Key benchmark indices tumbled as better-than-expected US service industries data fueled speculation the US Federal Reserve will reduce stimulus to the US economy soon. Indo-Pak tension also weighed on equities after a heavily-armed team of terrorists and Pakistani troops ambushed an Indian Army patrol along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Tuesday, killing five Indian soldiers. The rupee hit record low against the dollar. The Sensex was provisionally down 447.79 points or 2.33%, off close to 465 points from the day's high and up about 65 points from the day's low. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was weak. All the thirteen sectoral indices on BSE were in the red.
Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) extended Monday's steep losses triggered by the company's weak Q1 results. Tata Power Company tumbled and hit 52-week low after the company reported reverse turnaround in Q1 June 2013. Bank stocks extended intraday losses, with State Bank of India hitting a 52-week low. Metal and mining stocks declined with Tata Steel hitting 52-week low.
The market edged lower in early trade on weak Asian stocks. The Sensex extended initial losses to hit fresh intraday low in morning trade as the rupee hit record low against the dollar. The market weakened further to hit fresh intraday low in mid-morning trade. The Sensex fell below the psychological 19,000 mark. Weakness continued on the bourses in early afternoon trade. The Sensex slumped to hit fresh intraday low in mid-afternoon trade. The Sensex hit its lowest level in nearly six weeks. The 50-unit CNX Nifty hits its lowest level in more than 16-week lows.
Indo-Pak tension weighed on the bourses after a heavily-armed team of terrorists and Pakistani troops ambushed an Indian Army patrol along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Tuesday, killing five Indian soldiers. The incident occurred just hours after the ceasefire violation in Samba sector on Monday evening in which one BSF soldier was injured.
The rupee pared losses after a steep intraday slide took it to record low against the dollar. The rupee was hovering at 61.36, lower than Monday's close of 60.88/89.
As per provisional figures, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 447.79 points or 2.33% to 18,734.47. The index lost 514.96 points at the day's low of 18,667.30 in late trade, its lowest level since 26 June 2013. The index declined 50.34 points at the day's high of 19,131.92 in early trade.
The CNX Nifty was down 140.90 points or 2.48% to 5,544.50, as per provisional figures. The index hit a low of 5,521.80 in intraday trade, its lowest level since 15 April 2013. The index hit a high of 5,664.90 in intraday trade.
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The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 1677 crore, lower than Rs 1765.97 crore on Monday, 5 August 2013.
The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was weak. On BSE, 1,612 shares fell and 644 shares rose. A total of 122 shares were unchanged.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 27 stocks fell and only three of them rose.
Metal and mining stocks declined. Sterlite Industries (down 5.51%), Sesa Goa (down 4.32%), NMDC (down 3.03%), Jindal Steel & Power (down 2.98%), Sail (down 3.88%), Hindustan Zinc (down 2.39%), Hindalco Industries (down 1.21%), declined.
Steel major Tata Steel dropped 4.69% to Rs 198.15 after hitting a 52-week low of Rs 197.30 in intraday trade today, 6 August 2013.
But, shares of state-run copper miner Hindustan Copper jumped 8.74% to Rs 47.90.
Bank stocks dropped. HDFC Bank declined 3.94%. ICICI Bank dropped 4.28%.
Among PSU bank stocks, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank shed by 2.94% to 5.94%.
State Bank of India declined 2.51% to Rs 1640.10 after hitting a 52-week low of Rs 1634.15 in intraday trade today, 6 August 2013.
Housing finance major HDFC lost 5.09%.
Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) slumped 6.95% to Rs 112.50, with the stock extending Monday's steep losses triggered by weak Q1 results. The stock hit 52-week low of Rs 112.10 in intraday trade today, 6 August 2013. The scrip had lost 19.08% in a single trading session on Monday, 5 August 2013, on weak Q1 results. The company's net profit fell 49.45% to Rs 465.43 crore on 20.54% decline in total income to Rs 6996.60 crore in Q1 June 2013 over Q1 June 2012. The result was announced on Saturday, 3 August 2013.
Tata Power Company tumbled 13.56% to Rs 72.35 after the company reported reverse turnaround in Q1. The stock hit 52-week low of Rs 68.25 in intraday trade today, 6 August 2013. The company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 114.70 crore in Q1 June 2013, compared with net profit of Rs 145.93 crore in Q1 June 2012. The company's total income rose 24.53% to Rs 9111.57 crore in Q1 June 2013 over Q1 June 2012. The company announced Q1 result during market hours today, 6 August 2013.
Shares of realty developer Orbit Corporation were off 6.57% to Rs 11.10 and that of LIC Housing Finance were off 7.29% to Rs 159 after Orbit Corporation admitted of delay in payment of certain interest and principal over last few months to LIC Housing Finance and said that currently an amount of around Rs 96 crore is outstanding to the lender. The company issued a clarification to the stock exchanges today, 6 August 2013, after LIC Housing Finance published a caution notice in newspapers. Orbit Corporation said that the management is in continuous discussion with the LIC Housing Finance officers for re-schedulement of the credit facilities availed by the company. The realty developer said that there was delay in the receipt of regulatory permission for its projects in the last 18-24 months due to which there was not much of construction activities at the site, which in effect led to deferment of the receivables from the project. The company said it has received permissions for the projects in the last couple of months and slowly construction activity has begun to remobilize the sites. The company said it expects the cash flows from the project will restart in the next 1-2 months which will be utilised to service the credit facilities of LIC Housing Finance.
Economic output in emerging economies contracted in July to its slowest pace since April 2009, marking a fresh low since the global financial crisis, according to HSBC Holdings PLC. The HSBC Emerging Markets Index, which tracks purchasing managers' index reports from 16 emerging economies, declined to 49.4 in July from 50.6 the previous month, HSBC said in a report. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion in activity.
European indices were mostly higher on Tuesday, 6 August 2013 after UK industrial production rose more than economists forecast in June. Key benchmark indices in Germany and France were up by 0.11% to 0.25%. UK's FTSE 100 fell 0.04%.
UK industrial production rose more than economists forecast in June as manufacturing surged the most in a year, rebounding from a slump the previous month. Industrial output increased 1.1% from May after stagnating for three months, the Office for National Statistics said today in London.
Most Asian stocks fell on Tuesday, 6 August 2013, as stronger growth in American service industries fueled speculation the US Federal Reserve will soon be able to reduce economic stimulus. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea were off 0.5% to 1.34%. Key benchmark indices in China and Japan rose by 0.49% and 1%, respectively.
Australia's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low and damped expectations of further reductions. Governor Glenn Stevens and his board reduced the overnight cash-rate target by a quarter percentage point to 2.5%, the Reserve Bank of Australia said in a statement in Sydney today.
Trading in US index futures indicated a flat opening of US stocks on Tuesday, 6 August 2013. Most US stocks fell on Monday, 5 August 2013, with benchmark indices pulling away from record highs, as Wall Street considered a report indicating better-than-expected growth in the service sector and a Federal Reserve official's remarks that the central bank is closer to curbing its asset purchases. Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher on Monday, 5 August 2013, said the fall in the US unemployment rate to 7.4% in July means the Fed is closer to slowing its asset purchases from $85 billion a month.
The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index for the US rose to 56 in July, beating the median estimate and June's 52.2 reading.
The US central bank currently buys $85 billion a month in US debt and mortgage-backed securities. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has on several occasions stressed that the tapering process is dependent on an improvement in data. Fed's bond-buying program has kept global markets flush with liquidity in recent years.
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