Sensex settles 178 points higher; defence stocks rally up to 12%


Benchmark indices climbed off the day’s top but still ended around 0.5 per cent higher on Friday amid buying in IT, auto, and FMCG counters.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 36,021, up 178 points or 0.5 per cent, having risen to as high as 36,110 earlier in the day. The Nifty50 index settled above the 10,600 level at 10,607, up 56 points or 0.53 per cent. India VIX slipped 3 per cent to 25.69 levels.

On a weekly basis, Sensex gained 2.41 per cent while Nifty added 2.16 per cent.

Bharti Airtel (up 4 per cent) and Bajaj Auto (up 2.5 per cent) were the top Sensex gainers. Reliance Industries gained 1.5 per cent after the company announced that Intel has invested Rs 1,894.5 crore in Jio Platforms for a 0.39 per cent stake.

Further, shares of defence companies rallied in the trade and climbed up to 12 per cent on the BSE after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved the purchase of weapons and equipment worth Rs 38,900 crore. Bharat Dynamics ended 12.55 per cent higher at Rs 375.80 on the BSE while Bharat Electronics gained 9 per cent to Rs 97.25

Moreover, JB Chemicals rose 3 per cent during the day after it said global investment firm KKR will pick up a controlling stake of 54 per cent in the company. The stock, however, ended flat. Meanwhile, HDFC Life gained around 4.5 per cent as the company will replace Vedanta on Nifty with effect from July 31.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index rose 0.56 per cent while the S&P BSE SmallCap index gained 0.47 per cent

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Sensex ends 1,325 points up as indices stage sharpest 1-day recovery


Indian equity markets ended an eventful and highly volatile session with significant gains on Friday after posting a record intra-day recovery as investors put aside worries over coronavirus spread and indulged in some bargain buying. The Nifty50 index was locked in 10 per cent lower circuit early morning, prompting a halt in trading for 45 minutes. However, once the markets re-opened, the headline indices Sensex and Nifty shot up as much as 5,381 points and 1,604 points, respectively, from their early morning lows. Volitality index surged over 24 per cent during the session.

Sensex closed 1,325 pts, or 4.04 per cent, higher at 34,103 and the Nifty50 index a tad above 10,000 level at 10,023.65, up 433 points, or 4.54 per cent. The rebound was led by banks with index heavyweights HDFC ending 10 per cent lower while State Bank of India zoomed 14 per cent. Reliance Industries was also up over 5 per cent. In the end, 27 out of the 30 Sensex constituents ended the session in green.

The broader markets also joined the benchmarks in the upmove. The S&P BSE MidCap index closed 258 points, or 2.09 per cent, higher and the S&P BSE SmallCap index gained 146 points, or 1.26 per cent.

On a weekly basis, however, the Sensex posted worst week in over a decade — down 11.35 per cent while the Nifty50 slipped 11.6 per cent for the week.

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Indices end at 6-month lows, Sensex tanks 894 points; YES Bank down 56%


Bears continued to be in the driver’s seat on Friday as markets witnessed another bout of across-the-board sell-off due to Coronavirus fears. Further, YES Bank crisis was another major factor that dragged the markets lower.

The S&P BSE Sensex tanked 894 points or 2.32 per cent to settle the day at 37,577. During the day, the index hit a low of 37,011 levels. Bajaj Auto emerged as the biggest gainer on the index while Tata Steel (down over 6.5 per cent) was the top loser.

On NSE, the broader Nifty50 index ended at 10,989, down 279.5 points or 2.48 per cent.

On a weekly basis, Sensex dropped 1.8 per cent while Nifty lost 1.89 per cent.

Among individual stocks, YES Bank cracked as much as 85 per cent during the day after RBI suspended the bank’s board and placed it under moratorium for 30 days and capped withdrawal limit to Rs 50,000 for the one-month period. The stock eventually settled at Rs 16, down 56 per cent.

State Bank of India (SBI) closed around 6.5 per cent lower at Rs 270, after it informed that its board has given in-principle approval to consider an “investment opportunity” in YES Bank. In a late night statement on Thursday, SBI, however, said no decision had yet been taken to pick up stake in the bank.

Besides, other banking stocks, too, tumbled in the trade. The Nifty Bank index ended at 27,781, down over 1,000 points or 3.6 per cent.

Volatility index India VIX rose around 12 per cent to 25.96 levels.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index declined 343.5 points or over 2 per cent to 14,227 levels while the S&P BSE SmallCap index ended at 13,330, down 261.5 points or around 2 per cent.

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Sensex tanks 190 points, Nifty below 12K ahead of Budget


Investors were up for a volatile trading session on Friday as expectations from the Union Budget 2020-21, and December quarter earnings kept investors jittery. That apart, concerns over the outbreak of Coronavirus, too, weighed on investor sentiment.

