The Sensex ended 2.1 per cent higher on Friday, posting its biggest single-session rise in nearly nine weeks, led by gains in ICICI Bank, as risk appetite improved globally after Greece averted the immediate risk of a debt default.
However, the rise in local stocks is seen as short-lived, with the Sensex falling for the third week, after the ruling Congress party’s loss in state elections hit hopes of renewed efforts to launch reforms and reverse a slowdown in growth.
“Ahead of the monetary policy and budget, the market is expected to have some stabilisation and that is what I am seeing right now,” said Deven Choksey, chief executive at K R Choksey Shares and Securities in Mumbai.
The benchmark 30-share BSE index closed up 2.09 per cent, or 357.72 points, its biggest rise since January 10, at 17,503.24 points, with 23 of its components gaining. The index has lost nearly 0.8 per cent this week. The markets were shut yesterday for a public holiday.
The euro dipped and European stocks made small gains after Greece won strong acceptance for a bond swap deal that eases its path to second bailout.
“This is a bounceback. The rise is in line with the international markets, and since we were closed for a day in between we are catching up on that,” said Ambareesh Baliga, chief operating officer at Mumbai’s Way2Wealth Securities.
The government could announce a populous budget, which could be ‘disastrous’ for the economy and the markets, he said.
Investors are keenly awaiting the annual budget to be presented in parliament next Friday as well as the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) monetary policy review, traders said.
ICICI Bank, the country’s no 2 lender, rose 6.3 per cent and bigger rival State Bank of India gained 3.96 per cent on hopes of another cut to the cash reserve ratio, or the proportion of deposits that banks must keep with RBI.
HDFC Bank, third largest lender by assets, also closed up 1.46 per cent.
The central bank had cut the CRR by 50 basis points to 5.5 per cent on January 24 but kept its key policy rate unchanged.
Larsen & Toubro rallied 5.24 per cent after the engineering and construction conglomerate announced a succession plan. The company split leadership by naming a new chief executive officer and said A M Naik, the current chairman and managing director, would continue as executive chairman.
Shares of Multi Commodity Exchange, which raised Rs 660 crore in an initial public offering, jumped 38 per cent on their debut.
The shares closed 25.65 per cent higher at Rs 1,296.70.
The MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.92 per cent at 4.09 pm (1039 GMT), while Japan’s Nikkei ended up 1.65 per cent.
The 50-share NSE index closed up 2.17 per cent at 5,333.55. In the broader market, there were 1,076 gainers against 381 losers on volume of about 706.77 million shares.
Stocks that moved
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone fell 7.06 per cent after a Bloomberg report said it failed to win security clearances to expand because it was being probed by the government for possible money laundering. The company has denied the report.
Mahindra Satyam rose 3.65 per cent after the computer services company said it had acquired vCustomer’s international operations for $27 million.
