Market slumps on global financial instability; Sensex hits 18-month low

Stocks fell across the globe on persistent questions on the effectiveness of the US bailout package and on continued instability in the global banking sector. The domestic market fell for the third consecutive trading session with Sensex declining 1,096.77 points in last three sessions. The barometer index today ended 506.43 points down.

The market recovered after witnessing a sharp intra-day fall. The BSE Sensex recovered close to 200 points from the day's low. The barometer index hit 1-½ year low and the S&P CNX Nifty hit its lowest level in 17 months in mid-afternoon trade. The market breadth was extremely weak as selling was witnessed across the board. ICICI Bank fell more than 12%.

The US lawmakers agreeing on a $700 billion bank-rescue package and the House of Representatives approving the nuclear deal with India over the weekend failed to boost the investor sentiments.

European markets which opened after Indian markets were down. France’s CAC 40, Germany’s DAX and UK’s FTSE 100 were down between 2.77% to 3.04%. European markets fell as the Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourg governments were forced to rescue financial firm Fortis over the weekend. Stricken UK lender Bradford & Bingley was also nationalised after its branch network and deposit business was sold to Spain's Banco Santander.

Most Asian markets were trading lower today, 29 September 2008. Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Japan's Nikkei, Singapore's Straits Times, South Korea's Seoul Composite fell between 1.26% 4.07%.

In US, congressional leaders from both parties said they had a tentative agreement on Sunday, 28 September 2008 and lawmakers prepared to vote on Monday, 29 September 2008, on a $700 billion US government fund to buy bad debt. The bailout plan will be introduced in the House of Representatives today, 29 September 2008 and then head to the Senate.

Meanwhile, the Indo-US nuclear deal moved into the last lap clearing a major hurdle when the House of Representatives approved a legislation on it that will now go to the Senate before the two countries can implement the civil nuclear agreement.

The BSE 30-share Sensex plunged 506.43 points or 3.87% to 12,595.75. The index shed 699.34 points at the day's low of 12,402.82 hit in mid-afternoon trade. The Sensex edged up 11.35 points at day’s high of 13,113.53, hit at the onset of the trading session.

The S&P CNX Nifty was down 135.20 points or 3.39% to 3,850.05.

The BSE Sensex is down 7,691.24 points or 37.91% in the calendar year 2008 so far from its close of 20,286.99 on 31 December 2007. It is 8,611.02 points or 40.6% below its all-time high of 21,206.77 struck on 10 January 2008. The index is down 1,096.77 points from a recent high of 13,692.52 hit on 24 September 2008.

BSE clocked a turnover of Rs 4,579 crore today 29 September 2008 as compared to a turnover of Rs 4,850.22 crore on Friday 26 September 2008.

Nifty October 2008 futures were at 3880.40, at a premium of 30.35 points as compared to spot closing of 3850.05. NSE's futures & options (F&O) segment turnover was Rs 59,905.71 crore, which was higher than Rs 44,297.14 crore on Friday, 26 September 2008.

As per the provisional figures on BSE, the foreign institutional investors (FII)s sold shares worth Rs 476.94 crore while domestic funds bought shares worth Rs 554.82 crore today,29 September 2008.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was down 4.13% at 4,736.55 and the BSE Small-Cap index was down 5.12% at 5,561.42.

BSE Bankex (down 6.02% to 6,175.10), BSE Consumer Durables index (down 5.68% to 2,872.39), BSE IT index (down 5.47% to 3,057.92), BSE Realty index (down 5.26% to 3407.87), BSE Power index (down 5.22% to 2225.08), BSE TEck index (down 5.13% to 2,490.01), BSE Capital Goods index (down 4.86% to 10,270.60) underperformed Sensex.

BSE Metal index (down 3.77% to 9,144.23), BSE HealthCare index (down 3.06% to 3,651.18), BSE Auto index (down 2.95% to 3,624.24), BSE PSU index (down 2.88% to 6,146.61), BSE Oil & Gas index (down 1.72% to 8,925.01) and BSE FMCG index (down 0.44% to 2,179.50) outperformed Sensex.

The market breadth was weak on BSE with 357 shares advancing as compared to 2,287 that declined. 41 shares remained unchanged.

India’s largest private firm by market capitalization and oil refiner Reliance Industries fell 1.53% to Rs 1,930.95. The stock recovered from the session’s low of Rs 1,881.

India’s largest FMCG firm by sales Hindustan Unilever rose 0.79% to Rs 254.50.

India’s largest oil exploration firm by revenue ONGC was down 1.14% at Rs 1,023.30. It recovered from the session’s low of Rs 994.

India’s fourth largest IT exporter by sales Wipro fell 0.19% to Rs 343.10. It recovered from the session’s low of Rs 330.10.

India’s largest private sector bank in terms of net profit ICICI Bank slumped 12.11% to Rs 493.30. The bank clarified today during the market hours that 98% of ICICI Bank UK PLC's non-India investment book is rated investment grade and above. ICICI Bank UK PLC has zero exposure to US subprime-credit, it said.

India’s largest real estate player by market capitalization DLF fell 5.12% to Rs 350.60. It recovered from the session’s low of Rs 329.

India’s largest electric equipment maker by sales Bharat Heavy Electricals declined 2.65% to Rs 1,509.50. It recovered from the session’s low of Rs 1,441.

India’s largest home loan lender HDFC fell 2.68% to Rs 2,032.75. It recovered from the session’s low of Rs 2000.

Jaiprakash Associates (down 11.85% to Rs 106.70), Satyam Computer Services (down 9.13% to Rs 292.55), Tata Consultancy Services (down 8.4% to Rs 619.65), edged lower from the Sensex pack.

Reliance Natural Resources clocked the highest volume of 1.42 crore shares on BSE. IFCI (89.91 lakh shares), Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals (71.69 lakh shares), Jaiprakash Associates (63.84 lakh shares) and ICICI Bank (58.37 lakh shares) were the other volume toppers in that order.

Reliance Capital clocked the highest turnover of Rs 309.01 crore on BSE. Reliance Industries (Rs 299.81 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 295.37 crore), Axis Bank (Rs 157.21 crore) and Larsen & Toubro (Rs 134.79 crore) were the other turnover toppers in that order.

US light crude for November delivery fell $1.09 to $105.85 a barrel today, 29 September 2008 pressured by gains in the US dollar.

US stocks rose on Friday, 26 September 2008. The Dow Jones gained 121.07 points, or 1.10%, to 11,143.13. The S&P 500 index was up 3.83 points, or 0.32%, to 1,213.01, and the Nasdaq composite index was down 3.23 points, or 0.15%, to 2,183.34.

Back home, indices tumbled on Friday, 26 September 2008 on uncertainty about the future of the US financial system. The BSE 30-share Sensex fell 445 points or 3.28% to 13,102.18 and the S&P CNX Nifty lost 137.10 points or 3.34% to 3985.25, on that day.

Key benchmark indices suffered a severe setback in the week ended Friday, 26 September 2008, mirroring weak global market and amid impasse over the proposed $700 billion bailout deal for the US financial sector. The barometer index BSE Sensex lost 940.14 points or 6.69% to 13,102.18 in and the S&P CNX Nifty shed 260 points or 6.12% at 3985.25, in the week.