Sensex spurts 692 points in global rally

mThe market surged today as software shares spurted ahead of Q3 December 2007 earnings reporting season. Strong global cues also boosted the sentiments. Bharti Airtel spurted. Reliance Industries edged higher. Reliance Energy hit all time high. The market breadth was strong. 27 out of 30 stock from the Sensex pack were in green.

A stronger-than-expected US consumer spending calmed fears the world's top economy was heading into a recession. The market also cheered a comfortable victory for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Gujarat state election, as it helped lessen worries that the ruling Congress party could call an early national election.

In a spectacular victory, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) got an absolute majority in the Gujarat assembly elections capturing power for the fourth straight time propelled by Chief Minister Narendra Modi who gets a third term in office. The BJP got 117 seats, just five short of a two-thirds majority in a house of 182. The Congress, whose earlier tally was 51, got 62 seats marginally improving its position over 2002 elections. Others have got three seats.

The FTSE 100 index in UK was up 0.40%. Asian markets, which opened before Indian market, were firm.

The 30-share BSE Sensex rose 691.55 points or 3.61% to 19,854.12. Sensex hit a high of 19,879. At day's high, the Sensex gained of 716.43 points.

The broader CNX S&P Nifty rose 218.60 points or 3.79% to 5985.10.

The BSE Mid-Cap index rose 2.06% to 9,211.71. The BSE Small-Cap index climbed 1.42% to 11,980.57. Both these indices underperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth was strong. On BSE, 1966 shares advanced as compared to 941 that declined. 30 shares were unchanged.

BSE clocked a turnover of Rs 5657 crore, compared to Thursday (20 December 2007)'s Rs 6,259.25 crore.

Nifty December 2007 futures were at 6009.50, a premium of 24.4 points as compared to the spot closing of 5985.10.

The NSE's futures & options (F&O) segment turnover was Rs 80,577.10 crore, which was higher than Rs 73,067.55 crore on Thursday, 20 December 2007.

India's largest private sector firm by market capitalization & oil refiner Reliance Industries rose 2.70% to Rs 2788.05, off day's low of Rs 2714.

India’s largest dedicated housing financing firm by operating income Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) soared 6.33% to Rs 2897.35.

India’s largest real estate firm by market capitalisation DLF rose 1.08% to Rs 971.65 on reports the company has received regulatory approval to launch the initial public offer of DLF Offices Trust in Singapore for raising about $1.5 billion. The IPO of DLF Offices Trust, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) of K P Singh-promoted DLF Assets, is expected to come in January next year, the reports added.

India's largest listed cellular service provider by sales Bharti Airtel gained 6.07% to Rs 970.15. As per reports, Bharti Enterprises may reportedly acquire Big Apple, the Delhi-based supermarket chain with 65 stores.

The BSE Bankex rose 3.38% to 11,101.74. It underperformed the Sensex. India’s largest private sector bank by assets ICICI Bank rose 4.40% to Rs 1207.90. Recently, CLSA gave a buy rating on the stock with a price target of Rs 1,400.

Punjab National Bank soared 6.53% to Rs 661.75, Indian Overseas Bank jumped 5.69% to Rs 174.60, Oriental bank of Commerce spurted 3.66% to Rs 261.95, Bank of Baroda rose 2.92% to Rs 415.70 and HDFC Bank gained 2.89% to Rs 1694.35.

IT stocks climbed on hopes the US economy may avoid a recession. The BSE IT index 6.04% to 4,581.61. It outperformed the Sensex. India's second largest software exporter by sales Infosys Technologies soared 6.63% to Rs 1810.90.

India’s third largest software exporter by sales Wipro soared 8.86% to Rs 535.30 on reports it may bid for France's Capgemini by the end of January 2008 in a deal valuing the latter at around $7 billion.

Satyam Computer Service gained 6.28% to Rs 454.55, TCS rose 6.07% to Rs 1108.70 and HCL Technologies 5.39% to Rs 327.45. Indian software firms derive more than half of their revenue in dollar terms.

Select PSU stocks gained on reports the government plans to ask blue-chip public sector units (PSUs) to issue bonus shares, as their reserves and surplus have increased to several times their paid-up capital. The BSE PSU index rose 2.21% to 9,722.81. It underperformed the Sensex.

GAIL (India) surged 9.01% to Rs 522.75, ONGC rose 4.75% to Rs 1,247.40, Bharat Heavy Electricals climbed 5.08% to Rs 2,489.25, HPCL rose 2.33% to Rs 318.50 and BPCL gained 4.36% to Rs 450.85.

