High volatility was witnessed as key benchmark indices cut almost the entire intraday losses in early afternoon trade after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its key policy rate viz. the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.25% to provide support to a fragile economic recovery in the face of gradual moderation of headline inflation. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 5.42 points or 0.03%, off close to 15 points from the day's high and up about 175 points from the day's low. Index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC extended intraday losses. Another index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) extended intraday gains. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative.
Interest rate sensitive auto stocks were mixed after the RBI said after the monetary policy review that that the balance of risks stemming from its assessment of the growth-inflation dynamic provides little space for further monetary easing. Capital goods stocks rose on renewed buying.
The market edged lower in early trade. The market hovered in the negative terrain in morning trade. The market trimmed losses after hitting fresh intraday day low in mid-morning trading after RBI's announcement of repo rate cut after monetary policy review. The Sensex cut almost the entire intraday losses in early afternoon trade.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1429.94 crore on Thursday, 2 May 2013, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
The RBI today, 3 May 2013, cut the repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 7.25% and kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR) for banks unchanged at 4% after a monetary policy review. The central bank said that with upside risks to inflation still significant in the near term in view of sectoral demand supply imbalances, ongoing correction in administered prices and pressures stemming from MSP increases, monetary policy cannot afford to lower its guard against the possibility of resurgence of inflation pressures. The RBI said that recent monetary policy action, by itself, cannot revive growth. It needs to be supplemented by efforts towards easing the supply bottlenecks, improving governance and stepping up public investment, alongside continuing commitment to fiscal consolidation.
The RBI said WPI inflation is expected to be range-bound around 5.5% during 2013-14, with some edging down in the first half on account of past policy actions, although there could be some increase in the second half, largely reflecting base effects. By March 2013, WPI inflation at 6% turned out to be lower than the RBI's indicative projection of 6.8%, mainly due to a sharp deceleration in non-food manufactured products inflation in the second half of the year. The RBI said it will endeavour to condition the evolution of inflation to a level of 5% by March 2014, using all instruments at its command.
During 2013-14, economic activity is expected to show only a modest improvement over last year, with a pick-up likely only in the second half of the year. Accordingly, the baseline GDP growth for 2013-14 is projected at 5.7%, RBI said.
More From This Section
The RBI said a high current account deficit (CAD) poses the biggest risk "by far" to the Indian economy. A large CAD, appreciably above the sustainable level year after year, will put pressure on servicing of external liabilities, RBI said.
At 12:20 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 5.42 points or 0.03% to 19,730.35. The index rose 9.08 points at the day's high of 19,744.85 in early afternoon trade. The index declined 183.22 points at the day's low of 19,552.55 in mid-morning trade.
The CNX Nifty was down 7.95 points or 0.13% to 5,991.40. The index hit a high of 6,000.30 in intraday trade. The index hit a low of 5,930.15 in intraday trade.
The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On BSE, 1,029 shares fell and 817 shares rose. A total of 90 shares were unchanged.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 19 stocks rose while rest of them fell. SBI, ICICI Bank and GAIL (India) shed by 0.97% to 1.93%. Jindal Steel & Power, Sterlite Industries and Hindalco Industries rose by 2.76% to 2.93%.
Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) rose 1.42% to Rs 814.15. The scrip hit high of Rs 815.40 and a low of Rs 798 so far during the day. The Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday, 2 May 2013, imposed a penalty of Rs 11 crore on Reliance Petroinvestments (RPIL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, for insider trading in IPCL shares in 2007. According to the Sebi order, RPIL made profit of about Rs 3.82 crore through these trades. IPCL, which Reliance bought in 2002 under a government disinvestment programme, was a separately listed firm before being merged with RIL.
RIL on Tuesday, 30 April 2013, that its telecom unit Reliance Jio Infocomm (India) has joined a consortium of telecom companies building an 8,000 kilometre submarine cable system to link Malaysia and Singapore with the Middle East. The Bay of Bengal Gateway (BBG) cable system, which will have connections to India and Sri Lanka, is expected to carry commercial traffic by end of 2014, RIL said.
At the time of announcement of its Q4 results, RIL in mid-April 2013 said that the company is working towards next wave of projects to exploit the undeveloped discovered resources in KG-D6 gas field targeted over the next 3-5 years. RIL has submitted an Integrated Block Development Plan (IBDP) for four discoveries in NEC -25 block (D-32, D-40, D-9 and D-10) proposing for a phased manner development. First gas is expected by mid-2019 subject to timely approvals.
