Key benchmark indices hovered in negative terrain in mid-morning trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 20.56 points or 0.08%, off about 65 points from the day's high and up about 50 points from the day's low. Gains in crude oil prices weighed on key benchmark indices. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was positive.
Pharma stocks declined. IPCA Laboratories slumped after the company announced voluntary stoppage of shipments to the US market from the active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing facility at Madhya Pradesh. Shares of insurance services providers rose on reports that the Union Cabinet has approved hike in foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance sector to 49% from 26%.
At 11:20 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 20.56 points or 0.08% to 26,126.77. The index fell 69.63 points at the day's low of 26.077.70 in early trade. The index rose 43.48 points at the day's high of 26,190.81 at the onset of the trading session, a record high for the index.
The CNX Nifty was down 9.20 points or 0.12% to 7,786.55. The index hit a low of 7,771.65 in intraday trade. The index hit a high of 7,802.45 in intraday trade.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was positive. On BSE, 1,220 shares rose and 1,093 shares fell. A total of 89 shares were unchanged.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 16.39 points or 0.18% at 9,328.11. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 39.63 points or 0.39% at 10,243.81. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
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Shares of insurance services providers rose on reports that the Union Cabinet has approved hike in foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance sector to 49% from 26%. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Union Budget 2014-15 this month had proposed hike in FDI in insurance sector to 49% from 26%. Bajaj Finserv (up 1.15%), State Bank of India (SBI) (up 0.49%), Aditya Birla Nuvo (up 1.24%), Max India (up 3.3%), and Reliance Capital (up 4.57%), gained. ICICI Bank fell 0.45%. HDFC dropped 0.62%.
Pharma stocks declined. Cipla (down 0.57%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (down 0.99%), Lupin (down 0.7%), and Ranbaxy Laboratories (down 0.62%), declined. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries rose 0.11%.
IPCA Laboratories slumped 7.97% after the company announced voluntary stoppage of shipments to the US market from the active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing facility at Madhya Pradesh. The company made the announcement during trading hours today, 24 July 2014. During the recent US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection at the company's active pharmaceutical ingredients (APls) manufacturing facility situated at Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, IPCA Laboratories received certain inspection observations in Form 483 from the USFDA.
Consequent to this, the company has voluntarily decided to temporarily suspend API shipments from this manufacturing facility for the US markets till this issue is addressed. This voluntarily stoppage of API shipments from the Ratlam manufacturing facility will also have impact on the company's formulations export business to the US market since the company's formulations manufacturing units situated at Piparia (Silvassa) and SEZ, Indore (Pithampur) use the APIs manufactured from the company's Ratlam manufacturing facility for manufacturing formulations for the US market, the company said in a statement.
The company said it is fully committed in resolving this issue at the earliest. The company is also committed to its philosophy of highest quality in manufacturing, operations, systems, integrity and cGMP culture.
Liberty Shoes tumbled 4.14% after net profit rose 0.91% to Rs 3.32 crore on 9.69% decline in total income from operations to Rs 101.98 crore in Q1 June 2014 over Q1 June 2013. The Q1 result was announced after market hours on Wednesday, 23 July 2014.
Container Corporation of India rose 2.37% after the company announced that Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Department of Public Enterprises, Government of India granted Navratna status to the company on 23 July 2014. The company made the announcement after market hours on Wednesday, 23 July 2014.
A bout of volatility was witnessed as key benchmark indices slipped into the red after opening higher. The Sensex hit record high at the onset of the trading session. Key benchmark indices cut losses in morning trade. Key benchmark indices hovered in negative terrain in mid-morning trade
Gains in crude oil prices weighed on key benchmark indices. India imports almost 80% of its crude oil requirements. Crude rose as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East persisted. Brent crude futures for September delivery were up 16 cents at $108.19 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract rose 70 cents to settle at $108.03 a barrel on Wednesday, 23 July 2014.
In Libya, fighting between rival Libyan militias continues for control of Libyan capital's airport.
Meanwhile, violence continues in the Gaza Strip. As per reports, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed so far as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza Strip.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 60.0375, compared with its close of 60.105 on Wednesday, 23 July 2014.
Asian stocks rose for a fourth day today, 24 July 2014, after a Chinese manufacturing gauge rose to its strongest reading in 18 months. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia were up by 0.04% to 1.14%. Key benchmark indices in Japan and South Korea fell by 0.23% to 0.43%.
A Chinese manufacturing gauge rose to an 18-month high in July, adding to signs that the government will meet its 2014 economic-growth target of about 7.5 percent. A preliminary Purchasing Managers' Index from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics was at 52, compared with a final reading of 50.7 in June. Numbers above 50 indicate expansion.
South Korea unveiled 11.7 trillion won ($11.4 billion) in government initiatives to shore up Asia's fourth-largest economy after growth slumped to the weakest pace in more than a year in the second quarter.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could fall 8 points at the opening bell on Thursday, 24 July 2014. US stocks were largely higher on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, with the S&P 500 index hitting another record high after bullish results from tech giants Apple and Microsoft, though technical resistance and conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip kept gains in check.
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