Key benchmark indices remained weak in afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex was currently below the psychological 27,000 mark after falling below that mark in early afternoon trade. The Sensex was currently off 553.89 points or 2.01% at 26,953.41. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was weak with almost three losers for every gainer. The BSE Mid-Cap index was down 1.72%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 1.52%. The fall in both these indices was lower than the Sensex's decline in percentage terms. Key indices dropped on caution ahead of release of macro-economic data and profit booking emerged after prior two-day rally.
Auto stocks declined. Union Bank of India advanced as the bank's ratio of net non-performing assets to net advances declined to 2.71% as on 31 March 2015 compared with 2.95% as on 31 December 2014. IT stocks dropped.
Meanwhile, a closely watched forecast by Japan today, 12 May 2015, reportedly confirmed El Nino's return this year. A strong El Nino will roil economies that are heavily dependent on agriculture, particularly India which is already reeling from bad weather.
On the macro front, the government will today, 12 May 2015 unveil the inflation data based on the consumer price index (CPI) for April 2015 and Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data for March 2015.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 169.97 crore yesterday, 11 May 2015, as per provisional data as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 328.57 crore yesterday, 11 May 2015, as per provisional data.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee dropped past 64 against the dollar as the dollar firmed up overseas.
In the overseas markets, European stocks edged lower. Asian stocks were trading mixed today, 12 May 2015. US stocks ended yesterday's thinly traded session slightly lower, giving back some of the gains from Friday's post-jobs rally.
At 13:18 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 553.89 points or 2.01% at 26,953.41. The index lost 579.48 points at the day's low of 26,927.82 in early afternoon trade, its lowest level since 8 May 2015. The index fell 4.39 points at the day's high of 27,502.91 in opening trade.
The CNX Nifty was down 178.50 points or 2.14% at 8,146.75. The index hit a low of 8,137.60 in intraday trade, its lowest level since 8 May 2015. The index hit a high of 8,326.65 in intraday trade.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was weak with almost three losers for ever gainer. On BSE, 1,826 shares declined and 609 shares rose. A total of 94 shares were unchanged.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was down 179.97 points or 1.72% at 10,273.99. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 166.72 points or 1.52% at 10,800.90. The fall in both these indices was lower than the Sensex's decline in percentage terms.
IT stocks dropped. HCL Technologies (down 3.01%), TCS (down 1.21%), Infosys (down 1.98%), MphasiS (down 0.39%) and Wipro (down 1.55%) edged lower.
Auto stocks declined. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) (down 1.63%), Ashok Leyland (down 0.07%), Maruti Suzuki India (down 2.13%), Bajaj Auto (down 1.79%) and TVS Motor Company (down 1.72%) declined. Hero MotoCorp rose 4.26%.
Eicher Motors fell 0.91% after the company said that Royal Enfield acquired UK-based Harris Performance Products. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 11 May 2015. Eicher Motors said Royal Enfield, the world's fastest growing motorcycle manufacturer, has acquired UK-based Harris Performance Products. Financial details were not disclosed.
Established over forty years ago by brothers Steve and Lester Harris and Stephen Bayford, Harris Performance is one of the leading experts in designing and manufacturing of specialised high performance motorcycle chassis and components. Under the terms of the deal, Royal Enfield will acquire all assets, employees, trade names, technical know-how and intellectual property of Harris Performance Products, the company said in a statement.
Union Bank of India advanced as the bank's ratio of net non-performing assets to net advances declined to 2.71% as on 31 March 2015 compared with 2.95% as on 31 December 2014. The stock was up 2.99%. The result was announced during market hours today, 12 May 2015.
Union Bank of India's ratio of net non-performing assets (NPAs) to net advances stood at 2.71% as on 31 March 2015 compared with 2.95% as on 31 December 2014 and 2.33% as on 31 March 2014. The ratio of gross NPAs to gross advances stood at 4.96% as on 31 March 2015 as against 5.08% as on 31 December 2014 and 4.08% as on 31 March 2014.
Union Bank of India's net profit fell 23.34% to Rs 443.77 crore on 11.11% growth in total income to Rs 9383.71 crore in Q4 March 2015 over Q4 March 2014.
The bank's provisions and contingencies rose 9.71% to Rs 1009.94 crore in Q4 March 2015 over Q4 March 2014. Provision coverage ratio as on 31 March 2015 stood at 59.23%.
Union Bank of India's Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) as per Basel III stood at 10.22% as on 31 March 2015 as against 10.3% as on 31 December 2014 and 10.8% as on 31 March 2014.
