Podcasts about nestle india

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews which all relate to food. First, Dinner for One, the British TV sketch that's become a German New Year's Eve tradition. Our expert guest is Ingrid Sharp, professor of German cultural and gender history at the University of Leeds. She tells us about some other festive traditions in Northern Europe including Krampus – the horned figure said to punish children who misbehave at Christmas. We also hear about when South Korea and Japan had a diplomatic row over kimchi. Plus, the arrival of instant noodles in India and how they changed people's cooking habits. Next we find out how the BBC's Masterchef conquered the world of TV cookery. Finally, the first woman to become White House head chef describes what it's like to cook for five presidents.Contributors:Thomas Frankenfeld – son of Peter Frankenfeld who produced Dinner for One.Ingrid Sharp - professor of German cultural and gender history at the University of Leeds.Dr Chaelin Park - World Institute of Kimchi. Sangeeta Talwar – former executive vice president of Nestle India.Franc Roddam – creator of Masterchef.Cristeta Comerford – former White House chef.(Photo: Dinner for One. Credit: Getty Images)

The arrival of instant noodles in India was a turning point in culinary history. In 1983, before Maggi 2-Minute Noodles launched, the country's food culture centred around chapati, lentils and rice and the Indian economy was still a closed market. Sangeeta Talwar, formerly of Nestle India, tells Surya Elango how instant noodles forever changed the food habits of the country.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Maggi 2-Minute Noodles. Credit: Getty Images)

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Monday, November 25, 2024. This is Nelson John, let's get started.  Days before a US court indicted Adani Green Energy officials for alleged bribery in India, traders on derivatives markets cut their positions in Adani Enterprises and Adani Ports. This move spared them from the sharp declines that erased 2.24 trillion rupees in market value on Thursday when the allegations surfaced. Notably, futures positions in Adani Enterprises were reduced by 8%, ahead of a 23% drop in share prices following the news. Market watchers noted significant trading activity before the public release of the indictment news, leading to speculation about whether some had prior knowledge, Ram Sahgal writes.A recent World Bank study across six Indian states talks about the critical need for skill-based education in schools to capitalize on India's demographic dividend and meet development goals by 2047. The study reveals a significant gap between current educational offerings and the rapidly evolving job market, shaped by factors such as automation, climate change, and digitalization. Integrating skill education into the school curriculum is essential for preparing students for employment opportunities and enhancing India's competitive edge globally. N Madhavan explains why giving skill education in Indian schools is a good idea, in today's Primer. Ranjit Gupta, chief executive of Ocior Energy and former CEO  of Azure Power, is among those indicted in the $250 million Adani bribery case. Azure is in the thick of the bribery scam. After resigning from Azure Power in 2022 under circumstances detailed in a November 20 complaint by US prosecutors, Gupta went on to establish Ocior Energy, which recently secured a significant investment promise from REC Ltd to produce green ammonia in Odisha. Ocior Energy has no revenue and limited staffing, yet it ambitiously plans to invest billions in green energy across regions from Egypt to India. These plans now face scrutiny as Gupta contends legal challenges in the ongoing Adani investigation, writes Varun Sood. India's massive ₹13 trillion manufacturing boost from production-linked incentives (PLI) is hitting a pause. The government is halting the addition of new sectors like toys, drones, and furniture to better tune the existing setup, Dhirendra Kumar reports. This shift comes as disbursements have dropped sharply, from nearly ₹10,000 crore last year to under ₹1,000 crore this year, with the bulk of claims coming from electronics, textiles, automobiles, and white goods sectors. The challenge? High production targets are tough to meet. For instance, textile companies eyeing incentives need to hit a ₹600 crore sales target with at least ₹300 crore invested. The latest quarterly earnings have revealed a stark trend: urban India is facing some serious financial strains. Big names like Hindustan Unilever and Nestle India are seeing sluggish growth, with sales barely inching up, thanks to a shrinking middle class that's tightening belts. The problem? Prices are up, and so are interest rates, making everyone think twice about how they spend their money. Interestingly, while the big cities are struggling, rural India seems to be holding up much better. Companies like Maruti Suzuki even reported growth in rural sales despite flat overall revenue. It's a tale of two markets, really. Urban areas, usually the heartbeat of consumption, are now the ones lagging behind, feeling the pinch from high food prices and lower disposable income. In today's Long Story, Abhishek Mukherjee writes about the consumption slowdown middle class India is facing. 