Index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC fell 1% to Rs 330.10 on profit booking. The scrip hit high of Rs 333.30 and a low of Rs 329 so far during the day. The stock had hit record high of Rs 335.90 in intraday on Tuesday, 30 April 2013. The Centre 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.
Auto stocks were mixed after the RBI said after the monetary policy review that that the balance of risks stemming from its assessment of the growth-inflation dynamic provides little space for further monetary easing. Purchases of automobiles, including that of cars, utility vehicles and commercial vehicles are substantially driven by financing.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) rose 0.02%. The company's automobile division reported a 2% rise in total sales to 41,432 in April 2013 over April 2012. Total domestic sales rose 2% to 39,902 in April 2013 over April 2012. Exports rose 8% to 1,530 during the period.
M&M's Farm Equipment Sector (FES) reported 38% rise in total sales to 23,202 units in April 2013 over April 2012. Total domestic sales rose 38% to 22,196 in April 2013 over April 2012. Exports rose 34% to 1,006 during the period.
Tata Motors declined 1.75%, with the stock declining for the second straight day after the company reported weak April sales. The company's total sales fell 15% to 51,160 in April 2013 over April 2012. Total domestic sales fell 17% to 47,595 in April 2013 over April 2012. Exports rose 28% to 3,565 during the period.
Car maker Maruti Suzuki India rose 0.25%. The company's total sales fell 3.1% to 97,302 units in April 2013 over April 2012. The company's domestic sales rose 0.3% to 90,523 units in April 2013 over April 2012. Exports fell 33.3% to 6,779 units in April 2013 over April 2012. The company announced its sales figures on 1 May 2013.
Bajaj Auto declined 1.68%, with the stock declining for the second straight day after the company reported fall in sales in April 2013. The company's total sales fell 10% to 3.44 lakh units in April 2013 over April 2012. Motorcycle sales fell 12% to 3 lakh units in April 2013 over April 2012. Commercial vehicle sales rose 10% to 43,351 units in April 2013 over April 2012. Exports fell 23% to 1.30 lakh units in April 2013 over April 2012. The company announced its sales figures during market hours on Thursday, 2 April 2013.
Hero MotoCorp rose 0.2%. The company said on 1 May 2013, its total sales fell 9.5% to 4.99 lakh in April 2013 over April 2012.
Capital goods stocks rose on renewed buying. L&T, Bhel and Siemens gained by 0.21% to 3.45%.
The focus of the market is on Q4 results. Grasim and Jaiprakash Associates will unveil their Q4 results tomorrow, 4 May 2013. HDFC and Lupin unveil Q4 results on 8 May 2013. Ranbaxy announces Q1 March 2013 results on the same day. Asian Paints and Punjab National Bank unveil Q4 results on 9 May 2013. NTPC announces Q4 results on 10 May 2013. Bank of Baroda unveils Q4 results on 13 May 2013. Dr Reddy's Laboratories announces Q4 results on 14 May 2013. Bajaj Auto announces Q4 results on 16 May 2013. BPCL announces Q4 results on 29 May 2013. M&M announces Q4 results on 30 May 2013.
India's factories lost momentum in April as output grew at its weakest pace in over four years, but a jump in export orders augured well for the coming months, a survey showed on Thursday, 2 May 2013. The HSBC Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), fell for the second straight month in April, dipping to 51 from 52 in March. The reading for April was the lowest since November 2011.
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.
Asian stocks rose for the first time in three days on Friday as Macquarie Group reported higher earnings and investors awaited the release of US job data. Key benchmark indices in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea rose by 0.08% to 1.53%. Key benchmark indices in Japan, Indonesia and Singapore fell by 0.64% to 0.81%.
China's service industries expanded at a slower pace last month, adding to the drag on growth in the world's second-biggest economy after manufacturing lost momentum. The non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 54.5 from 55.6 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said in a statement today in Beijing.
Trading in US index futures indicated a flat opening of US stocks on Friday, 3 May 2013. US stocks rose on Thursday, sending the Standard & Poor's 500 index to a record high, as the European Central Bank cut its key interest rate and American jobless claims unexpectedly fell. Applications for US unemployment insurance payments fell 18,000 to 324,000 in the week ended April 27, the fewest since January 2008, Labor Department figures showed yesterday.
In Europe, the European Central Bank lowered its benchmark rate to a record low yesterday and President Mario Draghi signaled another reduction is possible. European policy makers cut the main refinancing rate to a record-low 0.5% yesterday from 0.75%, and reduced the marginal lending rate to 1% from 1.5%.
Powered by Capital Market - Live News