FMCG, metal stocks lead market decline

Key benchmark indices dropped to over one week low as tension between India and Pakistan following the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, 8 January 2013 weighed on sentiment. The 50-unit S&P CNX Nifty settled below the psychological 6,000 level. The barometer index, BSE Sensex, was down 75.93 points or 0.38%, off 157.47 points from the day's high and up 39.43 points from the day's low. The market breadth turned negative from positive in late trade. The BSE Sensex has risen 239.88 points or 1.23% in this month so far (till 9 January 2013). From a 52-week low of 15,664.91 on 6 January 2012, the Sensex has risen 4,001.68 points or 25.55%. The index is off 189.84 points or 0.96% from its 52-week high of 19,856.43 hit on Monday, 7 January 2013. Coming back to today's trade, index heavyweight and cigarette maker ITC extended intraday losses. Another index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) edged higher in volatile trade. FMCG stocks declined. Shares of Pidilite Industries reversed direction after striking record high. Auto stocks rose on renewed buying, with Tata Motors and M&M hitting their record high. Tyre maker MRF hit a record high. Bank pivotals were mostly higher. State-run banking giant SBI hit 52-week high. Private sector banking giant ICICI Bank hit an intraday high, matching its 52-week high hit on Monday, 7 January 2013. Shares of another private sector bank, Yes Bank hit record high. IndusInd Bank reversed direction after striking a record high on profit booking after reporting good Q3 results. Shares of companies whose fortunes are linked to orders from Indian Railways rose on reports Railways minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced hike in fares from January 21. Realty stocks reversed intraday gains. Capital goods stocks also reversed intraday gains. Metal stocks declined. IT stocks edged lower. Pharma major Cipla reversed direction after striking a record high. Another pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories hit record high. The market edged higher in early trade on firm Asian stocks. The market retained positive zone in morning trade. The Sensex trimmed gains after hitting fresh intraday high in mid-morning trade. A bout of volatility was witnessed as key benchmark revered intraday gains and slipped into the red to hit fresh intraday low in early afternoon trade. Key benchmark indices dropped to fresh intraday low in afternoon trade. It slipped into the red after regaining positive terrain in mid-afternoon trade. It slumped to hit fresh intraday low in late trade. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 887.38 crore on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges. The BSE Sensex was down 75.93 points or 0.38% to 19,666.59, its lowest closing level since 1 January 2013. The index fell 115.36 points at the day's low of 19,627.16 in late trade, its lowest level since 1 January 2013. The index gained 81.54 points at the day's high of 19,824.06 in mid-morning trade, its highest level since 7 January 2013. The S&P CNX Nifty was down 30.20 points or 0.5% to 5,971.50, its lowest closing level since 1 January 2013. The index hit a low of 5,958.45 in intraday trade, its lowest level since 1 January 2013. The index hit high of 6,020.10 in intraday trade, its highest level since 7 January 2013. The total turnover on BSE amounted to Rs 2520 crore, lower than Rs 2688 crore on Tuesday, 8 January 2013. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, turned negative from positive in late trade. On BSE, 1,560 shares fell and 1,411 shares rose. A total of 128 shares were unchanged. The BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.48%, underperforming the Sensex. The BSE Small-Cap index fell 025%, outperforming the Sensex. Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 19 declined while the rest of them rose. Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) rose 0.21% to Rs 852.15. The stock hit high of Rs 859.15 and low of Rs 848.30. Stock market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on 3 January 2013 said it has rejected offers by RIL and 12 other companies to settle allegations of insider trading in the shares of Reliance Petroleum before it was merged with its parent Reliance Industries in 2009. Sebi said the consent applications were rejected because they were not found to be in consonance with the Sebi circular dated 25 May 2012. In May last year, Sebi tightened its criteria for so-called consent proceedings, where the individual or entity being investigated pays a fee to the regulator to drop the case without admitting or denying wrongdoing. The regulator said a number of alleged offences, including insider-trading allegations, wouldn't be settled through consent proceedings. Index heavyweight and cigarette maker ITC fell 2.1% to Rs 279.30. