Key benchmark indices retained positive zone after seeing a bout of initial volatility. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was currently was up 44.42 points or 0.17% at 26,358.71. Key indices rose on reports that some progress was made on proposed goods and services tax (GST) after the empowered committee of state finance ministers on Wednesday, 20 August 2014, decided that the common threshold for levy of GST would be kept at Rs 10 lakh in general category states and Rs 5 lakh in special category states. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was strong, with more than two gainers for every loser on BSE. Shares of PSU OMCs and state run upstream oil and gas companies rose after Oil Secretary Saurabh Chandra reportedly said on Wednesday, 20 August 2014, that the under-recoveries of oil companies will come down substantially in the current fiscal ending 31 March 2015 (FY 2015) on account of better pricing and stable global crude prices. L&T rose after the company said its construction division won new orders worth Rs 1832 crore from across various business segments in July and August 2014. Asian stocks were in red after a preliminary survey showed that manufacturing activity in China weakened in August to a three-month low.
At 10:16 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 44.42 points or 0.17% at 26,358.71. The index rose 76.70 points at the day's high of 26,390.99 in morning trade. The index fell 12.03 points at the day's low of 26,302.26 in early trade.
The CNX Nifty was up 12.45 points or 0.16% to 7,887.25. The index hit a high of 7,894.50 in intraday trade. The index hit a low of 7,868.15 in intraday trade.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was strong, with more than two gainers for every loser on BSE. 1,342 shares gained and 573 shares fell. A total of 69 shares were unchanged.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 76.47 points or 0.82% at 9,352.81. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 84.35 points or 0.82% at 10,347.86. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
L&T rose 0.75% after the company said during market hours its construction division won new orders worth Rs 1832 crore from across various business segments in July and August 2014.
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Shares of PSU OMCs and state run upstream oil and gas companies rose after Oil Secretary Saurabh Chandra reportedly said on Wednesday, 20 August 2014, that the under-recoveries of oil companies will come down substantially in the current fiscal ending 31 March 2015 (FY 2015) on account of better pricing and stable global crude prices. HPCL (up 2.19%), BPCL (up 0.1%) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) (up 1.2%) gained.
The under-recoveries are expected to come below Rs 1 lakh crore this fiscal as against Rs 1.4 lakh crore last fiscal, he said. The expected substantial contraction in the under- recoveries (difference between cost price and selling price) will come on the back of reducing gap in the pricing of petroleum products.
Public sector oil marketing companies (PSU OMCs) suffer under-recoveries on domestic sales of diesel, kerosene and LPG at government controlled prices. The government has adopted the policy of gradually increasing diesel prices to eliminate under recovery and deregulate the diesel prices. The government has already freed pricing of petrol.
The under-recovery on High Speed Diesel (HSD) applicable for second fortnight of August 2014, effective from 16 August 2014, will go up to Rs 1.78 per litre. This was Rs 1.33 per litre during first fortnight of August 2014. In the case of PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG, the under-recoveries for the second fortnight of August 2014 will be Rs 32.98 per litre (Rs 32.98 per litre in first fortnight) and Rs 447.87 per cylinder (Rs 447.87 per cylinder in first fortnight) respectively. Effective from 16 August 2014, PSU OMCs are incurring combined daily under-recovery of about Rs 230 crore on the sale of Diesel, PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG. This is higher than Rs 226 crore daily under-recoveries during first fortnight of August. The under-recoveries for the financial year 2014-15 are projected to be Rs 91665 crore while the figure was Rs 1.39 lakh crore in 2013-14.
ONGC (up 0.99%), GAIL (India) (up 1.94%) and Oil India (up 0.93%) gained. Fall in under-recoveries of PSU OMCs would ease subsidy burden shares by upstream companies.
State run upstream companies, ONGC, GAIL (India) and Oil India share the under recoveries of state-run oil marketing companies (PSU OMCs) by allowing discount in the prices of crude oil, PSD kerosene, and domestic LPG based on the rates of discount communicated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell.
Kotak Mahindra Bank rose 1.63%. The bank said during market hours that Kotak Trustee Company, a promoter group entity of Kotak Mahindra Bank, sold 16 lakh shares of the bank today, 21 August 2014. The above sale has been undertaken pursuant to RBI's requirement to reduce the promoter shareholding in the bank, has today, 21 August 2014 said.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 60.715, compared with its close of 60.62 on Wednesday, 20 August 2014.
India's macroeconomic worries have eased on falling crude oil prices. India imports about 80% of its crude oil requirement. Brent edged down toward $102 a barrel as concerns over excess oil supply and slowing demand weighed on prices. The October Brent crude contract was down 23 cents at $102.05 a barrel. The contract gained 72 cents a barrel to settle at $102.28 a barrel yesterday, 20 August 2014. Brent had hit 14-month low of $101.07 a barrel early this week.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 251.36 crore on Wednesday, 20 August 2014, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday, 20 August 2014, at the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi gave its approval for Digital India - a programme to transform India into digital empowered society and knowledge economy. The programme will be implemented in phases from the current year till 2018. The Digital India is transformational in nature and would ensure that Government services are available to citizens electronically. It would also bring in public accountability through mandated delivery of government's services electronically, a Unique ID and e-Pramaan based on authentic and standard based interoperable and integrated government applications and data basis, a government statement said.
Asian shares fell today, 21 August 2014, as a disappointing survey on Chinese manufacturing stoked concerns about the regional giant. Key benchmark indices in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, and South Korea were off 0.13% to 1.36%. Key benchmark indices in Japan and Singapore were up 0.09% to 0.58%.
The HSBC/Markit Flash China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 50.3 in August from July's 18-month high of 51.7, missing forecasts.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could gain 1 point at the opening bell on Thursday, 21 August 2014. US stocks ended mostly higher on Wednesday, 20 August 2014, after minutes from the Federal Reserve's July meeting gave investors reason to believe that the central bank is in no rush to raise interest rates.
The minutes were from the two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee in late July, when the Fed trimmed its monthly bond-buying program by an additional $10 billion.
Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen will give a speech tomorrow, 22 August 2014, at the annual Fed summit in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Fed Chair Janet Yellen is reportedly expected to acknowledge during the conference that while economic data has generally been supportive, she remains concerned about slack in the labor market.
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