A sudden slide pushed key benchmark indices into the red from green in mid-afternoon trade. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market turned negative from positive. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, and the 50-unit CNX Nifty, both, hit their lowest level in more than a week low. The Sensex was currently off 168.22 points or 0.58% at 29,063.19. The Mid-Cap and Small-Cap indices, both, slipped into the red from green.
President of India Pranab Mukherjee said in his speech addressing the members of both the Houses of Parliament today, 23 February 2015, that the fundamental tenet of this government is 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' which means taking everyone along and development for all.
Index heavyweight Reliance Industries edged lower. Most realty stocks declined. Lupin dropped after the company said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised concerns over production processes at the company's Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 89.41 crore during the previous trading session on Friday, 20 February 2015, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 204.85 crore on Friday, 20 February 2015, as per provisional data.
The market may remain volatile this week as traders roll over positions in the futures & options (F&O) segment from the near month February 2015 series to March 2015 series. The near month February 2015 derivatives contracts expire on Thursday, 26 February 2015.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar.
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Brent crude oil futures edged lower on worries about oversupply in North America.
In overseas markets, European shares rose after euro zone finance ministers on Friday, 20 February 2015, agreed in principle to extend heavily indebted Greece's financial rescue by four months. Asian stocks were mixed. US stocks rallied on Friday, 20 February 2015, sending the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average to record levels on news that eurozone ministers agreed to a four-month extension of Greece's bailout.
At 14:16 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 168.22 points or 0.58% at 29,063.19. The index lost 185.11 points at the day's low of 29,046.30 in mid-afternoon trade, its lowest level since 13 February 2015. The index gained 131.55 points at the day's high of 29,362.96 in morning trade.
The CNX Nifty was down 57.55 points or 0.65% at 8,776.05. The index hit a low of 8,768.30 in intraday trade, its lowest level since 13 February 2015. The index hit a high of 8,869 in intraday trade.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market turned negative from positive in mid-afternoon trade. On BSE, 1,611 shares fell and 1,171 shares rose. A total of 126 shares were unchanged.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was off 38.98 points or 0.36% at 10,797.20. The BSE Small-Cap index was off 2.29 points or 0.02% at 11,423.95. The fall in these two indices was lower than the Sensex's decline in percentage terms.
Index heavyweight Reliance Industries fell 1.28% at Rs 862.55. The stock hit high of Rs 876.40 and low of Rs 860.30
Delhi police crime branch on Friday, 20 February 2015, arrested officials from five companies and others as part of investigations of an alleged scam to steal documents from the oil ministry to sell to consultants and private companies. An official each of Cairn India, Reliance Industries, Reliance Power, Jubilant Energy and Essar group was arrested on Friday, 20 February 2015.
Shares of Essar group companies were mixed. Essar Oil dropped 4.01%. Essar Shipping rose 0.23%. Shares of Essar Ports fell 0.89%.
Shares of Vedanta group firm Cairn India lost 1.54%. With respect to media reports titled Crude Jolt: Cairn India Cuts 250 Jobs, Cairn India during market hours today, 23 February 2015, said that the company continues to focus on key projects to deliver on commitments while simultaneously working on resource optimization to drive efficiencies for value generation. As necessary, the company aligns working to enable a sustainable competitive business and deliver on business goals. This at times may include some realignment of the resources including human capital but at the same time ensuring that there is no impact on the performance or operations of the company, Cairn India said.
Shares of another Vedanta group firm Sesa Sterlite gained 2.81% after the company's subsidiary Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) won the Gare Palma IV/1 coal block in Chhattisgarh for Rs 1,585 per tonne, according to the results of e-Auction for Schedule II coal mines announced by the Ministry of Coal on Saturday, 21 February 2015. The coal ministry has started auctioning coal blocks after the Supreme Court in September last year cancelled the allocation of more than 200 coal mines allotted between 1993 and 2010 after ruling that they were arbitrary and illegal.
Shares of Jubilant group companies viz. Jubilant Life Sciences (down 1.69%) and Jubilant FoodWorks (down 0.81%) edged lower.