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in October 2012 notified new pictorial health warnings to be depicted on tobacco product packs which will come into effect from 1 April 2013. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement on 22 October 2012 that three sets of warnings each have been notified for smoking as well as smokeless forms of tobacco product packages. The well-designed health warnings and messages are part of a range of measures to communicate health risks due to tobacco use. Pictorial health warnings communicate health risks in a visible way, provoke a greater emotional response and increase the motivation of tobacco users to quit and to decrease their tobacco consumption, the ministry's statement said. Graphic warning labels have a greater impact than text-only labels and can be recognized by low-literacy audiences and children, the statement added. Among other FMCG stocks, Godrej Consumer Products, Colgate Palmolive (India), Tata Global Beverages, Hindustan Unilever, Marico and Dabur India fell by 0.31% to 2.44%. Auto stocks edged higher. Tata Motors jumped 3.88% to Rs 326.35. The stock hit record high of Rs 329.90 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. The company's total sales (including exports) of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles declined 20.3% to 65,582 units in December 2012 over December 2011. The company on 1 January 2013 said that its newly introduced passenger car models Manza Club Class and Safari Storme are growing well in their respective segments. Due to increasing demand, the Safari Storme has been released only in the NCR region, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Goa, and is being expanded in phases, Tata Motors said. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) rose 0.44% to Rs 962. The stock hit record high of Rs 974.55 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles, a part of the $15.9 billion Mahindra Group, on Tuesday, 7 January 2013, named its next generation, future ready, electric car as the 'Mahindra e2o'. The Mahindra e2o is the manifestation of Mahindra Group's vision of the 'Future of Mobility', which was revealed earlier this year by Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, M&M said in a statement on 7 January 2013. It involves the creation of future-ready vehicles that meet the 5 C's framework of Clean, Convenient, Connected, Clever and Cost Effective, M&M said. The Mahindra e2o is the first step in the creation of an entire electric vehicle value chain and ecosystem by the Mahindra Group, M&M said. Pronounced as 'Ee-too-oh', the electric vehicle has undergone extensive testing, validation and has been certified as road worthy in India, M&M said. The Mahindra e2o is slated to be launched soon and will be produced at Mahindra Reva's recently inaugurated plant in Bengaluru, M&M said. Started under the project code name NXR, the Mahindra e2o is 'Powered by Reva', benefiting from Mahindra Reva's extensive experience in electric cars, M&M said. The Mahindra e2o will use next generation Lithium Ion batteries and have a range of 100 kms per charge which is adequate for most daily journeys within the city, M&M said. The Mahindra e2o will enable users to charge their vehicle through any 15 ampere plug point at home, or at the workplace, M&M said. Ashok Leyland rose 0.37%. The company's total sales declined 19% to 7,299 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Sales of commercial vehicles excluding sales of small commercial vehicle (SCV) DOST, declined 34% to 5,230 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Sales of DOST jumped 88.26% to 2,069 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Maruti Suzuki India shed 0.41% to Rs 1,568.05. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,599.90 in intraday trade on Monday, 7 January 2013. Maruti on 3 January 2013 said its total sales rose 3.2% to 95,145 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Domestic sales rose 5.9% to 82,073 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Export sales fell 11% to 13,072 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Shares of two-wheeler makers declined. Hero MotoCorp fell 1.56%. The company's total sales rose 8% to 5.41 lakh units in December 2012 over November 2012. Sales remained flat on year-on-year basis. Bajaj Auto declined 1.96% to Rs 2,155.60. The stock had hit record high of Rs 2,228.95 in intraday trade on 3 January 2013. Bajaj Auto's total sales rose 13% to 3.43 lakh shares in December 2012 over December 2011. Motorcycle sales rose 13% to 2.98 lakh units in December 2012 over December 2011. Three-wheeler sales rose 9% to 45,596 units in December 2012 over December 2011. Bajaj Auto's exports rose 5% to 1.26 lakh units in December 2012 over December 2011. TVS Motor Company slipped 0.75%. Tyre maker MRF rose 3.39% to Rs 13,796.90. The stock hit a record high of Rs 13,850 in intraday today, 9 January 2013. Bank pivotals were mostly higher. India's largest private sector bank by net profit ICICI Bank