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Infosys vaults on Murthy's return as executive chairman

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Last Updated : Jun 03 2013 | 11:02 AM IST

A bout of initial volatility was witnessed as key benchmark indices recovered after slipping into the red after a positive start. The S&P BSE Sensex was flat at 19.759.35, off close to 100 points from the day's high and up about 30 points from the day's low. The 50-unit CNX Nifty fell below the psychological 6,000 mark after regaining that mark at the start of the trading session. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive.

Auto stocks fell as auto companies reported weak sales for the month just gone by. Shares of two wheeler makers declined as PSU OMCs raised petrol price. Infosys jumped nearly 7% after the company said that its board has appointed Mr. N R Narayana Murthy into the board and executive leadership of the company.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 504.02 crore on Friday, 31 May 2013, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.

At 9:25 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was flat at 19.759.35. The index rose 99.89 points at the day's high of 19.860.19 in opening trade. The index lost 30.43 points at the day's low of 19,729.87 in early trade.

The CNX Nifty was down 14.45 points or 0.24% to 5,971.50. The index hit a high of 6,011 in intraday trade. The index hit a low of 5,970.35 in intraday trade.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On BSE, 477 shares rose and 406 shares fell. A total of 41 shares were unchanged.

Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 26 stocks declined and the rest of them gained. Shares of two wheeler makers declined as PSU OMCs raised petrol price. Bajaj Auto declined 2.01%. Hero MotoCorp shed 2.1%.

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Tata Motors skidded 1.45% after the company reported slide in sales in May 2013. The company's total sales (including exports) of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles declined 23.37% to 49,304 vehicles in May 2013 over May 2012. The company's domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles declined 24.44% to 45,430 units in May 2013 over May 2012. Exports declined 8.17% to 3,874 units in May 2013 over May 2012.

Maruti Suzuki India dropped 3.19% after the company reported fall in sales in May 2013. The company on Saturday, 1 June 2013, reported 14.4% fall in total sales to 84,677 units in May 2013 over May 2012. The company's domestic sales declined 13% to 77,821 units in May 2013 over May 2012. Exports fell 27.1% to 6,856 units in May 2013 over May 2012.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) fell 0.65% after reporting fall in sales in May 2013. The company on Saturday, 1 June 2013, said its total sales declined 1% at 43,460 units in May 2013 over May 2012. Auto sales in the domestic market rose 5% to 42,104 units in May 2013 over May 2012. The passenger vehicles segment which includes the UVs and Verito registered a growth of 5% at 22,244 units in May 2013 over May 2012. The four-wheeler commercial segment which includes the passenger and load vehicles registered a 12% growth at 14,848 units while the three-wheeler segment witnessed a 7% decline in sales at 4,028 units in May 2013 over May 2012. Exports declined sharply by 67% at 1,356 units in May 2013 over May 2012.

Speaking on the monthly performance, Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, M&M said, "We have achieved an overall growth of 5% in our domestic volumes during May 2013 for our automotive sector, in spite of a challenging environment. The growth in capital investment and private spending have also slowed down which is a cause for concern. At Mahindra, we remain cautiously optimistic of the situation and do hope that on the back of the new product launches, the auto industry will rev up sooner than later".

Infosys jumped 6.89% after the company announced on Saturday, 1 June 2013, that the company's board has appointed Mr. N R Narayana Murthy into the board and executive leadership of the company. The board approved appointing Mr. N R Narayana Murthy as Executive Chairman of the board and Additional Director for a period with effect from 1 June 2013.

Mr. K V Kamath would step down from his position as Chairman of the board and take up the position of Lead Independent Director effective 1 June 2013.

During his five-year term, Mr. Murthy would draw a token compensation of rupee one per year.

Mr. S Gopalakrishnan would be re-designated as Executive Vice Chairman effective 1 June 2013 and would primarily focus on key client relationships and broader industry issues. Mr. S D Shibulal would continue to be the Managing Director and CEO. Mr. S Gopalakrishnan and Mr. S D Shibulal have requested that they draw a compensation of rupee one per year. The board has accepted their requests, subject to necessary shareholder and government approvals.

In order to function more effectively Mr. Narayana Murthy intends to create the Chairman's office to assist him during his tenure and has requested the board to permit him to put together a team for this function. The team will include his son, Dr. Rohan Murty, as Mr. Narayana Murthy's executive assistant. The board has agreed to Mr. Narayana Murthy's requests, subject to necessary approvals.

Sterlite Industries declined 0.69%. The company said after market hours on Friday, 31 May 2013, that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has allowed the company to recommence production from its Tuticorin copper. NGT has laid down certain conditions for restarting the unit. The company said it welcomes the order and will work closely with the regulatory authorities and expects to resume production in approximately one week.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries declined 0.29%. The company is reportedly in talks to buy Sweden's Meda AB for between $5 billion and $6 billion to boost its generics business in developed markets. Meda makes speciality products, over-the-counter drugs and branded generics -- the same areas of focus as Sun.

On macro front, Markit Economics will unveil HSBC India Manufacturing PMI, which gauges the business activity of India's factories, for May 2013 today, 3 June 2013. The HSBC Manufacturing PMI fell for the second straight month in April, dipping to 51 from 52 in March.

Fiscal deficit for or the fiscal year ended 31 March 2013 (FY 2013) came in lower at 4.9% of GDP against 5.1% budgeted (in February 2012) and revised to 5.2% in February 2013, data released by the government after trading hours on Friday, 31 May 2013, showed. Fiscal deficit for FY 2014 is budgeted at 4.8% of GDP.

The crucial monsoon arrived on cue in Kerala on the southern coast on Saturday, 1 June 2013, boosting farming. The rains, which run from June to September, are vital for the 55% of farmland without irrigation in India, one of the world's largest producers and consumers of food. The weather office last month predicted the monsoon would arrive over Kerala on June 3.

Asian stocks fell on Monday after improving US economic data added to concern the Federal Reserve will scale back its stimulus. Key benchmark indices in Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea shed by 0.19% to 2.05%. Key benchmark indices in China and Hong Kong rose by 0.28% to 0.53%.

The final version of the HSBC China manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index for May fell to 49.2, down from a preliminary reading of 49.6, and more than a point off from April's 50.4. HSBC said that while the result marked the first contraction in seven months, "albeit at only a marginal pace," manufacturing output actually registered its seventh straight gain, though that too was small in size.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI), issued by the National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, indicated activity in China's vast manufacturing sector picked up slightly in May. China's official PMI rose to 50.8 in May from 50.6 in April, data showed on Saturday, 1 June 2013. A reading above 50 indicates expanding activity while a reading below that level points to a contraction.

Separately, a government gauge of services industries today, 3 June 2013 showed the slowest expansion since September. The official China non-manufacturing PMI for May declined to 54.3 from 54.5.

South Korea's exports unexpectedly increased in May as surging smartphone shipments and improving demand from the US and China countered a decline in the yen. Overseas shipments increased 3.2% from a year earlier after a 0.4% gain in April, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement on Saturday, 1 June 2013.

US stocks tanked on Friday after positive economic indicators rekindled talk that the Federal Reserve will soon scale back stimulus measures. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final consumer sentiment index rose to 84.5 in May from 83.7 in April. A separate report showed that the Chicago purchasing managers' index climbed to 58.7 this month from 49 in April, beating expectations for a rise to 50.

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First Published: Jun 03 2013 | 9:33 AM IST

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