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Tuesday, November 5, 2024. This is Nelson John, let's get started.  Recent earnings reports from big consumer companies like Nestle India, HUL, and Maruti Suzuki highlight a sharp slowdown in urban consumption, posing a potential threat to India's economic growth. This quarter, the fast-moving consumer goods sector saw growth shrink from 10.1% to just 2.8%. The slowdown isn't just due to a heavy monsoon; deeper issues like stagnant urban incomes and high food inflation are tightening consumer purse strings, particularly affecting the middle class. The IT sector's slowdown in hiring and modest wage increases only add to the problem. This consumption dip could severely impact India's economic growth since private consumption is a key growth driver. N Madhavan explains the reasons behind this slowdown in today's Primer.  The "Big Five" of Indian IT—TCS, Cognizant, Infosys, HCL, and Wipro—are facing a predicament as investors seem more captivated by smaller firms despite their varied performance metrics. Over the last four years, smaller IT companies like Persistent Systems and Coforge have seen their valuations skyrocket, far outpacing their giant counterparts. This shift is driven by the belief that these nimble players are better positioned to adapt to disruptions from generative AI technologies, which lessen the importance of scale in traditional IT operations. Varun Sood writes that despite achieving solid revenue growth, the big players haven't seen the same enthusiasm from investors, who are concerned about declining profitability and leadership changes.  Leading manufacturers like steel and cement companies are increasingly tapping into renewable energy. Nehal Chaliawala reports on how this is proving to be a smart move financially. By signing long-term green power purchase agreements at lower rates than traditional coal-powered electricity, these firms are seeing significant reductions in energy costs. For instance, Ambuja Cement reported a 27% reduction in power and fuel costs this quarter, driven by a shift to renewable sources which now make up 25% of its energy mix. Similarly, ACC and Ultratech Cement have made strides in integrating renewables, with substantial cost savings.  Ramco Group from Tamil Nadu is restructuring its corporate framework to eliminate cross-holdings and attract foreign investors. Anirudh Laskar and Satish John report that Ramco Cements has sold its 16.23% promoter stake in Ramco Industries to other promoter entities. Ramco is looking to remove cross-holdings that might not be appealing to foreign investors. It plans to divest from assets worth at least ₹1,000 crore to reduce its debt. Multi-speciality hospitals are now passe — private equity investors now want single-specialty medicare centres. Soumya Gupta writes that this is because patients are typically seeking higher standards of service, and such specialised hospitals are started by well-regarded doctors. Since 2022, private investors have increasingly favored single-speciality hospitals, leading to significant funding and acquisitions. Last year, 20% of the $5.5 billion in hospital funding in India went to such facilities. As for investors, these smaller hospitals offer more scalable options compared to larger counterparts.

-Welcome to CNBC-TV18's Marketbuzz Podcast. Here are the top developments from around the world ahead of the trading session on October 10 -Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the diversified Tata Group and a towering figure in Indian business, passed away at the age of 86 last night. He has left behind a profound legacy of business leadership, global expansion, and a deep commitment to societal betterment, having reportedly donated 60–65% of his income to charitable causes. The state of Maharashtra has announced one day of state mourning. -The Nifty needed follow-up buying post Tuesday's rebound to confirm that a bottom has indeed been made for now. However, that was not to be. For a better part of Wednesday's trading session, the Nifty continued to move higher, carrying on from where it left off on Tuesday, but a swift reversal in the second half not only took the Nifty down from the day's high, but also end the session on a negative note. Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank have been leading the recent sell-off on the index as well. Adding to their underperformance was a sell-off in index FMCG names. ITC, Nestle India, Britannia, most of these names saw selling pressure over worries of them reporting weak results. -Thursday will be a very important trading session for the markets. Nifty will have its weekly options expiry, earnings season begins with TCS reporting results, the US will report its CPI figures for the month of September and other broader market names like Tata Elxsi and IREDA will also be reporting results. -Stocks to watch: Adani Enterprises, Vedanta, Infosys, Patanjali Foods, Britannia, JM Financial, PNC Infratech, Rain Industries, GR Infra, Star Health Insurance, Zee Entertainment -Asian equities rose Thursday after their US peers set a fresh high ahead of inflation data that may define Federal Reserve policy easing in the coming months. Shares in Japan, South Korea, Australia and China all advanced. -Back in the US, the S&P 500 rose 0.7% to a record high on Wednesday, its 44th of the year, with tech shares again propelling the gains. Apple Inc. climbed 1.7%. Nvidia Corp. halted a five-day rally while Tesla Inc. edged lower ahead of the Robotaxi launch. Alphabet Inc. fell 1.5% on news the US is weighing a Google breakup in a historic big-tech antitrust case. -US consumer price data to be released later Thursday is expected to show inflation further moderating, supporting the Fed's anticipated easing in the coming months. Despite this, market pricing indicates the likelihood of another 50 basis point rate cut is all but off the table following last week's strong jobs report. -Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on concerns about potential supply disruptions in the Middle East, with Israel planning to strike oil-producer Iran, and on spikes in fuel demand as a major storm barreled into Florida Brent crude futures were close to $77 a barrel. -GIFT Nifty was trading with a premium of more than 100 points from Nifty Futures' Wednesday close, indicating a gap-up start for the Indian market. Tune in to the podcast for more cues 