In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower past 64 against the dollar as the American currency firmed up overseas. Besides, increased demand for the dollar from importers and weak domestic equity market also weighed on the rupee. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 64.1825, compared with closing of 63.8550 during the previous trading session.
A closely watched forecast by Japan today, 12 May 2015, reportedly confirmed El Nino's return this year. A strong El Nino will roil economies that are heavily dependent on agriculture, particularly India which is already reeling from bad weather. It would also unhinge supply chains of commodities such as rice, corn and palm oil. In fact, the heat is already up in some places in the Asia Pacific. The El Nino, or a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific, can lead to scorching weather across Asia and east Africa but heavy rains and floods in South America. In 2009, the El Nino brought the worst drought in four decades to India. It razed wheat fields in Australia and damaged crops across Asia.
On the macro front, the government will today, 12 May 2015 unveil data on inflation based on the consumer price index (CPI) for April 2015. The all-India general CPI inflation slowed down to three months low of to 5.2% in March 2015 from 5.4% in February 2015. The government will also today, 12 May 2015 unveil the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data for March 2015. IIP increased 5% in February 2015 compared with the revised growth of 2.8% in January 2015.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while responding to the discussions on the Finance Bill in Rajya Sabha on 7 May 2015, had announced the constitution of a Committee headed by Justice A.P. Shah to look into, inter alia, the issue of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on FIIs.
In the light of the Finance Minister's announcement, officers dealing with International Taxes have been advised that no coercive action be taken for recovery of demand already raised by invoking provisions of MAT in the case of foreign companies particularly FIIs. Issue of fresh notices for reopening of cases as also completion of assessment should also be put on hold unless the case is getting barred by limitation, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday, 11 May 2015.
Meanwhile, proceedings in parliament are being keenly watched. The government yesterday, 11 May 2015 reportedly appeared to have blinked in its ongoing stand-off with the Congress in Parliament. Reports indicated that the government is likely to refer the Land Acquisition Bill, which was introduced in Lok Sabha yesterday, 11 May 2015 to a joint committee of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The GST Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha last week, will be reportedly sent to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha. The 30-member joint committee could have 19 members from the Lok Sabha and 11 from the Rajya Sabha. The Select Committee will only have members from the upper house. Both these panels are expected to submit their reports in the next session, reports indicated. Besides the Land Acquisition Bill and the GST Bill, a united Opposition had last week forced the government to refer another Bill related to regulating the real estate sector to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha. The only hope for the three Bills will now be in the monsoon session of Parliament in July 2015 as the budget session ends tomorrow, 13 May 2015.
The amended Land Acquisition Bill seeks to scrap the consent clause for acquiring land for five sectors industrial corridors, public private partnership projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence. The bill also exempts projects in these five areas from social impact assessments and allows the purchase of irrigated multi-cropped land and other types of agricultural land.
The Lok Sabha on 6 May 2015, passed the Constitution Amendment Bill in respect of goods and services tax (GST). A constitutional amendment bill needs to be approved by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament and ratified by half the state legislative assemblies before coming into effect. While the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance found it easy to pass the GST bill in the Lok Sabha where it is in a majority, the real test will come in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling alliance is in a minority, with 62 members in a 245-member house.
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 stocks edged lower today, 12 May 2015. Key indices in France, Germany and UK shed by 0.83% to 1.02%.
The Bank of England (BOE) yesterday, 11 May 2015 kept interest rates unchanged, after delaying the announcement from last Thursday's meeting because of the general election, in which the incumbent Conservative Party gained enough votes to take a majority in parliament. The BOE held its benchmark interest rate at a record low of 0.5%, where it has stayed since March 2009. It also kept the size of its bond purchases under the quantitative easing program at 375 billion pound ($578 billion).
Meanwhile, in a closely-watched Eurogroup meeting yesterday, 11 May 2015 euro zone finance ministers welcomed progress in negotiations between Greece and its creditors but said more work is needed for a cash-for-reform deal. Greece's finance minister reportedly said that his country's financial situation is "terribly urgent" and the crisis could come to a head in a couple of weeks. Yanis Varoufakis gave the warning after eurozone finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss the final euro 7.2 billion tranche of Greece's euro 240 billion EU/IMF bailout. Earlier, Greece began the transfer of euro 750 million in debt interest to the International Monetary Fund, a day ahead of a payment deadline.
Asian stocks were trading mixed today, 12 May 2015. Key benchmark indices in Japan, Taiwan, China and Indonesia rose by 0.02% to 1.56%. Key benchmark indices in Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea fell by 0.03% to 0.58%.
US stocks ended yesterday's thinly traded session slightly lower, giving back some of the gains from Friday's post-jobs rally.
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