Key benchmark indices trimmed gains after hitting fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade. The S&P BSE Sensex, was up 57.21 points or 0.31%, up close to 100 points from the day's low and off about 30 points from the day's high. Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) extended intraday losses on profit booking after the company reported strong Q4 results after market hours on Tuesday, 16 April 2013. Another index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC hit record high. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong.
Construction stocks rose after the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said it has set the internal target of 9,000 kms for award of road projects of National Highways for the year ended 31 March 2014 (FY 2014). Realty stocks gained for the third straight day as slowing wholesale price inflation has raised rate cut expectations.
The market edged higher in early trade. The S&P BSE Sensex and the 50-unit CNX Nifty, both, hit two-week highs. The market regained positive terrain after slipping into the negative terrain for a brief period in morning trade. The Sensex trimmed gains after hitting fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 591.76 crore on Tuesday, 16 April 2013, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
At 11:20 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 57.21 points or 0.31% to 18,802.14. The index advanced 88.56 points at the day's high of 18,833.49 in mid-morning trade, its highest level since 3 April 2013. The index fell 41.67 points at the day's low of 18,703.26 in early trade.
The CNX Nifty was up 23.95 points or 0.42% to 5,712.90. The index hit a high of 5,723.65 in intraday trade, its highest level since 3 April 2013. The index hit a low of 5,682.25 in intraday trade.
More From This Section
The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On BSE, 1,090 shares advanced and 586 shares declined. A total of 88 shares were unchanged.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 22 stocks advanced while rest of them declined.
Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) fell 2.5% at Rs 784.40 on profit booking. The scrip hit high of Rs 810 and a low of Rs 781.70 so far during the day. Ahead of Q4 results, the RIL stock had gained 4.32% in three trading days to Rs 804.50 on 16 April 2013 from a recent low of Rs 771.15 on 11 April 2013. RIL's net profit jumped 31.9% to Rs 5589 crore on 1.4% fall in turnover to Rs 86618 crore in Q4 March 2013 over Q4 March 2012. On sequential basis, RIL's net profit rose 1.58% to Rs 5589 crore on 10.06% decline in turnover to Rs 86618 crore in Q4 March 2013 over Q3 December 2012.
Net profit rose 4.8% to Rs 21003 crore on 9.2% growth in turnover to Rs 371119 crore in the year ended 31 March 2013 (FY 2013) over the year ended 31 March 2012 (FY 2012). The result hit the market after trading hours on Tuesday, 16 April 2013.
RIL's gross refining margin (GRM) edged up to $10.1 a barrel in Q4 March 2013 from $9.6 a barrel in Q3 December 2012 and $7.6 a barrel in Q4 March 2012. The GRM edged up to $9.2 a barrel in FY 2013 from $8.6 a barrel in FY 2012.
RIL said its retail business achieved cash breakeven with earnings before depreciation, finance cost and tax expense of Rs 78 crore in FY 2013. Turnover of the retail business jumped 42% to Rs 10800 crore in FY 2013 over FY 2012.
RIL is debt free on a net basis as at 31 March 2013.
Commenting on the results, Mukesh D. Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries said: "Reliance has delivered another year of strong operating performance in an environment of continued volatile economic conditions. The growth in earnings was largely driven by strong and improved refining margins during the year. Production growth from our investments in unconventional liquids-rich resource plays in North America has reinforced our confidence in creating long term value for our shareholders from this diversification. We are delighted to see our retail business achieving a milestone of annual revenue crossing Rs 10000 crore and will further strengthen our position in this sector. We are working on projects that form the foundation of our aspirations to become one of the world's most competitive producers of petroleum and petrochemical products while developing consumer centric businesses in India".
Index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC rose 0.58% to Rs 310.05. The stock hit record high of Rs 311.35 in intraday trade today, 17 April 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.
Construction stocks rose after the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on Tuesday, 16 April 2013, said it has set the internal target of 9,000 kms for award of road projects of National Highways for the year ended 31 March 2014 (FY 2014) so as to ensure award of at least 7,300 km during the year. Hindustan Construction Company, IVRCL, NCC, Valecha Engineering, Patel Engineering, Unity Infra, IRB Infrastructure Developers and L&T rose by 1.81% to 4.61%.
An initial target of 3,800 kms has been set for the first six months of the year, it said. The target set by ministry for award of road projects for FY 2014 factors into account the subdued market sentiments and the tepid response to bids in respect of PPP projects. The strategy aims at striking a balance between the projects on PPP mode and thus supported through the budget, the ministry said in a statement. The plan envisages more than 50% of the projects to be taken up on Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode. This approach aims at rejuniuvating the road construction industry.
The review meeting comes in the back drop in an extremely challenging period last year where award of road projects declined to 1,933 kms on account of several impediments, the ministry said. The impediments included lack of equity with road construction companies, and the overall economic environment which affected sentiments including that of lenders.
Realty stocks gained for the third straight day as slowing wholesale price inflation has raised rate cut expectations. Purchases of both residential and commercial property are largely driven by finance. DLF, HDIL, D B Realty, Unitech and Sobha Developers rose by 1.94% to 4.44%.
The near term focus of the market is on Q4 results. TCS announces Q4 results today, 17 April 2013. IndusInd Bank announces Q2 results tomorrow, 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. Jindal Steel & Power declares its Q4 results on 25 April 2013. Hero MotoCorp, ICICI Bank and Maruti Suzuki unveil Q4 results on 26 April 2013. IDFC announces Q4 results on 1 May 2013. Bharti Airtel and Kotak Mahindra Bank unveil Q4 results on 2 May 2013. ACC and Ambuja Cements announce Q1 March 2013 results on 3 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. Bajaj Auto announces Q4 results on 16 May 2013.
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 could 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 Reserve Bank of India (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 at that time. 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.
Inflation based on the monthly wholesale price index (WPI) eased the lowest level in 40 months at 5.96% in March 2013, and sharply lower than 6.84% in February 2013, data released by the government on 15 April 2013 showed. Non-food manufacturing inflation or core inflation slowed further to 3.41% in March 2013, the data showed. The government revised upwards WPI inflation for January 2013 to 7.31% from 6.62% reported earlier. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 5.96% compared to a build up rate of 7.69% in the corresponding period of the previous year, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement.
The combined consumer price inflation for rural and urban India stood at 10.39% in March 2013, lower than 10.91% in February 2013, recent data showed. Inflation under the category 'food and beverages' stood at 12.42%, the data showed.
The index of industrial production rose 0.6% in February 2013, data released by the government on 12 April 2013 showed. Manufacturing sector recorded a growth of 2.2%. The mining sector registered a decline of 8.1% and electricity sector declined 3.2%. As per use-based classification, production of basic goods declined 1.8% and that of intermediate goods fell 0.7%. Capital goods production rose 9.5%. Production of consumer non-durables rose 2.9% whereas that of consumer durables shrunk 2.7%.
Industrial production rose 0.9% during the period April 2012 to February 2013.
The India Meteorological Department will issue its initial forecast of 2013 southwest monsoon in this month.
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.
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 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.
Asian stocks were mostly were mostly higher on Wednesday as US stocks rose on Tuesday on strong increase in US housing starts and better-than-expected corporate earnings. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia were up by 0.17% to 1.21%. Key benchmark indices in China and South Korea were down by 0.01% to 0.58%.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could fall 18 points at the opening bell on Wednesday, 17 April 2013. US stocks edged higher on Wednesday as gold prices rebounded and earnings from Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson improved the outlook for first-quarter results.
Powered by Capital Market - Live News