rose 0.27% to Rs 1,182.50. The stock hit high of Rs 1,188 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013, matching its 52-week high hit on Monday, 7 January 2013. Yes Bank gained 1.05% to Rs 504.80. The stock hit record high of Rs 509.90 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. HDFC Bank fell 0.6%. The private sector bank has lowered its base rate--or the minimum rate of interest it can charge borrowers--by 0.1 percentage point, factoring in a reduction in its funding cost. HDFC Bank's new base rate at 9.7% is the lowest in India. The reduction in base rate took effect from 31 December 2012. The benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR), the main rate for the bank's old borrowers, has also been cut by 10 bps to 18.2%. IndusInd Bank shed 0.07% to Rs 434.50 after striking a record high of Rs 440.80 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. IndusInd Bank's net profit rose 29.76% to Rs 267.27 crore on 30.3% growth in total income to Rs 2156.29 crore in Q3 December 2012 over Q3 December 2011. IndusInd Bank announced Q3 result during market hours today, 9 January 2013. Shares of banking giant State Bank of India (SBI) rose 1.21% to Rs 2,523.50 after striking a 52-week high of Rs 2,535.90 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. The bank on 24 December 2012 said it has signed a Preliminary Non-Binding Memorandum of Understanding with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), to facilitate advancing bilateral economic cooperation and trade between Russia and India which is aimed at exploring investment opportunities in both the countries. The modalities of the Joint Venture are expected to be further discussed and finalised between the parties in due course. The fund will be operationalised on receipt of requisite regulatory approvals, SBI said in a statement. State-run Bank of India rose 1.06% after the bank after trading hours on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, said that the board of directors of the bank has approved the raising of Tier-I capital of the bank by issue fresh equity shares to the Government of India (promoters) or to other investors, on preferential basis or otherwise, subject to necessary approvals. Realty stocks reversed intraday gains. D B Realty, Unitech, and Sobha Developers shed by 0.72% to 1.64%. The Reserve Bank of India said on 17 December 2012 that upon a review of the policy related to External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) and keeping in view the announcement made in the Union Budget for the Year 2012-13, it has decided to allow External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) for low cost affordable housing projects as a permissible end-use, under the approval route. For the financial year 2012-13, an aggregate limit of $1 billion is fixed for ECB under the low cost affordable housing scheme which includes ECBs to be raised by developers/builders and NHB/specified Housing Finance Companies (HFCs), RBI said. This limit will be reviewed annually, RBI said. A low cost affordable housing project for the purpose of ECB would be a project in which at least 60% of the permissible FSI would be for units having maximum carpet area up to 60 square meters. Realty major DLF fell 1.42%. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 3 January 2013 said it has passed a supplementary order modifying the Apartment Buyers Agreement entered into between realty major DLF and the apartment allottees. The matter pertains to two separate DLF projects in Gurgaon. The CCI in its order after considering the modified terms of the Apartment Buyers Agreement submitted by both parties, has modified the terms of the Apartment Buyers Agreement in a manner which it considers fair and reasonable and takes into account the interest of both parties, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs said after trading hours on Thursday, 3 January 2013. CCI in its earlier order dated August 12, 2011 had held that DLF was a dominant enterprise which had violated the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002 by entering into an agreement with apartment allottees that was one sided, abusive and unfair to the allottees. Accordingly the Apartment Buyers Agreement has been amended such that the abusive and unfair conditions present in the original one sided agreement have been removed, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs said. The CCI in its order has also considered the relevant provisions of the laws applicable to the development of group housing projects in Haryana, particularly the mandatory requirements which must be followed by every developer/builder, but which were not followed by DLF in this case, the ministry said in a statement. Capital goods stocks reversed intraday gains. BEML, Bhel, ABB, L&T and Siemens dropped by 0.4% to 2.59%. Havells India jumped 4.94% to Rs 681.15, extending recent gains triggered by the company revising trademark