Key indices hovered near the flat line after alternately swinging between positive and negative zone in early afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was currently up 3 points or 0.01% at 28,301.13. The 50-unit CNX Nifty was currently off 4.70 points or 0.05% at 8,583.95. The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was positive.
Banks stocks declined. Telecom stocks also edged lower.
In overseas markets, Asian stocks were mixed. Chinese shares rose as speculation grew that the government will take more measures to stem a recent market rout. US markets ended lower yesterday, 6 August 2015, as investors turned cautious ahead of the monthly non-farm payrolls data.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 108.93 crore yesterday, 6 August 2015, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 111.78 crore yesterday, 6 August 2015, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges.
At 12:15 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 3 points or 0.01% at 28,301.13. The index fell 64.04 points at the day's low of 28,234.09 in mid-morning trade. The index gained 37.54 points at the day's high of 28,335.67 in early trade.
The Nifty was down 4.70 points or 0.05% at 8,583.95. The index hit a low of 8,563.75 in intraday trade so far. The index hit a high of 8,595.95 in intraday trade so far.
The market breadth indicating the overall health of the market was positive. On BSE, 1,427 shares gained and 1,155 shares fell. A total of 124 shares were unchanged.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 32.74 points or 0.28% at 11,618.32. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 60.42 points or 0.5% at 12,182.10. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.
The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 1750 crore by 12:15 IST compared with turnover of Rs 1346 crore by 11:15 IST.
Banks stocks declined. Among private bank stocks, HDFC Bank (down 0.46%), Kotak Mahindra Bank (down 0.13%), ICICI Bank (down 0.26%), Axis Bank (down 0.61%) and Yes Bank (down 0.39%) fell.
IndusInd Bank shed 0.41%. The stock turned ex-dividend today, 7 August 2015, for dividend of Rs 4 per share for the year ended 31 March 2015.
Among PSU bank stocks, State Bank of India (SBI) (down 1.06%), Punjab National Bank (down 0.83%), Bank of Baroda (down 1.69%), IDBI Bank (down 1.68%), Bank of India (down 1.15%) and Union Bank of India (down 0.09%) dropped. Canara Bank rose 0.06%.
Telecom stocks fell. Bharti Airtel (down 1.03%), Idea Cellular (down 0.65%), MTNL (down 1.19%), Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) (down 1.15%) and Reliance Communications (down 0.62%) declined.
Investors continue to watch the progress of the monsoon rains which will have a bearing on food prices and rural income. India's weather office, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said in a weekly report issued yesterday, 6 August 2015, that the rainfall was 26% below normal for the country as a whole during the period from 30 July to 5 August 2015. Region wise, the rainfall was 51% below the Long Period Average (LPA) in South Peninsula, 30% below LPA in Northwest India, 24% below LPA in Central India and 7% below LPA in East & Northeast India during the period from 30 July to 5 August 2015.
As per IMD's extended range forecast till 24 August 2015, rainfall activity is likely to increase over eastern and central India from 10 August onwards. Western Himalayan region would receive fairly wide spread rainfall during next 5 days and South Peninsula would receive subdued rainfall activity during next 10 days.
In its separate daily monsoon update issued yesterday, 6 August 2015, the IMD said that the Southwest Monsoon was active over Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, West Madhya Pradesh, Marathawada and South Interior Karnataka during past 24 hours until 8:30 IST. For the country as a whole, cumulative rainfall during this year's monsoon season was 6% below the Long Period Average (LPA) until 6 August 2015. Region wise, the rainfall was 21% below the LPA in South Peninsula, 9% below the LPA in East & Northeast India, 4% below the LPA in Central India and 4% above the LPA in Northwest India until 6 August 2015.
The June-September southwest monsoon is critical for the country's agriculture because a considerable part of the country's farmland is dependent on the rains for irrigation.
In overseas markets, Asian stocks were mixed today, 7 August 2015. Key benchmark indices in Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea fell by 0.09% to 0.62%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index rose 0.29%. Markets in Singapore are closed for a holiday.
Chinese shares rose as speculation grew the government will take more measures to stem a market rout. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite was up 1.62%. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was up 0.88%.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept its massive monetary stimulus program steady at the end of its monthly two-day policy meeting today, 7 August 2015. The central bank's nine policy board members voted 8-1 to leave unchanged its main policy of buying assets at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen ($640 billion), as had been widely expected. The bank also reiterated in its policy statement that the Japanese economy continues to recover moderately.
US markets ended lower yesterday, 6 August 2015, as investors turned cautious ahead of non-farm payrolls data. In economic news, the Labor Department yesterday, 6 August 2015, said slightly more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but their numbers remain near historic lows in a sign that the job market is healthy.
The influential monthly US nonfarm payroll report for July 2015 is due today, 7 August 2015. The report will be scrutinized for clues to the strength of the labor-market recovery. Investors have been parsing economic data, from inflation to wages, for clues about when the Federal Reserve might raise rates.
In Europe, the Bank of England (BOE) yesterday, 6 August 2015, decided to keep the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.5% and also the size of its bond buying programme unchanged at GBP375 billion ($585 billion) after a monetary policy review. The BOE signaled it remains on course to start gently raising interest rates in the UK early next year, damping speculation that it would quickly follow the US Federal Reserve, which appears set for a September liftoff.
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