Firmness continued on the bourses in afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 153.86 points or 0.75%, off 34.54 points from the day's high and up 90.59 points from the day's low. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. Gains in Asian stocks and overnight upmove in US stocks supported domestic bourses. The market sentiment was also boosted by data showing that foreign funds remained net buyers of Indian stocks on Thursday, 20 February 2014.
Many pharma stocks gained on renewed buying, with shares of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Divi's Laboratories, Ipca Laboratories and Natco Pharma striking record highs. Shares of HCL Technologies edged higher on reports that the company's promoter Shiv Nadar is sounding out potential buyers for selling his entire stake in the company. Shoppers Stop rose after a bulk deal was executed on the counter in opening trade on BSE today, 21 February 2014. Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores surged after the Supreme Court permitted the company to continue its mining operations.
The market edged higher in early trade on firm Asian stocks. The Sensex extended initial gains and hit fresh intraday high in morning trade. The Sensex trimmed gains after hitting fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade. Firmness continued on the bourses in afternoon trade.
The market sentiment was boosted by data showing that foreign funds remained net buyers of Indian stocks on Thursday, 20 February 2014. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 206.46 crore on Thursday, 20 February 2014, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
Asian stocks edged higher on Friday, 21 February 2014, after a larger-than-forecast climb in a measure of US manufacturing in February tempered concern about global growth. US economy is the world's biggest economy.
At 13:15 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 153.86 points or 0.75% to 20,690.50. The index jumped 188.40 points at the day's high of 20,725.04 in mid-morning trade, its highest level since 19 February 2014. The index rose 63.27 points at the day's low of 20,599.91 in early trade.
More From This Section
The CNX Nifty was up 51.75 points or 0.85% to 6,143.20. The index hit a high of 6,148.60 in intraday trade, its highest level since 19 February 2014. The index hit a low of 6,108 in intraday trade.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 42.54 points or 0.67% at 6,419.56. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 40.79 points or 0.64% at 6,402.64. Both these indices underperformed the Sensex.
The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On BSE, 1,382 shares rose and 1,042 shares fell. A total of 165 shares were unchanged.
The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 884 crore by 13:15 IST.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 23 stocks rose and rest fell. Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) (down 1.32%), Bharti Airtel (down 1.4%) and Hero MotoCorp (down 0.65%) edged lower from the Sensex pack.
AXIS Bank (up 2.44%), ITC (up 1.6%) and Wipro (up 1.51%) edged higher from the Sensex pack.
Many pharma stocks gained on renewed buying. Wockhardt (up 1.24%), Cadila Healthcare (up 0.75%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 0.46%) and Lupin (up 0.29%) gained. Cipla (down 0.59%), Ranbaxy Laboratories (down 1.14%) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 0.48%) declined.
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories rose 0.91% to Rs 2,738 after striking a record high of Rs 2,744 in intraday trade.
Divi's Laboratories gained 2.06% to Rs 1,425 after striking a record high of Rs 1,428 in intraday trade.
Ipca Laboratories rose 3.14% to Rs 871.75 after hitting record high of Rs 878.50 in intraday trade.
Natco Pharma jumped 7.24% to Rs 829.80 after striking a record high of Rs 840.30 in intraday trade.
GlaxoSmithKline Pharma was unchanged at Rs 3,018.20. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday, 20 February 2014, approved the proposal of GlaxoSmithKline Pte, Singapore for acquisition of 24.33% of shares in the existing Indian subsidiary company of the GSK Group in India by way of a voluntary open offer under SEBI (SAST Regulations) in the pharmaceutical sector. The approval would result in foreign investment of approximately Rs 6390 crore in the country, the government said in a statement.
Shares of HCL Technologies edged higher on reports that the company's promoter Shiv Nadar is sounding out potential buyers for selling his entire 62% stake in the company. The stock was up 1.3% at Rs 1,493.70. Mr. Nadar, who founded HCL in 1991, has received bids for the company in the past but has long said that he had no plans to sell. But now the 69-year-old is open to selling his stake because his only child, daughter Roshni Nadar, isn't interested in continuing in the business, the news report said. Ms. Nadar, 32 years old, is a director on HCL Technologies board and chief executive of its holding company, HCL Corp.
Shoppers Stop rose 1.18% to Rs 382.05 after a bulk deal of 4.48 lakh shares was executed on the counter at Rs 377.60 per share in opening trade on BSE today, 21 February 2014. The bulk deal constitutes 0.53% of Shoppers Stop's equity.
Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores surged 5.31% after the Supreme Court permitted the company to continue its mining operations. The company made the announcement during trading hours today, 21 February 2014.
Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores during trading hours today, 21 February 2014 said that considering the company's plea, the Hon'ble Supreme Court was pleased to stay the directions contained in the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF)'s communication dated 29 January 2014 resulting in permitting the company to continue mining operations. Thereafter, having coordinated with all the concerned government departments, the company is resuming its mining operations from today, 21 February 2014, Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores said in a statement.
It may be recalled that Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores had informed on 1 February 2014 about suspension of mining operations of the company consequent to Forest Conservation Division of Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India by clarification dated 29 January 2014 opined that the Forest Clearance granted by it to the company should be considered as co-terminus with the period of Lease under Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1957 since it does not recognize the provisions under Mineral Concession Rules, 1960.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar on global risk-on sentiment. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 62.15, compared with its close of 62.26/27 on Thursday, 20 February 2014.