license agreement with one of its promoter group firms that owns the ‘Havells' brand. The stock hit a record high of Rs 684.70 in intraday today, 9 January 2013. Shares of Havells India have risen 6.97% in the preceding three sessions from a recent low of Rs 636.75 on Friday, 4 January 2013. Metal stocks declined. Sterlite Industries, Jindal Steel & Power, Tata Steel, Sail, Sterlite Industries, Hindalco Industries and Hindustan Zinc shed by 0.94% to 2.78%. Bhushan Steel tumbled 6.29% to Rs 444. The company on Monday, 7 January 2013, said it has fixed 16 January 2013 as record date for rights issue in the ratio of one equity share for every 15 equity shares held. The right issue has been priced at Rs 335 per share. Shareholders will have to pay Rs 167.50 per share on application and an equal amount on first and final call, Bhushan Steel said. IndusInd Bank fell 0.07% to Rs 434.50 on profit booking. The stock reversed direction after hitting record high of Rs 440.80 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. The bank announced during market hours today, 9 January 2013 that net profit rose 29.76% to Rs 267.27 crore on 30.3% rise in total income to Rs 2156.29 crore in Q3 December 2012 over Q3 December 2011. IT stocks edged lower. HCL Technologies slipped 0.21%. IT major Tata Consultancy Services declined 1.87%. TCS chief executive N Chandrasekaran said in a 2012 year-end review that the challenge before the company is to scale up its presence significantly in geographies like China, Japan, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. There are plenty of opportunities in all these markets and the aim is to address them, he said. He said that TCS is winning lots of transformation deals in Europe. He said that TCS is always looking at inorganic growth opportunities, but they have to make business sense. India's third largest software services exporter by revenues Wipro fell 0.33%. India's second largest software services exporter by revenues Infosys rose 0.65%. The company announces Q3 results on Friday, 11 January 2013. At the time of announcement of Q2 September 2012 results on 12 October 2012, Infosys had cut both revenue and earnings guidance for the year ending 31 March 2013 (FY 2013) due to appreciation of the rupee against the dollar. The company had cut revenue growth forecast for FY 2013 to 17.3% from its July guidance of 19.7% growth. As per the new guidance, the projected revenue for FY 2013 is at least Rs 39582 crore. The company had cut the projected growth in earnings per share (EPS) for FY 2013 to 10.3% from its July guidance of 14.4% growth. As per the new guidance, the projected EPS for FY 2013 is at least Rs 160.61. Infosys had retained its revenue growth guidance for FY 2013 in dollar terms while lowering the guidance on earnings per American depository receipt (EPADS). Infosys retained its forecast of 5% growth in revenue to at least $7.343 billion for FY 2013. The company had reduced the guidance on FY 2013 EPADS to $2.97 from the guidance of $3.03 which the company had given on 12 July 2012 at the time of announcement of Q1 June 2012 results. Cipla shed 0.24% to Rs 427.80, with the stock reversing direction after striking a record high of Rs 435 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. Dr Reddy's Laboratories rose 0.12% to Rs 1,910. The stock hit record high of Rs 1,925.85 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. Wockhardt rose 1.51%. The company announced during market hours Tuesday, 8 January 2013, it has received final approval from United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for marketing 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg and 300 mg extended release tablets of Lamotrigine, which is used in the treatment of epilepsy. Lamotrigine is the generic name of the brand Lamictal XR, marketed in the US by GlaxoSmithKline. Wockhardt is launching the product immediately and will be amongst the earliest generic versions of this product in the market, Wockhardt said in a statement. According to IMS Health, the total market for this product in the US is about $250 million. Wockhardt will be manufacturing the extended release tablets of Lamotrigine at its facility in Aurangabad, India. The technology for the extended release tablets was developed in-house. Wockhardt already markets several other products in the United States in the CNS segment, especially anti-convulsant drugs, Wockhardt said. Coal India (CIL) rose 1.62% The Ministry of Coal after trading hours on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, said it has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) for providing consultancy for restructuring of CIL, a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking. The planning Commission and a number of high level committees have recommended restructuring of CIL keeping in view the rapidly increasing demand for coal and the need for enhancing coal production and to make the coal industry