Domestic stocks, led by TCS, Axis Bank and HDFC, logged modest gains on last trading day of calendar 2017. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, gained 208.80 points or 0.62% at 34,056.83, as per the provisional closing data. The Nifty 50 index gained 52.80 points or 0.5% at 10,530.70, as per the provisional closing data. The Sensex provisionally settled above the psychological 34,000 mark after alternately moving above and below that mark earlier in the day. Domestic stocks were boosted by an ongoing global rally fuelled by bullish bets on coordinated economic growth.
IT stocks rose. Shares of telecom and telecom tower infrastructure providers saw mixed trend.
Trading for the last session of 2017 began on a positive note. Stocks kept on gaining ground as trading day progressed with the key benchmark indices hitting fresh intraday high in late trade.
The Sensex gained 238.02 points or 0.7% at the day's high of 34,086.05 in late trade, its highest level since 27 December 2017. The index rose 41.36 points or 0.12% at the day's low of 33,889.39 at onset of the day's trading session. The Nifty gained 60.80 points or 0.58% at the day's high of 10,538.70 in late trade, its highest level since 27 December 2017. The index rose 10.75 points or 0.1% at the day's low of 10,488.65 at onset of the day's trading session.
Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index provisionally rose 0.74%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index provisionally rose 0.64%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 1,566 shares rose and 1,208 shares fell. A total of 203 shares were unchanged.
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The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 4848.34 crore, higher than turnover of Rs 4746.73 crore registered during the previous trading session.
IT stocks rose. HCL Technologies (up 1.36%), Wipro (up 1.61%), Tech Mahindra (up 1.11%), Infosys (up 0.63%), Hexaware Technologies (up 0.72%), Oracle Financial Services Software (up 0.97%) and MphasiS (up 0.5%) gained. MindTree (down 0.41%) fell.
Shares of telecom and telecom tower infrastructure providers saw mixed trend. Idea Cellular (up 5.68%) and Bharti Infratel (up 3.13%) gained. MTNL (down 0.2%) and Bharti Airtel (down 0.2%) edged lower.
Reliance Communications jumped 17.57% to Rs 36.40 after the company announced that it has signed definitive binding agreements with Reliance Jio Infocomm for sale of wireless spectrum, tower, fiber and media convergence node (MCN) assets. The company will utilise the proceeds of the monetisation of this cash deal solely for pre-payment of debt to its lenders. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 December 2017.
Reliance Jio Infocomm is a leading telecom operator and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries (RIL). Shares of RIL rose 0.06% to Rs 925.
RCom said that it worked closely with all lenders and SBI Capital Markets, the advisors appointed by the lenders, to run a competitive process for the monetisation of its valuable assets, comprising 122.4 MHz of 4G Spectrum in the 800/900/1800/2100 MHz bands, over 43,000 towers, amongst the top 3 independent tower holdings in India, 1,78,000 RKM of fiber with pan India footprint and 248 media convergence nodes, covering around 5 million square feet used for hosting telecom infrastructure.
RJIO emerged as the highest bidder in a transparent process conducted under the supervision of a high-powered bid evaluation committee, comprising experts from banking, telecom and law. The company expects the transactions to close in a phased manner between January and March 2018, subject to lenders' and other applicable approvals. The RJIO deal consideration comprises primarily of cash payment and includes transfer of deferred spectrum installments payable to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT).
On 26 December 2017, RCom had announced its exit from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s strategic debt restructuring (SDR) framework, with zero equity conversion and zero loan write-offs for lenders and bond holders. Upon completion of all transactions as announced, the balance debt in RCom is expected to be approximately Rs 6000 crore only, representing reduction of over 85% of total debt.
Lupin rose 0.81% after the company announced that it has received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market a generic version of Dovonex Scalp Solution, 0.005% of Leo Pharmaceutical Products. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 28 December 2017.
Lupin's Calcipotriene Topical Solution, 0.005% (scalp solution) is the AT rated generic equivalent of Leo Pharmaceutical Products' Dovonex Scalp Solution, 0.005%. It is indicated for the topical treatment of chronic, moderately severe psoriasis of the scalp. Calcipotriene Topical Solution, 0.005% (scalp solution) had annual sales of approximately $5.9 million in the US as per IMS MAT October 2017.
On the macro front, India's fiscal deficit hit 112% of the budget estimate for 2017-2018. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit was Rs 6.12 lakh crore during April-November of 2017-2018, according to data of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) announced today, 29 December 2017. During the same period of 2016-2017, the deficit stood at 85.8% of the target.
The CGA data showed that the government's revenue receipts were at Rs 8.04 lakh crore in the eight months of the current fiscal, which work out to 53.1% of the budget estimate (BE) of Rs 15.15 lakh crore for the entire year. The receipts were at 57.8% of the target in the year-ago period. As per the data, the government's total expenditure was Rs 14.78 lakh crore at November-end, or 68.9% of the budget estimate. It was 65% of the budget estimate a year ago.
India's infrastructure output data for the month of November 2017 will be released today, 29 December 2017. Infrastructure output in India increased 4.7% year-on-year in October of 2017, following a downwardly revised 4.7% rise in the previous month.
Overseas, European stocks were trading higher in a holiday-shortened trading session. Meanwhile, Italy's President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament yesterday, 28 December 2017 and called elections for early March 2018, a vote that will highlight the economic and political problems still stalking Europe and the country's role as the weakest flank in the currency union.
Most Asian stocks rose after Wall Street finished with modest gains. South Korean markets were closed today, 29 December 2017. US stocks rose yesterday, 28 December 2017, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing at a record high buoyed mostly by gains in bank shares and a slight pick-up in energy and materials.
In US economic data, the advance trade deficit in goods increased to $69.7 billion in November from $68.1 billion in October. The purchasing managers index for Chicago showed a rise of 67.6 in December from 63.9 in the previous month. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.
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