Shares of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group companies were mixed after these group firms issued clarification with regard to recent media reports of pilferage of secret documents relating to oil ministry.
Reliance Communications (down 0.9%), and Reliance Power (down 0.32%) edged lower. Reliance Capital (up 0.42%) and Reliance Infrastructure (up 0.46%) gained.
In view of misleading reports in a section of the media, Reliance group today, 23 February 2015 clarified that no search or raid has been conducted by police authorities at any office of the Reliance Group anywhere in India. The work station of only one specific Reliance Power employee was searched, and no incriminating material of any kind was found, Reliance Group said in a press release. The company is not aware of the circumstances leading to the arrest of that employee, and Reliance Power is fully cooperating with the authorities. The group is committed to propriety in all business dealings, and do not support unlawful activities of any nature, the press release said.
Lupin dropped 2.55%. Lupin during market hours today, 23 February 2015, said that the company's Bioresearch Center, Pune (LBC) and its manufacturing facility at Pithampur, near Indore in Madhya Pradesh were audited by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in November 2014 and January 2015 respectively. Both audits were completed successfully LBC not receiving any observations and the Indore unit receiving 6 observations (483's). Since then, the Indore facility has received 1 ANDA approval and 2 site-transfer approvals.
Lupin further said that it has received final approval for its Bimatoprost Ophthalmic Solution, 0.03% from the USFDA to market a generic version of Allergan lnc.'s Lumigan Ophthalmic Solution, 0.03%. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LPI), the company's US subsidiary would commence marketing the product shortly, Lupin said. Lupin's Bimatoprost Ophthalmic Solution, 0.03% is the AT rated generic equivalent of Lumigan Ophthalmic Solution, 0.03% and is indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Lupin's Bimatoprost Ophthalmic Solution, 0.03% filing was made from its Indore facility which was audited in January 2015.
Realty stocks declined. DLF (down 2.18%), Housing Development and Infrastructure (down 4.65%), Indiabulls Real Estate (down 0.06%), D B Realty (down 2.22%), Unitech (down 0.05%), Godrej Properties (down 0.74%) and edged lower.
Sobha (up 6.39%), Oberoi Realty (up 5.67%) and Parsvnath Developers (up 2.24%) gained.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 62.1675, compared with its close of 62.23 during the previous trading session on Friday, 20 February 2015.
Brent crude oil futures edged lower on worries about oversupply in North America. Brent for April settlement was off 13 cents at $60.09 a barrel. The contract had risen 1 cent to settle at $60.22 a barrel during the previous trading session on Friday, 20 February 2015.
The stock exchanges have decided to keep the stock market open on Saturday, 28 February 2015, just like any other normal trading session when the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents the first full-fledged Budget of the Narendra Modi government. Trading will start at 9:15 IST and conclude at 15:30 IST. Jaitley will begin his speech at 11:00 IST in Lok Sabha on 28 February 2015 as he tables the Union Budget 2015-16 in the parliament.
The Railway Budget 2015-16 will be tabled in the parliament by rail minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday, 26 February 2015. The Economic Survey will be tabled on Friday, 27 February 2015.
In a customary speech to mark the beginning of the Budget session of parliament, President Pranab Mukherjee today, 23 February 2015, said that "Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas (taking everyone along, development for all)" is this government's fundamental tenet. In his speech to both houses of Parliament, Mukherjee said that within a span of 9 months, the government has articulated and embarked on a comprehensive strategy for unleashing the full potential of the country and its precious resource of 125 crore people. Education is the priority of priorities for the government. 'Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat' has been launched to improve foundational learning outcomes. The government is committed to provide housing for all by 2022. The government is building modern infrastructure and facilities in urban areas. The National Urban Development Mission is being finalised and Smart City programme is close to finalisation.
The next major event for the financial markets is Union Budget for 2015-16. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present Union Budget 2015-16 in Parliament on Saturday, 28 February 2015. Analysts will scrutinize measures in the Budget for financing infrastructure projects as well as the government's own capital expenditure on infrastructure for the year ahead. This is the first full fledged Budget of the Narendra Modi government and analysts will look for a roadmap for economic growth for the next few years.