competitive in the rapidly changing economic scenario, the coal ministry said. Since establishment of CIL in 1975, there have been significant changes in the energy policy of the country particularly after the onset of economic liberalization in the early 1990s. The coal sector has been partially opened for private investment to captive consumption. Coal development policy has evolved over a period of time leading to doing away with the administrative price mechanism/decontrol of coal price and distribution, empowerment of performing public sector coal companies, etc, the coal ministry said. Bharti Airtel rose 0.82%. As per reports, Bharti Airtel has increased the price of its 1GB 2G data plan by 25% and Airtel 2G customers will now have to pay Rs 125 for 1GB of data, which was Rs 100 earlier. The company has also reportedly decided to increase both data and voice prices in the future in line with the rise in cost structure. The move is in a series of steps where telecom companies have hiked their call tariffs in the recent months in a bid to improve their margins. Shares of companies whose fortunes are linked to orders from Indian Railways rose on reports Railways minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced an across-the-board hike in fares of all classes from from January 21 and said there will be no increase in fares in February rail budget. Kernex Microsystems, Kalindee Rail Nirman, Titagarh Wagons, Texmaco, and Stone India rose by 1.14% to 3.88%. Pidilite Industries fell 0.74% to Rs 227, with the stock reversing direction after striking record high of Rs 239.20 in intraday trade today, 9 January 2013. India said on Wednesday that Pakistan's ambassador to India had been summoned and spoken to in "very strong terms" over the killing of two soldiers in a firefight on the disputed Kashmir border. Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said the violation of a 10-year-old ceasefire on the heavily militarised border was a matter of great concern and said he expected an appropriate response from Pakistan. Defence Minister AK Antony and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today, 9 January 2013, on the ceasefire violation and killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops in Poonch on Tuesday, 8 January 2013. Antony today, 9 January 2013, said that the killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops was highly provocative. He also said that India will register a strong protest against the ceasefire violation by Pakistan. India has summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Salman Bashir to lodge a protest over the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani Army troops. In a major escalation to the ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts, a group of Pakistan Army soldiers raided across the Line of Control in Mendhar Sector and killed two Indian soldiers and injured one more. The Pakistani troops attacked an area domination patrol party of the Indian Army. In the ensuing gunfight two Indian soldiers were killed and the body of one of them was mutilated by the intruders. Coming back to economics, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram last week said attracting foreign funds to India has become an economic imperative. Indian companies will soon start unveiling Q3 December 2012 results. Investors and analysts will closely watch the management commentary that would accompany the result which could cause revision in their future earnings forecast of the company for the current year and or next year. Infosys announces Q3 results on Friday, 11 January 2013. TCS announces Q3 results on 14 January 2013. Axis Bank announces Q3 results on 15 January 2013. Bajaj Auto unveils Q3 results on 16 January 2013. Hero MotoCorp announces Q3 results on 17 January 2013. HCL Technologies announces its Q2 December 2012 results on the same day. HDFC Bank and ITC unveil Q3 results on 18 January 2013. UltraTech Cement unveils Q3 results on 19 January 2013. HDFC, Asian Paints and Cairn India unveil Q3 results on 21 January 2013. Maruti Suzuki India unveils Q3 results on 25 January 2013. ICICI Bank and Grasim Industries unveil Q3 results on 31 January 2013. IDFC announces Q3 results on 1 February 2013. Mahindra & Mahindra will announce Q3 results on 8 February 2013. Fitch Ratings on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, reiterated its negative outlook on India's sovereign rating and said it is now worried more about the country's deteriorating fiscal outlook than a slowdown in economic growth and price pressures. Inflation and growth are likely to stabilize in the near term, but India's widening current-account and fiscal deficits have become a greater concern, it said. