Strong recovery in the closing hour helped the indices close in the positive
After being range-bound near the previous day’s close for most part of the trading session, a good recovery in the last hour enabled a green close. Yesterday we mentioned that a strong close below the day’s low of 5,106 on the Nifty may result in a change in uptrend. Today the index crossed this level but settled a little higher above it. We now see the index moving directionless. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) saw a volume of 48.21 crore shares.
All the Asian indices opened in the negative and so did the Sensex and the Nifty. The fall in the US indices overnight due to uncertainty that the European leaders’ summit later this week will produce any substantial measures to solve the region's debt crisis.
Back at home, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to resign late afternoon from his post to contest the presidential elections. The prospect of change of guard at the finance ministry has raised expectations of a possible kick-starting of economic reforms in the country. Election for the 13th president to succeed Pratibha Patil will be held on 19 July 2012. Media reports suggest that prime minister Manmohan Singh is likely to handle the finance portfolio till the cabinet reshuffle which he is expected in September 2012.
The Sensex opened at 16,873 while the Nifty opened at 5,107. The indices went to hit the day’s high after the European market opened. Consumer confidence in Germany unexpectedly edged up going into July on improving income expectations, a survey by GfK market research group showed. The forward-looking consumer sentiment indicator rose to 5.8 heading into July from 5.7 in June, bolstered by a jump in income expectations to 40.1 from 32.0. Germany is Europe's biggest economy.
The Sensex hit an intraday high of 16,947 while the Nifty’s high was at 5,135. However the market couldn’t sustain the gains and fell to the days low at 16,816 and 5,096.
The benchmarks managed to close in the positive on a smart recovery in the last hour. The Sensex rose 24 points (0.14%) at 16,907 while Nifty closed six points higher (0.12%) at 5,121.
The advance-decline ratio on the NSE was negative at 781:870.
Among the broader indices, the BSE Mid-cap index gained 0.36% and the BSE Small-cap index rose 0.02%.
The top gainers in the sectoral space were BSE Oil & Gas (up 1.20%); BSE Power (up 0.89%); BSE PSU (up 0.70%); BSE Healthcare (up 0.65%) and BSE Bankex (up 0.52%). The main losers were BSE Consumer Durables (down 0.98%); BSE Fast Moving Consumer Goods (down 0.90%); BSE Metal (down 0.20%); BSE Capital Goods and BSE TECk (down 0.06% each).
GAIL India (up 2.74%); Tata Power (up 1.70%); ONGC (up 1.52%); TCS (up 1.40%) and Mahindra & Mahindra (up 1.36%) were the toppers on the Sensex today. The key losers were Hindustan Unilever (down 2.02%); Sterlite Industries (down 1.21%); ITC (down 1.12%); Infosys (down 1.05%) and Tata Steel (down 1%).
Top two A Group gainers on the BSE were—Manappuram Finance (up 11.23%) and Muthoot (up 10.74%).
Top two A Group losers on the BSE were—Essar Oil (down 2.99%) and JSW Energy (down2.93%).
Top two B Group gainers on the BSE were—Hindustan Motors (up20%) and Arihant Superstructures (up19.84%).
Top two B Group losers on the BSE were—Tricom India (down19.78%) and Mobile Telecom (down 19.05%).
The top performers on the Nifty were GAIL India (up3.32%); Grasim Industries (up 3.06%); Tata Power (up 2.07%); Power Grid Corporation (up 1.99%) and Siemens (up 1.93%). The top laggards on the index were Sail (down 1.89%); Hindustan Unilever (down 1.88%); Sesa Goa (down 1.12%); Sterlite Industries (down 1.06%) and Infosys (down 1.05%).
Markets in Asia closed mostly lower as HSBC downgraded its growth forecast for China in 2012 to 8.4% from 8.6% earlier. The move follows Citigroup lowering its growth estimate for the Asian economic giant to 7.8% from 8.1%. Investors were also uncertain about the outcome of the European leaders’ summit, slated to take place later this week.
The Shanghai Composite shed 0.09%; the KLSE Composite declined 0.56%; the Nikkei 225 dropped 0.81%; the Straits Times declined 0.34%; the KOSPI composite gave up 0.41% and the Taiwan Weighted lost 0.40%. On the other hand, The Hang Seng gained 0.45% and the Jakarta Composite surged 0.62%.
At the time of writing, the key European indices were trading with meagre gains of less than a tenth of a percent and the US futures were in the positive.
Back home, institutional investors—both foreign and domestic—were net buyers in the equities segment on Monday. While foreign institutional investors pumped in funds totalling Rs153.10 crore, domestic institutional investors brought in funds amounting to Rs26.18 crore.
McNally Bharat Engineering has bagged an order worth Rs63.85 crore from Gammon India. The order is for a “supply package” for the Kolkata Metro Railways. McNally Bharat jumped 6.73% to close at Rs94.35 on the NSE.
Ratings agency ICRA has reaffirmed Taj GVK Hotels & Resorts’ bank facilities. The agency has reaffirmed the long-term rating of AA- to Rs10 crore fund based facilities and Rs340 crore term loans of the company. The rating agency has also reaffirmed the short-term rating of A1+ assigned to the Rs40 crore short term loans and Rs15 crore non-fund based limits of the company. Taj GVK closed at Rs61 on the NSE, down 2.32% from its previous close.
