade, its highest level since 20 May 2014. The index rose 49.76 points at the day's low of 24,347.78 in early trade.
The CNX Nifty was up 48.15 points or 0.66% to 7,301.05. The index hit a high of 7,319.55 in intraday trade, its highest level since 20 May 2014. The index hit a low of 7,258.15 in intraday trade.
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The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 195.95 points or 2.35% at 8,538.31. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 216.61 points or 2.47% at 8,974.89. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was quite strong, with more than 3 gainers for every loser on BSE. On BSE, 2,192 shares gained and 634 shares fell. A total of 96 shares were unchanged.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 16 stocks gained and rest of them declined. Coal India (up 5.45%), NTPC (up 4.11%) and Sesa Sterlite (up 3.29%) edged higher from the Sensex pack.
Auto stocks were mixed. Maruti Suzuki India (up 5.14%) and Ashok Leyland (up 1.38%) gained. Tata Motors declined 1%.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) declined 0.4% to Rs 1,145. The stock was volatile. The stock hit high of Rs 1,171.90 and low of Rs 1,137.65 so far during the day. The company during market hours on Wednesday, 21 May 2014, said that as part of aligning its production with sales requirements, the company will suspend production at the company's automotive plants for upto 3 days during the remaining period of this month. The company also said that Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers' plant at Chakan would also be observing no production days for upto 3 days during the remaining period of May 2014. Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers is a wholly-owned subsidiary of M&M. M&M said that the management does not envisage any adverse impact on availability of vehicles in the market due to adequacy of vehicle stocks to serve the market requirements.
Shares of two-wheeler makers were mostly higher. TVS Motor Company jumped 5.95%. Hero MotoCorp declined 0.95%.
Bajaj Auto rose 1.93% to Rs 1,997 in volatile trade. The stock hit high of Rs 2,028.60 and low of Rs 1,990 so far during the day.
According to reports, Egypt lifted a ban on import of two wheelers and three wheelers, after more than three months. For Bajaj Auto, the biggest exporter of three-wheelers, Egypt is the second biggest export market for the company after Sri Lanka.
Egypt banned the imports of two-wheelers and three-wheelers in the middle of February this year. A committee was set up, to look into the matter, as three-wheelers were considered as common man's transport.
Meanwhile, Bajaj Auto has reportedly received an export order from Egypt for 5,500 three wheelers and 3,500 motorcycles for the month of June 2014.
Tyre stocks rose across the board. MRF (up 1.74%) and Goodyear India (up 2.01%) gained.
Apollo Tyres rose 4.29% to Rs 190.70 after hitting record high of Rs 191.40 in intraday trade.
CEAT rose 1.53% to Rs 452 after hitting record high of Rs 460 in intraday trade.
JK Tyre & Industries rose 3.26% to Rs 235.80 after hitting 52-week high of Rs 241 in intraday trade.
Most pharma stocks declined as rupee edged higher against the dollar. Cipla (down 0.24%), Divi's Laboratories (down 0.28%), Aurobindo Pharma (down 0.59%) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 0.42%) declined. Ranbaxy Laboratories rose 0.1%. Firmness in rupee adversely affects sales of pharma companies in rupee terms as pharma firms derive substantial revenue from exports.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories dropped 0.68% to Rs 2,286.30. A foreign brokerage firm upgraded Dr Reddy's Laboratories to "overweight" from "equalweight" while maintaining its target at Rs 2,801, saying recent share falls are overdone. The brokerage said that Dr Reddy's is now trading at a discount to historical valuations and its peers, while it remains "positive" on the drug-maker's fundamentals.