Changes in rates of dividend distribution tax, capital gains tax on sale of shares, Securities Transaction Tax (STT) and Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT), if any, will be closely watched. The dividend distribution tax is currently at 15%. The minimum alternate tax is currently at 18.5% of book profits. Short term capital gains tax on sale of shares is currently at 15% while there is zero long capital gains tax on sale of shares held for a period of more than one year.
The Budget session of Parliament will be held in two phases. The first phase will be from 23 February till 20 March and the second phase from 20 April till 8 May. There will be 20 working days during the first phase and 13 in the second phase.
The Budget session of the parliament assumes utmost importance as the government intends to replace the ordinances it had promulgated after the conclusion of the winter session of the parliament with Bills and get them cleared by both Houses of Parliament during the budget session. The Narendra Modi government promulgated a slew of ordinances after the last session of Parliament. Some of the key ordinances include raising the FDI in the insurance sector from 26% to 49%, e-auctioning of coal mines and amendment to the Land Acquisition Act.
The government has already started auctioning coal blocks for captive mining. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill that was moved to replace an ordinance issued earlier was passed by the Lok Sabha in the winter session but it could not be taken up in the Rajya Sabha. The government promulgated the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance, 2014, in October to facilitate coal block auctions after the Supreme Court cancelled 204 coal blocks in September.
Through another ordinance, the government has raised the ceiling on foreign investment in the insurance sector to 49% from 26%. The government was unable to get the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008, passed in parliament during the winter session.
Amendments to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 were brought in via an ordinance after the winter session of the parliament. On the eve of the beginning of the Budget session of parliament, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Venkaiah Naidu yesterday, 22 February 2015, said the government is willing to address concerns if any, on the Land Acquisition Ordinance. Several state governments cutting across party line have expressed difficulties in land acquisition for development projects under the Act of 2013 and sought modifications. Subsequently, the central government sought to facilitate land acquisition for notified purposes like infrastructure and affordable housing projects etc., in an easy manner without compromising on the remuneration to be paid to farmers and rehabilitation measures to be taken up for displaced persons, Naidu said. The government is ready to address apprehensions, if any in this regard, Naidu said.
Analysts are also awaiting further progress on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the Budget session after the Constitution Amendment Bill for the introduction of GST was tabled in the Lok Sabha during the winter session of parliament. GST, touted as the single biggest indirect taxation reforms since independence, will simplify and harmonise the indirect tax regime in the country. Central taxes like Central Excise Duty, Additional Excise Duties, Service Tax, Additional Customs Duty (CVD) and Special Additional Duty of Customs (SAD), etc. will be subsumed in GST. At the state level, taxes like VAT/Sales Tax, Central Sales Tax, Entertainment Tax, Octroi and Entry Tax, Purchase Tax and Luxury Tax, etc. would be subsumed in GST.
In overseas markets, European shares edged higher today, 23 February 2015, after euro zone negotiators agreed to extend Greece's financial rescue package. Key benchmark indices in France and Germany were up 0.57% to 0.68%. In UK, the FTSE 100 shed 0.04%.
Euro zone ministers late on Friday, 20 February 2015 agreed to extend Greece's financial rescue package by four months. Greece had asked for a six-month extension, but the financial markets still drew some relief as the agreement removed the immediate threat of its exit from the single currency bloc after weeks of difficult and often predictable negotiations. Greece now has to submit to the Eurogroup today, 23 February 2015 a list of reforms it plans to implement during the remainder of the bailout period, which needs the approval from the troika comprised of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF.
Asian stocks were mixed today, 23 February 2015. Key indices in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan were up 0.02% to 0.73%. Key benchmark indices in Indonesia and Singapore were off 0.11% to 0.23%. Markets in China and Taiwan remained shut for the Lunar New Year holidays.
Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow may fall 25 points at opening bell today, 23 February 2015. US stocks rallied on Friday, 20 February 2015 sending the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average to record levels on news that eurozone ministers agreed to a four-month extension of Greece's bailout.
Investors will receive further clues on the central bank's assessment of the economy and the timing of a rate increase when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen gives two days of testimony to Congressional finance committees starting tomorrow, 24 February 2015.
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