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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Markets edged up on Friday with Nifty50 closing above 10,800-levels, even as broader global markets remained weak.
The S&P BSE Sensex ended the day at 35,689, up 257 points while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 10,822, up 81 points.
The top gainers on the Sensex include Sun Pharma, HDFC, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), and Axis Bank whereas Reliance Industries (RIL), and Coal India were the major losers.
Among sectoral gainers, banking and finance sectoral indices gained with Nifty Bank, Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Private Bank index up over 1% each. Meanwhile, Nifty Pharma index was up 1.8% with Sun Pharma gaining over 4%.
Bajaj Finance, which hit a new high of Rs 2,330, up 3% on the BSE in late noon deal on Friday, has surpasses private sector lender Axis Bank in market capitalisation (market-cap) ranking. Thus far in the calendar year 2018 (CY18), Bajaj Finance has outperformed the market by surging 33% as compared to 4% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. Axis Bank has underperformed the market by falling 8% during the period.
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Benchmark indices tumbled on Friday as the long-term capital gains tax on equities investments dampened sentiment, while bonds slid for a second consecutive session on worries the central bank would become more hawkish on inflation.
The weak sentiment came a day after the government unveiled its budget for the year starting in April that raised spending for rural sectors and healthcare, widening the fiscal deficit target to 3.3% of gross domestic product from the previous 3.0%. The government also unveiled a 10 percent tax on long-term capital gains in equity markets.
Investors worried that higher spending and the government’s move to raise minimum support prices for crops could lead to higher retail prices at a time when consumer price inflation has already hit a 17-month high of 5.21%, well above the Reserve Bank of India’s target of 4%.
BHEL, Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finance and Tata Power lost the most on both indices, while TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, and HCL Tech were the top gainers.
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Benchmark indices ended at new closing high on Friday, tracking global equity markets on the back of robust economic data.
The S&P BSE Sensex ended at new closing high at 34,153, up 184 points while the broader Nifty50 index settled above 10,550 for the first time ever. It ended at 10,558, up 54 points.
Shares of telecommunication companies were in focus with the S&P BSE Telecom index rallying more than 3% on BSE, trading close to its record high.
Idea Cellular, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications (RCom), Tejas Networks, GTL, GTL Infrastructure, Aksh Optifibre and Sterlite Technologies from the telecom index have surged up to 12% on BSE in intra-day trade.
Subros hit an all-time high of Rs 347, up 11% on BSE in intra-day deal, after the company announced that it has started supply of blower for trucks to its customers include Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland.
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