The market was gripped with intense selling pressure throughout the day's trading session, following sharp fall in US and Asian stocks. There was bloodbath on the street with all most sectoral indices on BSE posting sharp losses. Despite the sharp fall, the turnover was very high today, 27 July 2007.
All the Asian markets settled with sharp losses while most European markets were trading weak.
The BSE 30-share Sensex plunged 541.74-point, or 3.4%, to 15,234.57, its biggest rout in a single trading session in nearly four months. The Sensex had tumbled 617 points on 2 April 2007 following the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s surprise hike in interest rates announced after trading hours on 30 March 2007.
Sensex opened lower today, 27 July 2007 at 15,487.76 and recovered some ground to hit a high of 15,495.51. But the index was not able to sustain the recovery and succumbed to intense selling pressure. It slumped to a low of 15,159.68 at 12:24 IST. At day's low, the index suffered a sharp fall of 616.63 points
The S&P CNX Nifty plunged 174.20 points or 3.78% at 4,445.20. The Nifty August 2007 futures was at 4,392.85, a sharp discount of 52.35 points as compared to spot closing
All the Asian indices settled with sharp losses. Japanese stocks led Asian markets lower in a broad-based retreat today, 27 July 2007, as export stocks such as Canon Inc. and Honda Motor Corp. were hit hard on concerns over the outlook for the US economy. Nikkei tumbled 2.36% at 17,283.81.
Hang Seng (down 2.76% at 22,572.95), Taiwan Weighted (down 4.22% at 9,162.28), Singapore's Straits Times (down 2.43% at 3,492.70) and South Korea's Seoul Composite (down 4.09% at 1,883.22) declined sharply.
Shanghai Composite was down 0.03% to 4,345.35
Wall Street suffered one of its worst losses in this year so far on Thursday, 26 July 2007, as investors succumbed to months of worry about the mortgage and corporate lending markets. The Dow Jones plunged 311.50 points, or 2.26%, to 13,473.57. Broader market indicators also slid. The Nasdaq Composite index declined 48.83 points, or 1.84%, to 2,599.34, while the Standard & Poor's 500 slipped 35.43 points, or 2.33%, to 1,482.66.
The fall on the domestic bourses materialised after a recent solid surge as FIIs stepped up buying on strong Q1 June 2007 results and in anticipation of good results from companies which were yet to unveil their numbers. The Sensex has gained 5.5% in the past one month and nearly 42% in the past one year.
Small-cap and mid-cap shares lost ground. The BSE Mid-Cap index lost 192 points or 2.8% 6,598.32 to while the BSE Small-Cap index slipped 219 points or 2.7% to 7,926.45. The market breadth was weak on BSE with 630 shares advancing as compared to 1,991 that fell, while 62 remained unchanged.
Even as the markets declined, the turnover vaulted. The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 6,593 crore as against Rs 5,758 crore on Thursday, 26 July 2007.
The NSE F&O turnover was Rs 65,777.96 crore. The NSE F&O turnover was a record Rs 79,995.85 crore on Thursday, 26 July 2007, on the day of expiry of July 2007 derivative contracts.
Among the Sensex pack, 27 slumped, while three stood tall in the bloodbath.
India's largest cigarette manufacturer ITC jumped 2.67% to Rs 171 after its net profit rose 20% to Rs 782.87 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006, exceeding market expectation. ITC raised cigarette prices by about 20% in the first quarter due to tax increases. Sales were up 16.6% to Rs 3,325.23 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006. Sales growth was within market expectations. It was the top gainer from the Sensex pack.
The BSE FMCG Index outperformed the market. It shed just 0.12% to 1,927.86, led by ITC. Tata Tea rose 0.64% to Rs 759.60, after it on Thursday, 26 July 2007, said it has become the number one domestic packet tea company in terms of volume. For the first time ever, Tata Tea outperformed its nearest competitor Hindustan Unilever (HUL) in June 2007 by garnering a volume share of 19.2%, compared to HUL's 18.6%.
