Sensex tanks 634 points on Friday on broad-based sell-off; Nifty Bank slips 2%


The Indian markets ended over 1.5 per cent lower on Friday amid across-the-board sell-off. The volatility index, India VIX, rose over 7 per cent to 21.95 levels.

The S&P BSE Sensex tanked 634 points, or 1.63 per cent, to settle at 38,357 levels. Of 30 constituents, 29 declined and just one advanced. Axis Bank (down 4 per cent) ended as the biggest loser on the index. On the other hand, Maruti ended as the only gainer (up nearly 2 cent).

Reliance Industries (RIL), HDFC, ICICI Bank, and Infosys were the major contributors to the Sensex’s loss.

NSE’s Nifty ended at 11,334, down 194 points or 1.68 per cent.

On a weekly basis, Sensex declined 2.8 per cent while NSE slipped 2.69 per cent.

All the Nifty sectoral indices were painted red, led by Nifty Metal, which slipped 3 per cent to 2,451 levels. Nifty Bank dipped over 2 per cent to 23,011.50 levels, with all the 12 constituents declining.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index fell 1.74 per cent to 14,817 levels while the S&P BSE SmallCap index fell over 1 per cent to 14,603 points.

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Indices end flat on Friday, Nifty settles at 11,214; Asian Paints up 4%


The benchmark indices ended on a subdued note on Friday; however, the mid and small-cap indices logged decent gains during the session.

The S&P BSE Sensex settled at 38,041, up 15 points or 0.04 per cent with Asian Paints (up over 4 per cent) being the top gainers and Titan Company (down over 2.5 per cent) the biggest loser. NSE’s Nifty50 ended at 11,214, up 14 points, or 0.12 per cent. India VIX dropped over 3 per cent to 22.37 levels.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index gained over 200 points or 1.4 per cent to end at 14,219 while the S&P BSE SmallCap index closed the session at 13,669, up 106 points, or 0.78 per cent.

On a weekly basis, Sensex gained 1.15 per cent while Nifty added 1.26 per cent.

The sectoral trend on the NSE was mixed. While IT and pharma stocks fell, auto, metals and financial stocks gained. The Nifty IT index slipped 1 per cent to 18,004 levels while the Nifty Pharma index ended at 11,333, down 0.6 per cent. On the other hand, Nifty Metal gained 0.85 per cent and Nifty Auto rose 0.75 per cent. Nifty Bank ended 0.5 per cent higher at 21,754 levels.

Shares of Bayer CropScience hit an all-time high of Rs 6,449 apiece on the BSE during the day after the company reported encouraging numbers for the quarter ended June 2020 (Q1FY21). The stock ended at Rs 6,139, up 9 per cent.

Shares of Lupin ended over 6 per cent lower at Rs 879.40 on the BSE after the pharmaceutical company’s net profit for April-June quarter declined 60 per cent on a yearly basis to Rs 106.9 crore. Lupin had posted a profit of Rs 264.7 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Shares of Torrent Power rallied 9 per cent to hit a 52-week high of Rs 357.50 on the BSE during the day after the company posted a 35.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 372.66 crore against Rs 275.27 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. The stock ended at Rs 337, up nearly 3 per cent.

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Benchmarks flat, mid-caps rally; RIL up 3% ahead of Q3 numbers


After bouts of volatility in the last two trading sessions, markets took a breather on Friday and traded flat for better part of the day. While financial and banking counters traded in the sea of red throughout the day, index heavyweights like Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel, that surged 3 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively in the intra-day trade today, provided the necessary support.

In the intra-day trade, the S&P BSE Sensex hit a record high of 42063.93. At close, the 30-share index was at 41,945.37 level, up 12.81 points or 0.031 per cent. Bharti Airtel, that gained over 6 per cent today, was the top gainer at close. The stock hit an over 2-year high of Rs 503.60 on the BSE amid expectations that the telecom company is poised for strong market share gain if payment due to AGR makes Vodafone Idea exit the industry. On the downside, IndusInd Bank was the top loser, down 2 per cent, due to its high exposure towards telecom companies.

On the NSE, the Nifty50 settled 3.15 points, or 0.025 per cent, lower at 12,352.35-mark. Nifty Bank, financial services, metals and IT indices settled the day in the negative territory. On the other hand, Nifty Pharma gained nearly 2 per cent.

For the week, the Sensex has advanced 0.9 per cent, while the broader Nifty50 has gained 0.8 per cent. Nifty mid-cap index, meanwhile, has risen 4 per cent during the week.

The party in the broader markets continued for the ninth straight session. The S&P BSE mid-cap index was up 0.5 per cent at 15,703 level. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE small-cap index ended at 14,708.70 level, up 0.42 per cent.

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Sensex slips 97 points on Friday, Nifty ends at 10,795; TCS falls over 2%


The benchmark indices settled marginally lower on Friday weighed by IT bellwether Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and select banking and automobile stocks.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 36,010, down 97 points or 0.27 per cent, while the broader Nifty50 index ended at 10,795, down 27 points or 0.25 per cent. On a weekly basis, the S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.88 per cent, while Nifty50 rose 0.63 per cent.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index ended at 15,177, down 19 points or 0.13 per cent, while S&P BSE SmallCap index slipped 28 points or 0.19 per cent to 14,600.

Shares of Eveready Industries India (EIIL) jumped 13 per cent to settle at Rs 205 per share on the BSE on reports that promoter BM Khaitan is likely to sell the flagship company, a leader in dry cell batteries and flashlights.

IT bellwether Infosys gained 0.58 per cent to settle at Rs 684 on the BSE ahead of the board meeting today to consider the financial results for the third quarter of the financial year 2018-19 (FY19). Its peer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) declined 2.45 per cent to Rs 1,842 even as it earned its highest-ever net profit of Rs 8,105 crore in the seasonally weak third quarter (Q3) of 2018-19 (FY19).

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Sensex slips 85 points as private banks drag, Yes Bank falls 3.5%


The benchmark indices settled marginally lower on Friday weighed by financials and consumer stocks amid caution in global markets.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 38,252, down 85 points while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 11,557, down 26 points.

Among key stocks, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank were among the top losers on the BSE, falling 3.5 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the Nifty Bank index settled 0.7 per cent lower weighed by Yes Bank, Bank of Baroda and ICICI Bank.

Shares of selected pharmaceutical companies were in focus with Amrutanjan Health Care, Pfizer, Merck and Novartis India rallying up to 18% on the BSE in otherwise subdued market. All these stocks were trading at their respective all-time highs.

Analysts remain bullish on Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and have maintained a ‘buy’ rating on the stock despite the company’s buyback proposal. The company, at its meeting on Thursday, approved a proposal to buy back up to 60 million equity shares at a maximum price of Rs 1,500 per equity share for an amount of Rs 90 billion.

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