Profit booking may emerge at higher level

Profit booking is likely to emerge at higher level after a sharp recent rally. The market has witnessed a solid surge over the past few weeks. From a low of 13,989.11 on 21 August 2007, Sensex rose 5,069.56 points or 36.23% in a short while to lifetime closing high of 19,058.67 on 15 October 2007. Heavy FII buying and anticipation of robust set of earnings triggered the solid rally.

Asian markets were trading mixed today, 16 October 2007. Japan's Nikkei (down 1.01% at 17,182.36), Singapore's Straits Times (down 0.42% at 3,845.61), declined. However, Hong Kong's Hang Seng (up 0.54% at 29,700.67), Taiwan's Taiwan Weighted (up 0.93% at 9,607.30) and South Korea's Seoul Composite (up 0.14% at 2,038.24) advanced.

US market ended lower on Monday, 15 October 2007 as oil kissed $86 mark and Citigroup issued fourth quarter earning warning. The Dow Jones industrial Average closed lower by 108.28 points at 13,984.80. The Nasdaq Composite Index, finished lower by 25.63 points at 2,780.05. S&P 500 finished lower by 13.09 points at 1,548.71.

The BSE 30-share Sensex surged 639.63 points, or 3.47%, to 19,058.67 on Monday, 15 October 2007, a record closing high. It hit an all time high of 19,095.75 in late trade on that day. The broader based S&P CNX Nifty was up 242.15 points, or 4.46%, to 5,670.40, a record closing high, on Monday, 15 October 2007. It hit a all-time high of 5,682.65 in late trade on that day.

As per provisional data, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased shares worth a net Rs 2868.59 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers of shares worth Rs 281.11 crore on Monday, 15 October 2007.

Crude oil prices held firm above $86 a barrel on Tuesday, 16 October 2007 after soaring nearly 3% to a record high on Monday, extending its recent rally to a sixth day amid tension between Turkey and Iraq plus anxiety over winter supplies. US crude rose 12 cents to $86.25 a barrel. London Brent crude rose $2.20 higher at $82.75