Ranbaxy Laboratories, India's largest pharma firm by sales, was up marginally by 0.16% to Rs 374. The stock rose for the second straight day after Ranbaxy yesterday, 26 July 2007, reached an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to end the litigation in the US on Valtrex (valacyclovir hydrochloride tablets) used in the treatment of herpes. The stock had jumped 9.95% to Rs 375 on Thursday, 26 July 2007, boosted by the announcement.
North India's largest-selling cement company Ambuja Cements rose 0.76% to Rs 125.35. Other cement stocks also recovered from their lows, still ending the day lower. UltraTech Cement Company (down 6.93% to Rs 865), India Cements (down 5.38% to Rs 195), and ACC (down 3.10% to Rs 990) slipped.
Metal stocks tumbled on intense selling pressure, with BSE Metal Index plunging 5.3% to 11,501.52. It was the biggest loser among the sectoral indices on BSE. India's largest private sector steel producer Tata Steel slumped 7.92% to Rs 647.75 on 11.53 lakh shares. It was the top loser from the Sensex pack.
JSW Steel (down 2.82% to Rs 727), Hindustan Zinc (down 5.52% to Rs 704), Sterlite Industries (down 4.54% to Rs 628), Hindalco Industries (down 5.68% to Rs 172.55), and Sail (down 5.10% to Rs 147.70) were the other losers from metal pack.
The BSE Bankex lost 3.2% at 7,920.19. Canara Bank (down 6.34% to Rs 263), Bank of Baroda (down 3.74% to Rs 292), HDFC Bank (down 3.54% to Rs 1175.90), State Bank of India (down 3% to Rs 1504.10), and ICICI Bank (down 3.18% to Rs 915), all edged lower.
Capital goods duo, the recent favourites of the market, suffered steep losses. India's largest power equipment maker Bhel lost 5.14% to Rs 1665 while L&T plunged 4.61% to Rs 2424.90. The BSE Capital Goods index was down 3.8% at 12,748.77.
India's largest power generation firm National Thermal Power Corporation slipped 4% to Rs 161.10 after it signed a joint venture agreement with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam to set up a 150-MW power plant at Vishakapatnam, Andra Pradesh.
The BSE IT Index lost 2.5% at 4,876.34. Infosys (down 1.25% to Rs 2009.50), Satyam Computers (down 4.67% to Rs 471.50), Wipro (down 4.18% to Rs 490.25), and TCS (down 2.56% to Rs 1155), slipped.
Telecom stocks declined on fresh selling. Reliance Communications, the country's second largest listed telecom company, plunged 5.40% to Rs 537 while Bharti Airtel, the country's largest telecom company based on subscribers, slumped 3.61% to Rs 892.
The country's second largest motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto declined 3.77% to Rs 2,310. French car maker Renault today confirmed that it is in talks with Bajaj Auto for producing a car for around Rs 1.20 lakh ($ 3000).
India's largest truck maker Tata Motors slumped 4.06% to Rs 701, after it announced that its small car would hit the market in the first half of 2008.
India's largest private sector company Reliance Industries (RIL) was down 4.12% to Rs 1861, on 21.90 lakh shares. RIL unveils its Q1 June 2007 results tomorrow, 28 July 2007.
The top losers from small-cap and mid-cap space were Sterling Biotech (down 11.8% to Rs 173.60), Tele Data Informatics (down 10.8% to Rs 61.45), NIIT Technologies (down 9.7% to Rs 491.10), Wire & Wireless India (down 8.2% to Rs 57.50), Bombay Rayon (down 8% to Rs 202.70), Emkay Share & Stock Brokers (down 9.5% to Rs 99), KS Oils (down 8.9% to Rs 52.70), Energy Development Corporation (down 7.9% to Rs 58.20) and Nectar Lifesciences (down 7.9% to Rs 227.65).
Select stocks, however, rose in an otherwise weak market: Timex Watches (up 10% to Rs 29.70), Triveni Engineering (up 9.7% to Rs 57.15), Assam Company (up 6.5% to Rs 17.80) and JK Tyres (up 5% to Rs 147.95), surged.
