Focus shifts to small-cap, mid-cap shares

Small-cap and mid-cap stocks came to the fore today as investors rotated money from frontline shares. The valuations of small-cap and mid-cap shares have turned attractive vis-a-vis frontline stocks following a surge some of the frontline stocks in the past few months.

BSE Small-Cap Index rose 103.62 points or 1.5% today to settle at 6,635.01 and BSE Mid-Cap Index advanced 76.64 points or 1.3% to 5,727.85. In comparison, Sensex rose a muted 14.78 points or 0.1% to settle at 13,616.73. The S&P CNX Nifty rose 6.45 points or 0.16% to settle at 3,928.20.

Volatility was high. After surging over 100 points at the onset of trading tracking firm Asian markets, Sensex gradually pared gains later and it even slipped into the red at one point of time at the fag end of the trading session. It recovered from the red and moved into the green again at close.

Sensex hit a low of 13,586.04 and high of 13,711.76.

Liquidation of positions in the November 2006 derivatives contracts ahead of expiry of November contracts on Thursday weighed on the bourses today. Five Sensex heavyweights Infosys, ICICI Bank, ONGC, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries (RIL) slipped into the red. These five stocks have a combined weightage of over 40% in Sensex.

Asian and European markets were firm today. Japan’s Nikkei 225 average jumped 221 points or 1.3% to 16,076.20 following robust industrial output data.

The market sentiment remains bullish due to strong FII inflow and expectations that corporate earnings growth will remain strong. Sensex has risen sharply over the past few weeks. The barometer index is up almost 45% in calendar 2006 so far.

Market would keenly watch the extent of rollover to December contracts from November 2006 contracts which expire on Thursday 30 November. A large rollover would mean traders expect the rally on continue whereas lower rollover would indicate correction might be on the cards.

The broad market depicted bullish trend today as gainers outpaced losers by a ratio of 1.77:1 on BSE. Select side counters surged.

BSE clocked a turnover of Rs 4388 crore compared to Tuesday’s Rs 4161 crore.

Cement shares extended their recent upmove on firm cement prices. ACC gained 3.6% to Rs 1140, Gujarat Ambuja Cements rose 2.3% to Rs 146.55 and Grasim gained 2% to Rs 2770.

Cigarette major ITC advanced 2.5% to Rs 184.40. 9.3 lakh shares changed hands in the counter on BSE.

Auto shares rose after the government today announced a cut of Rs 2 per litre in price of petrol and rupee one per litre in diesel. Bajaj Auto rose 1.1% to Rs 2670, Tata Motors gained 0.8% to Rs 817 and car major Maruti Udyog added 0.6% to Rs 920.

Refinery shares slipped on worries that cut in retail fuel prices would put further pressure on their marketing margins. HPCL shed 3.5% to Rs 291.50 and BPCL lost 1.7% to Rs 354.

Indian Oil Corporation dropped 4.7% to Rs 459.90 and Bongaigaon Refinery shed 5.5% to Rs 50.65. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) today recommended a swap ratio of four IOC shares for every 37 shares held in Bongaigaon Refinery, for merger of Bongaigaon Refinery in IOC.

Oil exploration major ONCG dropped 0.8% to Rs 859.80. ONGC has to sell crude at a discount to state-run refiners to help them reduce losses incurred due to state-set prices.

Bharti Airtel dropped 1.3% to Rs 620 on profit taking. Communist Party of India said on Tuesday it was against the entry of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in India, a day after Bharti Enterprises – a Bharti Airtel group company announced a tie-up with the world's biggest retailer on Tuesday.

ICICI Bank shed 0.8% to Rs 855 and Reliance Industries dropped 0.1% to Rs 1249.

Software major Infosys shed 0.7% to Rs 2151 in volatile trade. On Tuesday, Infosys ADR rose nearly 1%.

Tata Steel dropped 0.04% to Rs 475.60 in volatile trade after Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus Group said on Wednesday its third-quarter earnings rose 63% on the back of higher steel prices. Corus last month agreed a 4.3 billion-pound takeover offer from Tata Steel. However, Brazil's Companhia Siderurgica Nacional has since proposed making a higher bid and it has been conducting due diligence with the help of senior Corus management. Corus this week delayed a shareholder meeting to vote on Tata's takeover offer until Dec. 20.

Tyre shares extended their recent rally as natural rubber prices remained low. JK Industries gained nearly 5% to Rs 141.90, CEAT rose 4.4% to Rs 131.75, Apollo Tyres rose 4% to Rs 357 and MRF rose 2.7% to Rs 4612.

Shriram Transport Finance jumped 6% to Rs 140. The company today reported 11.4% growth in net profit for Q2 September 2006 to Rs 39.49 crore (Rs 35.44 crore). Total income rose 37.8% to Rs 318.21 crore (Rs 230.76 crore).

Recently listed Lanco Infratech jumped 14% to Rs 267. The scrip rose on huge volume of 1.1 crore shares on BSE.

Torrent Power jumped 20% to Rs 84.80. Volumes in the stock were a huge 70.9 lakh shares on BSE. Torrent Power is the umbrella company of the newly amalgamated generation, transmission and distribution businesses of the Torrent Group. It debut on the bourses was listed on the bourses on Tuesday (28 November).

Distillation equipment maker Praj Industries gained 4% to Rs 195.20 after the company said on Wednesday it had secured an order worth 2 million euros to design a bio-ethanol complex in Belgium

Bilpower rose 0.2% to Rs 154.15 after the company said on Wednesday it bought 30,999 shares of Tarapur Transformers for Rs 3.41 crore. The firm has also funded Tarapur to the tune of Rs 4.95 crore

Jindal Saw jumped 6% to Rs 404.90 on strong Q4 results. Jindal Saw reported a surge in net profit for Q4 September 2006 to Rs 47.56 crore from Rs 24.13 crore in Q4 September 2005. Net sales rose 98.9% to Rs 1123.39 crore from Rs 564.71 crore.

Voltas gained 2.4% to Rs 110. 21.3 lakh shares changed hands in the counter on BSE.

GE Shipping lost 5% to Rs 213. The stock was relisted on Monday following a scheme of arrangement whereby it transferred its offshore services division to a separate company Great Offshore which would be listed separately.

Gujarat NRE Coke rose 20% to Rs 32.25 after the company said the shareholders of Zelos Resources which is listed in the Australian stock exchange last week passed a resolution giving effect to the company taking a controlling 85% stake in the Australian resources firm. Zelos Resources is now being renamed Gujarat NRE Resources NL.

BPO firm Tricom India rose 10% to Rs 123.60. On Monday, the company announced that it plans to put up a new centre at Nashik with a recruitment of 400 freshers to its fold.

NDTV lost 1.3% to Rs 229.75 after the company said it has entered into a strategic alliance with Karan Johar and Dharma Productions for its entertainment business

Torrent Pharma rose 3.6% to Rs 197. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories said on Wednesday it had signed a deal with Torrent Pharmaceuticals to sell the latter's anti-cholesterol products, Listril and Listril Plus, in Russia.

Kamat Hotels India rose 0.7% to Rs 170.45. The company said on Tuesday that Kotak Securities under its portfolio management schemes, raised its stake in the company to 5.09 percent. The schemes of Kotak Securities acquired 47,648 shares, or a 0.36 percent stake, on Nov. 24, the company said.

Gitanjali Gems rose 10% to Rs 239.90 on reports is in talks to acquire U.S. jewellery retailer Samuels Jewelers Inc. in a transaction valued at $25 million.