Markets closed at their lowest level in 2020 ahead of the Budget presentation tomorrow. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex ended the day near day’s low, at 40,723 level, down 190 points or 0.47 per cent, while the Nifty50 breached below the crucial 12,000-mark and settled at 11,962 level, down 74 points or 0.61 per cent.

During the day, the Sensex and Nifty fell 483 and 158 points, respectively from the day’s high.

In the broader markets, the S&P BSE mid-cap index closed at 15,463.46 level, down 0.6 per cent, while the S&P BSE small-cap index was at 14,671.53, down 0.22 per cent.

Most domestic and foreign brokerages are looking forward to credible steps to prop-up growth and provide some relief to the individual income-tax payers when the government tables the Union Budget on Feb 1.

In the Economy Survey tabled today in the Parliament, the government said it expects a pick-up in economic activity in the second half of the fiscal on the back of improved foreign direct investment flows, a build-up of demand pressure, positive outlook for rural consumption, and rebound of industrial activity.

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Sensex dips 162 points on US-Iran tensions; PSBs, Autos top drags


Following the global sell-off, Indian equity markets, too, settled lower on Friday after US military killed Iran Revolutionary Guards’ commander Qasem Soleimani in a surprise air-strike. The middle-east tensions sent Brent Crude Futures soaring, while market sentiment turned sour at D-Street.

Brent crude futures jumped nearly $3 on Friday after a US air strike in Baghdad killed top Iranian and Iraqi military commanders, sparking concerns of disruption to Middle East oil supplies. At 3:10 pm, Brent Crude Futures were at $68.62 per barrel-mark, up 3.5 per cent.

The S&P BSE Sensex, which hit an intra-day low of 41,348.68, recovered slightly in the fag-end of the session and settled 162.03 points, or 0.39 per cent, lower at 41,464.61 level. 20 of the 30 constituents ending the day in the red. Oil-linked stocks, such as paints, aviation, oil-marketing companies (OMCs), and financial counters remained under pressure.

In the intra-day trade, Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), for instance, declined 2.9 per cent each on the BSE. Reliance Industries, Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), too, slumped up to 0.7 per cent.

On the NSE, the Nifty50 lost 55.50 points, or 0.45 per cent, to settle at 12,226.65-mark. Sectorally, Nifty PSU Bank index slipped the most, down 2 per cent at close. Besides, Nifty Bank, Auto, Private Bank indices slipped over 1 per cent. On the upside, Nifty IT index advanced 1.3 per cent on the back of a weaker rupee.

In the broader market, small-caps traded in the green territory, while mid-caps followed benchmarks. The S&P BSE mid-cap index was down 0.44 per cent, while the S&P BSE small-cap index was up 0.01 per cent at close.

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Sensex, Nifty end little changed; Tata Steel, SBI advance 3%


Despite a range-bound trade, domestic markets hit fresh lifetime highs for the third consecutive day on Friday. Investment sentiment remained in check in the absence of any key global and domestic cues.

The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex closed at 41,681.54-level, up 7.62 points or 0.018 per cent. Tata Steel, YES Bank, SBI, and Hero MotoCorp were the top gainers at the 30-share index, while Vedanta, Tata Motors, ITC, and M&M were the top drags for the day. On the NSE, the broader Nifty50 settled little changed at 12,271.8-mark, up 12.1 points or 0.09 per cent. Markets ended at record closing highs for the fourth straight session.

The benchmark Sensex and Nifty hit fresh highs of 41,809.96 and 12,293.90, respectively.

On the sectoral front, public sector banks gained the most on Friday fter the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to buy and sell bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore via open market operations. At close, the Nifty PSU bank index was the top performer on the NSE, up over 2 per cent. On the downside, Nifty Auto index slipped 0.45 per cent.

For the week, the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex gained 1.6 per cent, while the Nifty50 added 1.5 per cent registering their biggest weekly gains in nearly two months. Besides, Nifty Bank index advanced 1 per cent this week.

In the broader markets, the S&P BSE mid-cap index ended 0.15 per cent higher at 14,835.97 level, while the S&P BSE small-cap index ended unchanged at 13,391.03 level, down 0.03 per cent.

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Sensex slides 336 points ahead of Q2 GDP nos, Nifty holds 12,050


Expectations of slower GDP numbers for September quarter (Q2FY20) due later in the day and weak global cues weighed on investor sentiment on Friday with the benchmark indices sliding nearly a per cent.

It is widely expected that the second quarter GDP print will slip below 5 per cent on subdued consumer demand, weakening private investment and falling exports courtesy global slowdown.

The S&P BSE Sensex lost 336 points or 0.82 per cent to settle at 40,794 with YES Bank (down 2.50 per cent) being the top loser and Bharti Airtel (up over a per cent) the biggest gainer. During the day, the index hit a low of 40,664.18 levels. Reliance Industries (RIL), ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), and State Bank of India (SBI) contributed the most to the index’s fall.