Shares from the real estate pack were hammered brutally, with the BSE Realty index declining 5.25% to 7,823.91. DLF (down 4.78% to Rs 602.55), Unitech (down 6.06% to Rs 557.60), Mahindra Gesco Developers (down 3.70% to Rs 572.95) and Sobha Developers (down 2.13% to Rs 893) declined from the real estate sector.
Venky's (India) jumped 14.31% to Rs 172.10 after its net profit jumped 197% to Rs 9.06 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006. Sales moved up 37.88% to Rs 124.07 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006.
GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare rose 3.63% to Rs 595 after its net profit moved up 36.80% to Rs 42.30 crore in Q2 June 2007 over Q2 June 2006. Sales were up 17.41% to Rs 315.60 crore.
Tata Chemicals lost 2.76% to Rs 250. It posted a 60.79% rise in net profit to Rs 121.16 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006. Total income decreased 10.4% to Rs 681 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006.
Moser Baer India rose 1.97% to Rs 311 after the company said its photo voltaic unit has entered into a agreement with Norway's REC Group for sourcing silicon wafers over an eight-year period beginning from 2008.
Ballarpur Industries jumped 7.29% to Rs 131.65. With an aim to create a large asset base company overseas, the company will transfer ownership of its three units at Bhigwan, Ballarpur and Kamalapuram to an overseas subsidiary for Rs 1,950 crore.
Alok Industries gained 5.54% to Rs 67.60 as buying continued after the scrip's 10.81% rally yesterday, 26 July 2007. The company will declare its Q1 results on 31 July 2007.
Lanco Infratech rose 0.81% to Rs 211 after its consolidated net profit spurted 1,103% to Rs 51.28 crore over Q1 June 2006. Total income rose 136.89% to Rs 603.27 crore. The results were announced after market hours on Thursday, 26 July 2007.
Crompton Greaves rose 2.45% to Rs 285 after its net profit rose 89.1% to Rs 68.76 crore in Q1 June 2007 over Q1 June 2006. Sales moved up 21% to Rs 896.07 crore. The diversified engineering company made the announcement after market hours yesterday, 26 July 2007.
India's third largest power generator and distributor in terms of revenue Tata Power Company dropped 0.86% to Rs 700 even as it reported a 56.09% rise in net profit in Q1 June 2007 to Rs 190.20 crore over Q1 June 2006. Sales rose 9.80% to Rs 1,511.48 crore.
Wholesale price-based inflation rate increased to 4.41% in the week ended 14 July 2007 from 4.27% in the previous week mainly on higher prices of fruits and vegetables, ragi, wheat, jowar, condiments and spices. The inflation numbers are still within the 5% annual target of the Reserve Bank of India, which is set to review the monetary policy on 31 July 2007. The annual rate of inflation was 4.62% in the corresponding week last year.
Meanwhile, a development that could increase domestic liquidity is the approval given by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday, 26 July 2007, to public sector companies enjoying Navratna and Miniratna status to invest up 30% of their surplus funds in equity mutual funds. The total surplus of central PSUs in 2005-06 was estimated at about Rs 2,39,500 crore, according to public enterprises survey. This means that about Rs 70,000 crore may flow to equity mutual funds. However, investments would be allowed only in public sector mutual funds.
A good rollover was witnessed to the August 2007 series from the July 2007 series when the July 2007 contracts expired on Thursday, 26 July 2007. According to one brokerage report, overall 83% positions have got rolled to August 2007 from July 2007. A good rollover of 73% was witnessed in index futures as well. Institutional investors rolled over short positions in Nifty following the hedging of their positions in the cash market.
Oil rose on Friday, 27 July 2007 holding firm above $75 a barrel as traders bet that fears of tight summer supplies would offset a fresh wave of risk aversion that struck US equities and dragged oil down a day ago. London Brent crude gained 41 cents to $75.59 a barrel. US crude rose 43 cents to $75.38