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will unveil industrial production data for November 2012 on Friday, 11 January 2013. Industrial production had jumped 8.2% in October 2012. Apart from the exceptionally low base effect, industrial production growth in October was boosted by festival demand. The CSO will unveil data on inflation based on the combined consumer price index CPI) for urban and rural India and also inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) both for December 2012, on 14 January 2013. Inflation based on the consumer price index (CPI) edged up to 9.9% in November 2012 from 9.75% in October 2012. WPI inflation had eased to 7.24% in November 2012 from 7.45% in October 2012. The non-food manufacturing inflation or core inflation had hit 2-1/2-year hit low at 4.49% in November 2012. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) undertakes Third Quarter Review of Monetary Policy 2012-13 on 29 January 2013. RBI kept its key policy rate viz. the repo rate unchanged at 8% after mid-quarter monetary policy review on 18 December 2012. The central bank said that in view of inflation pressures ebbing, monetary policy has to increasingly shift focus and respond to the threats to growth from this point onwards. Liquidity conditions will be managed with a view to supporting growth as stated in the Second Quarter Review (SQR) of Monetary Policy 2012-13 on 30 October 2012, thereby preparing the ground for further shifting the policy stance to support growth, RBI said. Overall, recent inflation patterns and projections provide a basis for reinforcing October guidance about policy easing in the fourth quarter, RBI said. However, risks to inflation remain and accordingly, even as the policy emphasis shifts towards growth, the policy stance will remain sensitive to these risks, RBI said. RBI said it is closely monitoring the evolving growth-inflation dynamic and will update the formal numerical assessment of its growth and inflation projections for 2012-13 as part of the third quarter review in January 2013. The government on 2 January 2013 constituted the Fourteenth Finance Commission. Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Dr. Y. V. Reddy has been appointed as the Chairman of the Fourteenth Finance Commission. The Commission will make recommendations to the Centre regarding the sharing of union taxes, principles governing Grants-in-aid to states and transfer of resources to local bodies. The Planning Commission last month lowered its economic growth forecast for the country for the five years through 2017 to 8% from a previous estimate of 8.2%. Finance Minister P .Chidambaram on 3 January 2013 said that there is a need to revive investment in manufacturing and service sector in order to create higher job opportunities. The Finance Minister said that the economy is passing through a difficult phase mainly due to external factors and, therefore, there is immediate need to tide over the current situation and then move to the path of higher growth. The Finance Minister was making opening remarks during his second pre-budget meeting with the representatives of various Central Trade Unions on Thursday, 3 January 2013. The Finance Minister said that there was a slowdown in investment in manufacturing sector and as a result not enough jobs were created. He added that due to the various steps and measures taken by the government in the last few months, there seems to be a change in the investment sentiments both in public and private sectors. He said trade unions can play an important role in reviving the manufacturing sector which in turn can lead to creation of more job opportunities in the sector. It remains to be seen if the Union Budget for 2013-2014 due in February 2013 is a reformist budget or a populist budget. Given that next general elections in India must be held before May 2014, it will be the last full-fledged budget of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and hence could be a populist one. European stocks were marginally higher on Wednesday as Alcoa Inc. began the U.S. earnings season by posting sales that beat estimates. Key benchmark indices in France, UK and Germany rose by between 0.01% to 0.32%. Most Asian stocks gained on Wednesday, 9 January 2013, as earnings season got off to a positive start in the US overnight, with US aluminum major Alcoa Inc. announcing that it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan rose by 0.22% to 0.67%. Key benchmark indices in China, Indonesia and South Korea fell by 0.03% to 0.79%. Bank of Japan holds a two-day meeting on interest rates in Japan on 21 and 22 January 2013. Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could gain 14 points at the opening bell on Wednesday, 9 January 2013. US stocks ended broadly lower on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, with investors on alert for corporate earnings and guidance ahead of results from aluminium giant Alcoa Inc., which unofficially kicked off US fourth-quarter earnings season after the close of trading. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) holds a two-day meeting on interest rates in the United States on 29 and 30 January 2013.