Key benchmark indices firmed up in afternoon trade after European markets opened higher. Firmness in most Asian stocks also supported domestic bourses. However, broader market depicted weakness as the mid-cap and the small-cap indices on BSE were negative. The market breadth was negative. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 81.53 points or 0.45%, up about 88 points from the day's low and off close to 74 points from the day's high. Index heavyweight and cigarette maker ITC hovered in red. Another index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) was trading higher. Metal shares witnessed selling pressure. Most realty shares declined.
The market edged higher amid initial volatility. Key benchmark indices regained positive zone after slipping into the red for a brief period in morning trade. Key benchmark indices edged higher after swinging alternately between positive and negative terrain in mid-morning trade. The Sensex hovered in the positive terrain in early afternoon trade. Key benchmark indices firmed up in afternoon trade after European markets opened higher.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 664.90 crore on Tuesday, 9 April 2013, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
At 13:15 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 81.53 points or 0.45% to 18,308.01. The index jumped 155.78 points at the day's high of 18,382.26 in early trade. The index fell 6.01 points at the day's low of 18,220.47 in mid-morning trade.
The CNX Nifty was up 30.30 points or 0.55% to 5,525.40. The index hit a high of 5,536.40 in intraday trade. The index hit a low of 5,488.60 in intraday trade.
The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.26% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.21%. Both these indices underperformed the Sensex.
More From This Section
The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On BSE, 1,242 shares fell and 894 shares rose. A total of 121 shares were unchanged.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 19 stocks rose while rest of them fell. HDFC (up 2.75%), Wipro (up 2.34%), Infosys (up 1.46%), TCS (up 1.43%), Bajaj Auto (up 1.25%), NTPC (up 1.10%), Larsen & Toubro (up 1.09%), HDFC Bank (up 0.92%), Cipla (up 0.78%) and State Bank of India (up 0.57%), edged higher from the Sensex pack.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 1.90%), ONGC (down 1.65%), Bhel (down 0.92%), M&M (down 0.51%), Hindustan Unilever (down 0.42%) and Tata Motors (down 0.15%), edged lower from the Sensex pack.
Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) rose 0.29% at Rs 778.60. The scrip hit high of Rs 783.70 and a low of Rs 772.15 so far during the day. Shares of Reliance Communications rose 2.95%. RIL's telecom unit Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Communications (RCom) on 2 April 2013 announced the signing of a definitive agreement for approximately Rs 1200 crore as one time indefeasible right to use (IRU) fees for sharing RCom's nationwide inter-city fiber optic network infrastructure. Reliance Jio Infocomm will utilize multiple fiber pairs across RCom's 1.2 lakh kilometres inter-city fiber optic network to provide a robust and future proof backbone for rolling out its state-of-the-art 4G services. As per the agreement, RCom will in turn have reciprocal access to optic fiber infrastructure to be built by Reliance Jio Infocomm in the future.
The agreement provides for joint working arrangements to be put in place immediately for upgradation of the optic fiber network to ensure seamless delivery of next generation services.
Index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC fell 0.77% to Rs 284.95. The scrip hit high of Rs 290.20 and a low of Rs 282 so far during the day. The stock had hit record high of Rs 310.75 on 4 February 2013. The government raised the excise duty on cigarettes by about 18% on all cigarettes except cigarettes of length not exceeding 65 mm in Union Budget 2013-14, which was unveiled on 28 February 2013.
Cairn India was up 0.55% at Rs 292.25. The company announced during trading hours today, 10 April 2013, that in Q4, average daily gross operated production was 202,014 barrels of oil equivalent (boe), 12% higher than the corresponding prior period. Working interest production was 18% higher at 126,623 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). The increase was driven by ramp-up at the Rajasthan block, where gross production was 22% higher at 168,594 bopd in Q4.
At the end of Q4, oil production was commenced from Aishwariya, the third largest oil field in the Rajasthan block, which will ramp up to the FDP approved production level of 10,000 bopd. Commercial gas sales were also commenced from the Rajasthan block during Q4 with initial volumes of 5 million standard cubic feet per day, Cairn India said.
Following clarification from the Government of India that exploration would be permitted in development areas, exploration drilling was commenced in the Rajasthan block in February. This is a step towards realising the basin potential of 300,000 bopd. Recent exploration drilling has resulted in a discovery, the 26th in the Rajasthan block. In the Sri Lanka block, the Phase-II exploratory well encountered multiple reservoir sands without hydrocarbons, and was plugged and abandoned. Earlier, a three-well Phase-I exploration resulted in two successful discoveries. We continue to work on the Sri Lanka block, and the data from this Phase-II well along with the results of the prior two discoveries are being integrated to fully understand the future block potential, the company added.
Sesa Goa (SGL) fell 1.71% to Rs 143.50. The company during trading hours today, 10 April 2013, announced its unaudited consolidated production release for the fourth quarter (Q4) and full year ended (FY 2013) 31 March 2013. The company said iron ore operations continue to be affected by suspension of mining in Goa and Karnataka. At Karnataka, the matter for reopening of Category A and B mines has been heard by the Honourable Supreme Court, and the order has been reserved and is expected to be announced soon. Earlier a few Category A mines had been allowed to resume operations by the Court.
The company added that regarding the suspension of mining in Goa, the Supreme Court is expected to fix the dates for initial hearings. In the meantime, the State Government and major miners including Sesa Goa, have filed their responses to the Central Empowered Committee report. Separately, the firm has filed an application to the Court seeking a stay on the suspension of mining and restrictions on ore transportation.
In Q4, production of pig iron and metallurgical coke were 75% and 48% higher at 104,000 tonnes and 94,000 tonnes, respectively, due to the new capacities commissioned in Q2 FY2013. At Liberia iron ore project, exploration activities are progressing well, and the company remains on track to deliver the first shipment by end FY2014, Sesa Goa said.
