Stocks come alive as Indo-China ties get back to 'right track'

A thaw in Indo-China matrix after the the Doklam dispute plus improving services data brought cheer to the markets on Tuesday, as key stock indices pushed higher at the close, defying intermittent spells of turbulence.

Investors went looking for bargains in banking, oil and gas and automobile stocks.

India and China have agreed to move forward in their ties, with Chinese President Xi Jinping telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he wants to put the relationship on the “right track”.

Meanwhile, the August services sector activity contracted for a second consecutive month but at a slower pace, a monthly survey has found. The Nikkei India Services PMI Business Activity Index improved slightly to 47.5 in August, from 45.9 in July.

The 30-share Sensex jumped at the open and hit the day’s high of 31,863.47. But, due to weak Asian markets, it ended at 31,809.55, still up 107.30 points, or 0.3 per cent, from its previous close. The Sensex had lost 190 points in the previous session, in line with a general weakness across the globe set off by North Korea’s nuclear test on Sunday.

The NSE Nifty also moved up 39.35 points, or 0.4 per cent, to end at 9,952.20.

“The market started with a subdued bias, but later recovered with a sign of improving bilateral relationship between India and China. Additionally, improving manufacturing and service data (August) and tax collection will address concerns on valuation,” said Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Financial Services.

Buying picked up in the later part of the session, in tandem with a strong opening of European shares. The overall recovery received some support from consumer durables, up 2.3 per cent, along with realty, oil and gas, metal and banking stocks which recouped their losses to an extent.

Coal India remained in the lead, with a gain of nearly three per cent, with Adani Ports adding 1.60 per cent, Bajaj Auto 1.58 per cent and RIL 1.34 per cent. Bharti Airtel trailed with most losses, down 2.25 per cent. 

Foreign funds net offloaded shares worth Rs 873.9 crore on Monday, showed provisional data. Even domestic institutional investors dumped shares worth Rs 49 crore.