The BSE Power index rose 3.37% to 4,353.21. It underperformed the Sensex. Areva T&D surged 10.50% to Rs 2479.15, Reliance Energy jumped 6.14% to Rs 2058.90, Tata Power Spurted 3.23% to Rs 1326.10, CESC rose 3.16% to Rs 602.90 and NTPC gained 2.99% to Rs 236.25.

The BSE Metal index rose 3% to 18,820.79. It underperformed the Sensex. Jindal Saw jumped 6.93% to Rs 1014.95, National Aluminum Company (Nalco) rose 5.49% to Rs 445.50, Tata Steel rose 4.57% to Rs 862.50, Sterlite Industries rose 4.56% to Rs 1000.40 and Steel Authority of India rose 1.59% to Rs 268.45.

Two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company gained 1.94% to Rs 71.10 on reports the Madras high court has suspended an interim order restraining TVS Motor from booking or selling its recently launched 125-cc bike 'Flame'. The bench posted the case to 4 January and 5 January 2008, for further hearing of all the petitions.

Automobile tyre maker Apollo Tyres gained 3.90% to Rs 49.25 on reports that it is close to acquiring a South East Asian tyre maker. The acquisition would be finalised early next year.

Construction firm Nagarjuna Construction Company jumped 5.51% to Rs 339.75 after it bagged an order worth about Rs 570 crore order from the Government of Oman for Wadi Adai Al Amerat road project.

India's top tractor maker by sales Mahindra & Mahindra jumped 4.85% to Rs 823.55 on reports it is in talks with Renault to assemble and market its utility vehicle Scorpio in US market.

The largest engineering conglomerate in south east Asia Larsen & Toubro rose 2.63% to Rs 4088.70 on reports it has floated a power generation firm Larsen & Toubro Power Development and is planning to generate 5,000 megawatt in the next five years.

India's largest wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy gained 3.79% to Rs 1906.30 after the company said it has secured an order from ONGC, India's leading oil & gas exploration & production company for 51 megawatt of wind turbine capacity.

Info Edge India rose 3.30% to Rs 1334.20 after the company said its board had approved raising the foreign fund limit to 40% of paid-up capital from 24% earlier. The board also approved raising Rs 500 crore through various means.

Speciality chemicals maker Jayant Agro Organics rose 2.23% to Rs 110.10 after the company said its board approved issuing 6 lakh shares to Japan's Itoh Oil Chemicals Company at Rs 105 each. The board also approved raising up to $20 million through foreign currency convertible bonds. The company will also issue 1.3 million warrants to promoters and 4 lakh warrants to public at Rs 105 each.

Industrial gas equipment maker BOC India gained 1.31% to Rs 193.95 on reports that the firm has signed a deal with a real estate firm to develop its property at Santhanagar, Hyderabad.

Engineering firm Gujarat Apollo Industries jumped 3.12% to Rs 327.60 on reports the management of the company has concluded the negotiations for the disinvestment of its 49% holding in Johnson Screens (India), a joint venture company with Johnson Screens, USA (A Weatherford company).

IFCI clocked the highest turnover of Rs 300.54 crore on BSE. Reliance Energy (Rs 242.95 crore), Mundra Port & Special Economic Zone (Rs 143.35 crore), Reliance Industries (Rs 131.91 crore) and Reliance Petroleum (Rs 130.55 crore), were the other turnover toppers on BSE in that order.

IFCI clocked the highest volumes of 3.81 crore shares on BSE. Bellary Steels & Alloys (2.42 crore shares), Ispat Industries (1.34 crore shares), IKF Technologies (1.33 crore shares) and Kashyap Technologies (1.08 crore shares), were the other volume toppers on BSE in that order.

Asian stocks edged higher today, 19 December 2007, tracking overnight gain in US stocks. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and China were up by between 1.07% to 2.60%.

US markets ended higher on Friday, 21 December 2007, led by technology and energy stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 205 points at 13451. The Nasdaq Composite index advanced 51 points to 2692, and the S&P 500 index rose 24 points at 1484.

Crude oil for February delivery traded 9 cents lower at $93.22 a barrel in New York Mercantile Exchange electronic trading.

The market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Thursday, 20 December 2007, cleared proposal to allow short selling by institutional investors. In order to provide a mechanism for borrowing of securities to enable settlement of securities sold short, it has also been decided to put in place a full-fledged securities lending and borrowing (SLB) scheme for all market participants in the Indian securities market, Sebi said.

Naked short selling will not be permitted in the Indian securities market and accordingly, all investors would be required to mandatorily honour their obligation of delivering the securities at the time of settlement, Sebi said.

Annual inflation, based on the wholesale price index (WPI), rose 3.65% in the week ended 8 December 2007, lower than previous week's 3.75% rise, data released by the government during trading hours on Thursday, 20 December 2007 showed.