The Reserve Bank of India will need to continue raising its policy interest rate given the sticky nature of inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday, 20 February 2014. "The ingrained nature of inflation and inflation expectations mean that reducing inflation-even over a protracted horizon-will require significant increases in policy rates, which will weigh on growth. Should high inflation expectations persist and inflation remain sticky, a more front-loaded path of interest rate increases may be needed," the IMF said.
The IMF expects India's consumer price index to remain near double digits well into next year driven by food prices. The IMF has suggested giving more emphasis to consumer prices for making policy decisions. "Headline CPI should provide the principal nominal anchor for monetary policy, as food and fuel price shocks propagate rapidly into core inflation, and inflation expectations and wage formation are closely linked to CPI inflation," the IMF said. The IMF expects India's economy to grow at 4.6% in 2013-14, picking up to 5.4% in 2014-15.
The Reserve Bank of India next undertakes monetary policy review on 1 April 2014. Citing price pressures, the Reserve Bank of India raised its key lending rates by 25 basis points after Third Quarter Review of Monetary Policy for 2013-14 on 28 January 2014.
On the political front, lawmakers passed a bill to create India's 29th state on Thursday despite mayhem in parliament, as opponents made a futile last attempt to stop the upper house carving landlocked Telangana from coastal Andhra Pradesh. Demands that the southern region be made a separate state have existed almost as long as independent India. Thursday's vote fulfils a promise made by the government in 2009, and comes just weeks before a national election in April.
The new state will have a population of around 3.5 crore people. The bill must now be signed by president to become law, a formality expected to take place in a few days.
Asian stocks edged higher on Friday, 21 February 2014, after a larger-than-forecast climb in a measure of US manufacturing in February tempered concern about global growth. US economy is the world's biggest economy. Key benchmark indices in Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea were up 0.39% to 2.88%. China's Shanghai Composite fell 1.17%.
Minutes from the Bank of Japan's Jan. 22 policy meeting showed some board members said the central bank should provide a clearer explanation that an expected decline in second-quarter domestic growth was factored into its outlook.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could advance 51 points at the opening bell on Friday 21 February 2014. US stocks edged higher on Thursday, 20 February 2014, as investors found encouragement in a gauge of US manufacturing jumping to its highest level in almost four years, as well as in more M&A activity, this time involving Facebook. Late Wednesday, Facebook announced a $19 billion deal to acquire messaging service WhatsApp.
The Markit Economics preliminary index of US manufacturing increased to 56.7 in February, surpassing economists' estimates, while Labor Department figures indicated fewer applications for unemployment benefits last week. The Conference Board's index of US leading indicators, a gauge of the outlook for the next three to six months, rose in January in line with estimates.
Federal Reserve policy makers backed away from their year-old commitment to consider raising interest rates when unemployment falls below 6.5%, according to minutes of their January meeting released on Wednesday, 19 February 2014. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen last week said the economy has strengthened enough to withstand continued cuts to monetary stimulus, adding that only a notable change in the outlook for the economy would prompt the central bank to slow the pace of tapering.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) next undertakes monetary policy review on 18-19 March 2014. After a monetary policy review, the FOMC on 29 January 2014 announced it will reduce monthly bond purchases by another $10 billion to $65 billion.
Sweeping reforms are urgently needed to boost productivity and lower barriers to trade if the world is to avoid a new era of slow growth and stubbornly high unemployment, the OECD warned on Friday. In its 2014 study on "Going for Growth", The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said momentum on reforms had slowed in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, with much of it now piecemeal and incremental. "The widespread deceleration in productivity since the crisis could presage the beginning of a new low-growth era," warned Pier Carlo Padoan, deputy secretary-general and chief economist at the Paris-based OECD. "These concerns, already prevalent among advanced OECD countries for some time, now encompass emerging-market economies and are fuelled also by high unemployment and falling labour force participation in many countries."
Group of 20 finance ministers meet in Sydney this weekend, with US stimulus cuts and political turmoil from Ukraine to Venezuela stoking concern over emerging-market volatility.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in TV interview broadcast today, 21 February 2014, that emerging markets should get their own houses in order before demanding solidarity from other nations. The troubles in emerging markets would be the main topic discussed by finance ministers and central bank chiefs at the G20 summit in Sydney this weekend, Schaeuble said. "In my opinion we must always strive towards an approach of solidarity. Everyone must first of all do their own homework and then countries can demand solidarity from others," Schaeuble said.
Schaeuble said emerging countries must ensure they carried out structural reforms and did not rely only on monetary policy. "We've had the problem recently in Europe and have always used the tool of monetary policy to gain some time, but this should not be misused to avoid solving the problems," he said.
Meanwhile, global rating agency Standard & Poor's today, 21 February 2014, cut its long-term foreign currency rating on Ukraine by one notch to CCC, saying the country's worsening political situation is putting the government's capability to service its debt at increasing risk. An eruption of violent clashes between anti-government protestors and police have left nearly 70 people dead and more than 560 wounded, and has led S&P "to conclude that a conciliatory end to the political stand-off is now out of reach." The ratings agency's outlook on Ukraine is negative. Expected financial support from Russia "is becoming increasingly uncertain and dependent on the outcome of the deteriorating political situation in Ukraine," said S&P. Should that support "fall short of Russia's commitments, we expect the government of Ukraine to default on its foreign-currency obligations", S&P said.
Powered by Capital Market - Live News