Metal shares witnessed selling pressure. Jindal Steel & Power (down 2.04%), Sterlite Industries (India) (down 1.77%), Hindalco Industries (down 0.83%), Tata Steel (down 0.34%) and Steel Authority of India (down 0.33%), edged lower.
Most realty shares declined. Unitech (down 2.55%), Sobha Developers (down 2.31%), HDIL (down 1.83%), Peninsula Land (down 1.71%), Anant Raj Industries (down 0.86%), Oberoi Realty (down 0.83%), Phoenix Mills (down 0.5%) and Godrej Properties (down 0.18%), edged lower.
However, Prestige Estates (up 2.01%), D B Realty (up 1.03%), Parsvnath Developers (up 0.71%), DLF (up 0.61%), Sunteck Realty (up 0.12%) and Indiabulls Real Estate (up 0.10%), edged higher.
The upside on the domestic bourses may be capped as reduction of promoter stake to meet the Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) mandated minimum public shareholding of 25% for private companies and 10% for state-run firms will result in supply of equity in the market over the next few months. As per the Sebi mandated minimum public shareholding rule, private-sector companies must cut founders' stake to adhere to the rules by 30 June 2013, while the deadline for state-run firms is 31 August 2013. PSU divestment will also add to share sale glut in FY 2014. The government has set a target of Rs 40000 crore from divestment of government stake in state-run firms and Rs 14000 crore from divestment of stake in non-government companies for FY 2014.
The Q4 March 2013 corporate earnings season will begins this week. Infosys announces Q4 results on Friday, 12 April 2013. Reliance Industries (RIL) announces Q4 results on 16 April 2013. TCS announces Q4 results on 17 April 2013. IndusInd Bank announces Q2 results on 18 April 2013. Wipro announces Q4 results on 19 April 2013. Cairn India announces Q4 results on 22 April 2013. UltraTech Cement announces Q4 results on the same day.
HDFC Bank announces Q4 results on 23 April 2013. Axis Bank will announce its Q4 March 2013 results on 24 April 2013. ICICI Bank and Maruti Suzuki unveil Q4 results on 26 April 2013. IDFC announces Q4 results on 1 May 2013. HDFC announces Q4 results on 8 May 2013. Ranbaxy announces Q1 March 2013 results on the same day. Dr. Reddys Laboratories announces Q4 results on 14 May 2013.
On the macro front, the government will unveil industrial production data for February 2013 on Friday, 12 April 2013. Industrial production had risen 2.4% in January 2013, as against a contraction of 0.5% in December 2012.
The government will unveil data on the combined consumer price index for urban and rural India for March 2013 on 12 April 2013. Inflation based on the combined consumer price index for urban and rural India had edged up to 10.91% in February 2013, from 10.79% in January 2013.
The government will unveil data on the wholesale price index (WPI) for March 2013 on 15 April 2013. The annual rate of inflation, based on the monthly wholesale price index (WPI), edged up to 6.84% in February 2013 from 6.62% in January 2013.
The India Meteorological Department will issue its initial forecast of 2013 southwest monsoon in this month.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D. Subbarao on 6 April 2013 said that the high fiscal deficit is a problem because it exacerbates inflation and impedes monetary policy transmission. The RBI will announce the Monetary Policy Statement 2013-14 on 3 May 2013. The RBI cut its key policy rate viz. the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.5% after a mid-quarter monetary policy review on 19 March 2013. The key macroeconomic priorities are to raise the growth rate, restrain inflation pressures and mitigate the vulnerability of the external sector, RBI said at that time. Even as the policy stance emphasises addressing the growth risks, the headroom for further monetary easing remains quite limited, the RBI said. The RBI said it will continue to actively manage liquidity through various instruments, including open market operations (OMO), so as to ensure adequate flow of credit to productive sectors of the economy.
On the political front, the Congress led UPA government has been reduced to a minority government, with DMK removing support to the government in March this year citing differences on the issue of atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka. Earlier, the Trinamool Congress withdrew support to the government in September last year as it opposed economic reforms. The Samajwadi Party (SP) along with its regional rival in Uttar Pradesh Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) provide outside support to the UPA government. SP has 22 MPs in Lok Sabha and BSP has 21 MPs.
The finance ministry in October 2012 announced a five-year plan to cut fiscal deficit. The government hopes to reduce the fiscal deficit to 3% by March 2017.
The second half of the Budget session of the Parliament begins on 22 April 2013. The government has lined up a number of key bills for consideration and passing during the Budget session of the parliament, which include The Forward Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2010, The Pension Fund Regulator and Development Authority Bill, 2011, The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011, The National Food Security Bill, 2011 and The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008. The Budget Session of the Parliament ends on 10 May 2013.
Assembly elections will be held in Karnataka on 5 May 2013 and the counting of votes and results of the election will be declared on 8 May 2013.
European shares were trading higher in early trade. Key benchmark indices in UK, France and Germany were up by 0.51% to 0.79%.
Asian stocks rose on Wednesday pushing the benchmark regional equities gauge higher for a third day, as commodity producers advanced and a report showed China's imports jumped. Key benchmark indices in China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan rose by 0.02% to 0.77%. Key benchmark indices in Indonesia and Singapore shed by 0.37% to 0.54%.
China's imports rose by an above-forecast 14.1% in March while shipments abroad increased 10% from a year earlier, the customs administration said today in Beijing.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow may rise 29 points at opening bell on Wednesday, 10 April 2013. US stocks rose on Tuesday, lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record high, as Wall Street embraced the start of first-quarter earnings. The Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes of its March 19-20 meeting later in the global day today.
Powered by Capital Market - Live News