Sensex vaults 767 points, Nifty ends above 18,100; IT, financial stocks shine


The markets snapped its 3-day losing streak with strong gains led in IT shares and select index heavyweights. The BSE benchmark index, the Sensex, opened 330-odd points higher at 60,248, and after consolidating in the morning session, the index began its upward journey. The BSE index scaled a high of 60,751, and finally ended with a solid gain of 767 points at 60,687.

The NSE Nifty surged to a high of 18,123, and eventually settled with a gain of 229 points at 18,103. For the week, the 50-share index was up a per cent (186 points).

Tech Mahindra was the major gainer among the Sensex 30 stocks, up 4 per cent at Rs 1,583. Index heavyweights, HDFC, Infosys, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries gained 2 to 3 per cent, each. Bajaj Finsev, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma , Larsen & Toubro and Nestle India were the other major gainers.

On the other hand, Bajaj Auto skid 3 per cent to Rs 3,640. Tata Steel slipped a per cent to Rs 1,286 despite reporting 8-fold jump in Q2 net profit.

The broader markets under-performed the benchmark indices by a wide margin. The BSE Midcap index was up 0.6 per cent and the Smallcap index added 0.3 per cent, while the Sensex had rallied 1.3 per cent.

Among sectors, the BSE IT index surged 2 per cent. Telecom, Realty and Power indices were up around 1.5 per cent each, while Energy and Capital Goods indices too moved 1.3 per cent higher.

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Infy ends 2% higher on Friday ahead of Q1 results; Sensex ends flat


The benchmark indices pared their day’s gains to end flat on Friday.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 36,542, down 7 points. The index had hit a fresh all-time high of 36,740.07 in intra-day deals earlier today tracking global markets ahead of information technology (IT) heavyweight Infosys June quarter earnings later in the day. The broader Nifty50 index settled at 11,019, down 4 points.

Among sectoral indices, the Nifty PSU Bank index fell over 2% weighed by a decline in Canara Bank and Indian Bank.

Shares of smallcap companies were under pressure with the S&P BSE Smallcap index falling more than 1% after a sharp decline in stock prices of PVR, KNR Constructions, Inox Leisure and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals (GNFC).

Idea Cellular share price fell 2.7 per cent intraday on Friday after global research firm Credit Suisse maintained its Underperform rating on the stock with a target price at Rs 45, implying a 17 per cent downside. After the merger between the company and Vodafone, the new entity may prioritise cost savings over market share retention and the cost base should be close to current Bharti mobile cost base, the research house said.

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Mkts end at record highs, up over 1% for the week; PSU Banks extend gains


Benchmark indices ended at record highs on Friday as Public sector banks continued their rally. The indices hit fresh highs at intra-day deals too with Nifty50 climbing to 10,461 and Sensex touching 33,726 levels.

Investor sentiment has been upbeat in India with the government’s recent announcement of a recapitalisation plan for banks.

The broader NSE Nifty ended 0.3% up at 10,452 to end the week 1.2% higher while Sensex ended 0.3% higher at 33,685, to post a weekly gain of 1.6%.

About 1,429 shares advanced against 1,316 declining shares on the BSE.

Tata Power Co Ltd reported an about 44 per cent slump in quarterly profit, hurt by lower income from its power generation business, missing analysts’ forecasts.

Shares of Amtek Group companies – Amtek Auto, Metalyst Forgings and Castex Technologies – have locked in their respective upper limit of circuit breaker on the BSE after Bharat Forge said that it has participated in the process of acquiring Amtek Auto.

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Sensex settles 267 points lower, Nifty below 9,300 on Friday as banking stocks dip



The benchmark indices settled lower on Friday as banking stocks dipped after the government notified the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, while a drop in crude prices dragged down oil explorers such as ONGC and Oil India.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 29,858, down 267 points, while the broader Nifty50 closed at 9,285, down 75 points. The Nifty50 index reversed course seconds after hitting its fresh all-time high of 9,367 in early trade.

India VIX, essentially a fear gauge, closed the day at 11.98, rising over 5% from the previous close.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Midcap and S&P BSE Smallcap indices settled 1% and 0.8% lower, respectively.

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