NSE’s Nifty50 index closed the session at 12,056, down 95 points or 0.78 per cent.

On a weekly basis, the Sensex gained 1.1% to reach a new life-time high. Markets were buoyed by progress on phase-1 of the US-China trade deal, resolution of stress in financial sectors and multiple government initiatives to arrest the ongoing economic slowdown.

In the broader market, Nifty Midcap 100 index ended flat at 17,222, up 0.06 per cent while Nifty SmallCap 100 index outperformed the benchmarks by settling nearly a per cent higher.

Sectorally, except realty stocks, all the counters ended in the red. Media stocks tumbled the most, followed by PSU banks, metals and auto stocks. The Nifty Realty index ended a per cent higher at 282 levels.

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Sensex up 38 points as banks rally, gains 11.6% in Samvat 2075


Benchmark indices ended little changed on Friday; however banking stocks had a field day with the State Bank of India (SBI) jumping over 7 per cent (Rs 282) on 3-fold jump in its net profit at Rs 3,012 crore for the September quarter.

YES Bank, too, rallied around 8 per cent to Rs 52 apiece on the BSE.

The S&P BSE Sensex added 38 points or 0.10 per cent to end the Samvat 2075 at 39,058 levels. The NSE’s Nifty50 index ended at 11,584, up just 1 point or 0.01 per cent.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index ended at 14,342, up around 3 points or 0.02 per cent while the S&P BSE SmallCap index lost 51 points or 0.39 per cent to close at 13,153.

Among other buzzing stocks, ICICI Bank hit a new high of Rs 470.70 apiece on the BSE during the session with the market capitalisation (m-cap) surpassing Rs 3 trillion-mark.

On the other hand, Piramal Enterprises tanked 17 in the afternoon deals on the BSE after the company announced capital-raising plan. The stock eventually settled at Rs 1,590 apiece, down around 8 per cent.

Volatiity index India VIX slipped around 6 per cent to 15.30 levels.

Among the sectoral indices on the NSE, PSU bank stocks advanced the most, followed by IT counters. The Nifty PSU Bank index gained 3.38 per cent to end at 2,300 levels. Nifty Bank rallied 1 per cent to 29,396-mark.

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Indices gain for 6th straight day, Sensex ends 246 points higher


Extending their gaining streak into the sixth straight session, benchmark indices ended with over half a per cent gains on Friday even as global peers tumbled after China’s GDP growth slipped to a 27-year low of 6 per cent.

Industry heavyweights Reliance Industries (RIL), HDFC Bank, TCS, and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) helped benchmark S&P BSE Sensex settle at 39,298 levels, up 246 points or 0.63 per cent. The 30-share index hit an intra-day and low of 39,361 and 38,964, respectively.

YES Bank (up over 8 per cent) emerged as the top gainer on the index while Tata Motors (down 1 per cent) the biggest loser.

In the broader market, both mid and small-caps outperformed the headline indices. The S&P BSE MidCap index added 253 points or 1.78 per cent to close at 14,420 while the S&P BSE SmallCap index ended at 13,127, up 213 points or 1.65 per cent.

On the NSE, the broader Nifty50 index gained 75.50 points or 0.65 per cent to close at 11,662 levels.

On a weekly basis, both Sensex and Nifty ended with 3 per cent gains.

On the sectoral front, barring Nifty IT, all the other indices ended in the green. Relaty stocks advanced the most, followed by metal and PSU bank stocks. The Nifty Realty index climbed nearly 2 per cent to 262.80 levels.

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Sensex ends 434 points lower as RBI cuts GDP forecast; banks slip


A 25 basis point (bps)-rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday failed to cheer market participants as concerns over slowing economic growth dented investor sentiment. In its fourth bi-monthly monetary policy meet, the RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) did cut the repo rate, as widely expected; however, a sharp reduction in the GDP growth forecast to 6.1 per cent for the financial year 2019-20 (FY20) caught investors off guard.

Benchmark indices, S&P BSE Sensex and NSE’s Nifty50, lost over 1 per cent, thus taking their losing streak to the fifth consecutive session.

The S&P BSE Sensex dropped 434 points or 1.14 per cent to settle at 37,673.31. Financial stocks led the decline with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank falling up to over 3 per cent.

On the NSE, the frontline index Nifty50 ended at 11,175, down 139 points or 1.23 per cent.

On a weekly basis, Sensex shed nearly 3 per cent while Nifty50 lost 2.93 per cent.

On the sectoral front, Nifty Bank index slid nearly 700 points or 2.40 per cent to settle at 27,731.85 levels, with 10 out of 12 constituents ending in the red. Nifty IT index was the only sectoral index on the NSE that ended in the green. The Nifty IT index ended at 15,340.30, up 62 points or 0.41 per cent.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap index lost 131 points or 0.94 per cent to settle at 13,713.79 levels, while the S&P BSE SmallCap index closed at 12,809, down 102 points or 0.79 per cent.

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