Ester Industries was locked at 5% upper circuit at Rs 15.42 on BSE after the company reported a net profit of Rs 1.27 crore in Q4 March 2014 as against net loss of Rs 7.37 crore in Q4 March 2013. Ester Industries' net sales rose 12.4% to Rs 237.75 crore in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013. The Q4 result was announced after market hours on Wednesday, 21 May 2014.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar as equities rose. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 58.43, compared with its close of 58.775/785 on Wednesday, 21 May 2014.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) next undertakes monetary policy review on 3 June 2014. The RBI left its main lending rate viz. the repo rate unchanged at 8% after a monetary policy review on 1 April 2014, as consumer-price inflation eased to a two-year low and as the rupee firmed up against the dollar.
After Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, investors are expecting measures from the incoming government to revive the Indian economy. There are expectations that Narendra Modi will be in a position to replicate the economic success he enjoyed in Gujarat state when he takes over as the country's Prime Minister. With Modi at the helm of affairs, Gujarat's economy expanded by 10.1% a year, on average and adjusting for inflation, from 2001 and 2012, compared with 7.7% growth a year for India's economy as a whole. India's GDP growth slowed sharply at 4.7% in Q3 December 2013. Investors hope that a BJP-led government would be able to accelerate policy reforms and overhaul the country's poor infrastructure. Investors will now be keenly watching policy announcements from the new government to drive a turnaround in the investment cycle.
Ever since NDA's victory in the election last week, speculation has been rife about the likely allocation of key ministerial portfolios in the Modi-led NDA government.
Modi will be sworn in as India's next Prime Minister on Monday, 26 May 2014, evening at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The first budget of the new government is expected by July 2014. An interim budget was presented by P. Chidambaram in February this year. Essentially, in the nature of a vote on account, the interim budget was intended to get Parliament approval for expenditure to be incurred during the first few months of fiscal year 2014-15 due to Lok Sabha elections.
European stocks edged higher on Thursday, 22 May 2014, as minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting showed policy makers expect the inflation rate to remain below their target, and as Chinese manufacturing data beat estimates. Key benchmark indices in France, Germany and UK rose 0.02% to 0.29%.
French manufacturing and services unexpectedly shrank this month, highlighting President Francois Hollande's struggle to revive the euro area's second-largest economy. A Purchasing Managers Index of factory activity dropped to 49.3 from 51.2 in April, while a services gauge fell to 49.2 from 50.4, Markit Economics said today in London. A composite gauge of both manufacturing and services declined to 49.3 in May from 50.6 in April, Markit said. A measure of new business also dropped and employment fell at the fastest pace in three months.
Asian stocks edged higher on Thursday, 22 May 2014, after Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policy makers see a muted risk of inflation from continued US stimulus and a China manufacturing gauge rose to a five-month high in May. Key benchmark indices in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea were up 0.05% to 2.11%. China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.18%.
The China manufacturing purchasing managers' index released today by HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics delivered a provisional reading of 49.7 for May, rising from 48.1 in April. Readings below 50 indicate contraction.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could advance 36 points at the opening bell on Thursday, 22 May 2014. US stocks rebounded on Wednesday from the previous day's losses and ended the session with solid gains, led by advances in the consumer discretionary and energy sectors. The main benchmarks extended gains after the release of the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which showed officials considering options on exiting from ultra-loose monetary policy and a decision to remain flexible.
Minutes from the April 29-30 meeting showed that Fed officials are monitoring progress toward the goal of full employment in the US as they consider the timing of the first interest-rate increase since 2006. The minutes also showed policy makers agreed that early communication of their exit strategy on stimulus and interest rates would enhance the clarity and credibility of monetary policy. The Fed reiterated in the minutes that it will keep the key interest rate target near zero for a "considerable time" once it concludes the bond program. The Fed minutes also showed that policy makers expect inflation to remain well below the Fed's long-term target of 2%.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) next undertakes monetary policy review at a two-day meeting on 17-18 June 2014. The Fed on 30 April 2014 said after a monetary policy review that it will keep the benchmark interest-rate target at almost zero for a "considerable time" after its bond-buying program ends. The FOMC also reduced monthly debt purchases to $45 billion, its fourth straight $10 billion cut, and said further reductions are likely in "measured steps" if the economy continues to improve.
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