Key benchmark indices witnessed a range bound movement in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:15 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 189.61 points or 0.74% at 25,816.36. The Nifty 50 index was currently up 54.10 points or 0.69% at 7,904.55. Shares of index heavyweight and IT major Infosys surged in volatile trade after the company forecast strong revenue growth for the year ending 31 March 2017 (FY 2017).
The Sensex hit 15-week high when it jumped 243.28 points or 0.94% at the day's high of 25,870.03 at the onset of trading session. The barometer index gained 7.37 points or 0.02% at the day's low of 25,634.12 in early trade. The Nifty, too, hit 15-week high when it rose 62.20 points or 0.79% at the day's high of 7,912.65 at the onset of trading session, its highest level since 4 January 2016. The index fell 7.70 points or 0.09% at the day's low of 7,842.75 in early trade.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was positive. On BSE, 1,356 shares gained and 1,136 shares declined. A total of 146 shares were unchanged. The BSE Mid-Cap index was currently up 1.09%. The BSE Small-Cap index was currently up 0.92%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
In overseas stock markets, European stocks trimmed initial losses. Japanese stocks led decline in Asian stocks as the yen strengthened against the dollar in the wake of earthquakes in the Kumamoto prefecture since last week, including on Saturday, 16 April 2016. The Nikkei 225 Average settled 3.4% lower. The stronger yen makes Japanese exports less competitive and cuts into the value of repatriated earnings. US stocks closed modestly lower during the previous trading session on Friday, 15 April 2016, as a retreat in oil prices weighed on energy shares.
Index heavyweight and housing finance major HDFC advanced 1.09% to Rs 1,125.30. The stock hit high of Rs 1,130.75 and low of Rs 1,093.70 so far during the day.
Shares of IT major Infosys surged in volatile trade after the company forecast strong revenue growth for the year ending 31 March 2017 (FY 2017) at the time of announcement of its Q4 March 2016 results on Friday, 15 April 2016, when the stock market was closed for a holiday. The stock was currently up 6.02% to Rs 1,242.60. The stock hit a high of Rs 1,267.70 in intraday trade so far, which is also record high for the counter. The stock hit a low of Rs 1,239.10 so far during the day. Infosys expects revenue growth of 11.8%-13.8% for FY 2017 in US dollar terms. In constant currency terms, the company has forecast 11.5%-13.5% growth in revenue for FY 2017. Infosys' revenue growth forecast is higher than 10% to 12% growth for the IT outsourcing sector for FY 2017 forecast by IT industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) in February this year. Infosys has forecast 12.7%-14.7% growth in revenue in rupee terms for FY 2017 based on rupee dollar exchange rate of 66.26 as on 31 March 2016.
Infosys' consolidated net profit rose 3.8% to Rs 3597 crore on 4.1% growth in revenue to Rs 16550 crore in Q4 March 2016 over Q3 December 2015. The results are as per International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Infosys said that the employee attrition reduced further in Q4 March 2016. On annualized basis, the employee attrition rate declined to 17.3% in Q4 March 2016 from 18.1% in Q3 December 2015.
More From This Section
After the strong revenue growth guidance for FY 2017, Infosys' ADR jumped 8.4% to settle at $20 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, 15 April 2016.
Cement stocks were mixed. UltraTech Cement (up 3.57%) and Shree Cement (up 2.39%) gained. Ambuja Cements (down 0.54%) and ACC (down 0.83%) declined.
Grasim Industries was up 0.08% at Rs 4,075.40. Grasim has exposure to the cement sector through its holding in UltraTech Cement.
Pharma shares rose. Cadila Healthcare (up 2.03%), Cipla (up 2.44%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (up 0.92%), Lupin (up 1.09%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (up 0.75%), Aurobindo Pharma (up 0.07%), and Wockhardt (up 0.03%) gained. Dr Reddy's Laboratories (down 0.6%) and GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (down 0.46%) fell.
Alkem Laboratories lost 4.49% on reports that Germany's health regulator has accused the company of fudging data in some clinical trials. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is investigating the medicines after Germany reported its findings to EMA and urged it to take action, reports suggested. Alkem said that the Federal Institute of Drug and Medical Devices (BfArM), Germany, and the Health Care Inspectorate (IGZ), Ministry of Health of the Netherlands performed a joint inspection in March 2015 at Alkem's bioequivalence facility at Taloja. The inspection refers to bioequivalence studies conducted for the period between March 2013 and March 2015 and in particular to bioequivalence trials of two products, of which one is commercialized and another is yet to be commercialized, Alkem said. Alkem said that it would be submitting a suitable clarification to EMA within the stipulated timelines to enable the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) take a balanced risk-benefit view with respect to these two products. Currently, sales from Europe contributes less than 1% to Alkem's total consolidated sales for the nine months of FY 2016, the company said.
Alkem Laboratories said that the company responded to BfArM's inspection with a robust remediation plan. The company said that it has been implementing several measures, which include changes in staffing, upgrading equipment and improving quality assurance systems to ensure proper controls during bioequivalence studies and thorough review of the acquired data.
On the macro front, data released by the government today, 18 April 2016, showed that inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) remained in negative zone last month. WPI stood at negative 0.85% in March 2016 as compared to a reading of negative 0.91% in February 2016. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was minus 0.85% compared to a build up rate of minus 2.33% in the corresponding period of the previous year. Meanwhile, WPI for January 2016 was revised to a reading of negative 1.07% compared with a provisional reading of 0.9% reported on 15 February 2016.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan said in an interview to a newspaper in Washington on Thursday, 14 April 2016, that if the monsoon is good, if inflation continues on a downward path and if there is continuing progress on food management reforms that reduce costs it will provide room for the RBI to further reduce policy interest rate. Recently, the weather office forecast good rains during the June-September 2016 southwest monsoon season. The RBI cut its benchmark policy rate viz. the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5% from 6.75% after a scheduled policy review on 5 April 2016. At that time, Rajan had indicated in his monetary policy statement that the RBI might cut the repo rate further in the coming months if macroeconomic and financial developments provide room for further rate cut. The RBI next undertakes monetary policy review on 7 June 2016.
Meanwhile, the finance ministry has clarified that taxes, cesses or duties such as excise duty, customs duty, Service Tax, State VAT, CST, income tax, wealth tax, stamp duty, taxes on professions, trades, callings or employment, octroi, entertainment tax, luxury tax and property tax are not liable to service tax. The government issued the clarification after the Union Budget 2016-17 slapped service tax on all services provided by the government or a local authority to a business entity with effect from 1 April 2016.
Powered by Capital Market - Live News