In this episode of Market Minutes, Nandita Khemka talks about the key factors to watch out for today before the domestic market opens. Markets will react to the FOMC meet outcome, US CPI data and Indian macro data as well. The US Federal Reserve held rates steady, indicating only one rate cut this year but a more aggressive rate cut path for next year. Wall Street rallied post Fed meet outcome with the S&P 500 shutting shop above the 5,400 mark for the first time. Will Nifty hit 23,500 following positive global cues? L&T Finance & Nestle India will be among the stocks that will be in focus. Also, catch Anirudh Garg, Partner and Head of Research at Invasset PMS on the Voice of the Day segment. Market Minutes is a morning podcast that puts the spotlight on hot stocks, key data points, and developing trends.

Marketbuzz Podcast: Indian markets may see a flat start according to the GIFT Nifty. Watch out for stocks like Nestle India, Sobha and Arvind.

In this episode of Market Minutes, Lovisha Darad discusses about what are the top factors to watch out on April 25 trade. Corporate earnings season will continue to grab limelight as Nestle India, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank are slated to report Q4 results. Apart from that, all eyes will be on market trends on the day of monthly F&O expiry. Also, catch Sneha Poddar of Motilal Oswal Financial Services on Voice of the Day segment. Market Minutes is a morning podcast that puts the spotlight on hot stocks, key data points, and developing trends.

Welcome to CNBC-TV18's Marketbuzz Podcast. Here are all the important cues ahead of the trading session of April 25 -Asia-Pacific markets took a breather this morning after two straight days of rallies, mirroring moves on Wall Street ahead of first-quarter gross domestic product figures from the U.S. due later in the day. -The Bank of Japan kicks off its monetary policy meeting Thursday as investors monitor for action against yen weakness. The yen slid past the 155 mark against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, hitting a fresh 34-year low. -Overnight in the US, all three major indexes were largely range bound as interest rate fears dampened the enthusiasm stemming from a strong slate of corporate earnings. The S&P 500 eked out a 0.02% gain, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.11%. The Nasdaq Composite edged 0.1% higher. -Shares of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, plunged as much as 19% in extended trading on Wednesday after its second quarter revenue guidance missed analyst expectations. - Oil prices eased in early trade on Thursday as concerns about a potential slowdown in the U.S. economy amid prospects for delayed interest rate cuts outweighed worries over the risk of expanding conflict in the Middle East. -GIFT Nifty was trading with a discount of nearly 50 points from Nifty Futures' Wednesday close, indicating a start in the Red for the Indian market -Stocks to track: Kotak Mahindra Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Bank, LTIMindtree, Dalmia Bharat, Syngene, AU Small Finance Bank, Indian Hotels, Rail Vikas Nigam, ITC, Motilal Oswal -Earnings today: Nestle India, Tech Mahindra, L&T Technology Services, IndusInd Bank, ACC, Bajaj Finance Tune in to Marketbuzz Podcast for more cues

In this episode of Market Minutes, Harshita talks about the key factors to watch out for today before domestic equity market open. Markets to remain volatile on account of the RBI policy meeting outcome. Investors will eye interest rate cut commentary and inflation, GDP forecast. Nestle India, Ultratech Cement, Bajaj Finance, Cipla among stocks to watch today. Catch the global market set up, and also hear from KKunal V Parar, Vice-President of Technical Research and Algo at Choice Broking in the Voice of the Day segment. Market Minutes is a morning podcast that puts the spotlight on hot stocks, key data points, and developing trends.

Hello and welcome to CNBC-TV18's Marketbuzz Podcast. Here are all the important cues ahead of the trading session of April 5 -All eyes today will be on two data points – RBI policy and US jobs data -Overnight in the US, all three major indexes lost ground, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1.3% to record its worst session since March 2023, and logging its fourth consecutive losing day. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite  saw the largest loss of 1.40%. This was after comments from the US Federal Reserve officials fueled worries that the central bank could hold off on rate cuts. -Asia-Pacific markets also fell this morning, led by Japan's Nikkei 225, which was down over 2% after briefly crossing the 40,000 mark on Thursday, while the broad based Topix was 1.7% lower. -Oil prices continued to rise, with Brent crude reaching a new six-month high of $90.65 per barrel. -Reserve Bank of India's April rate decision is due today and the consensus is that there will be no change in key lending rates. The policy outcome could further determine the direction for the market. -Barring HDFC Bank, the rest of the market appeared choppy on Thursday. The Nifty opened well above 22,600, could not sustain those gains, turned negative, nearly fell below 22,300 but reversed and eventually closed above 22,500. There were trades available on both sides of the spectrum but that came with extreme volatility. -For the week, the Nifty is still up 1% and set for its third straight weekly advance. The index is poised for to gain for the seventh out of the last eight weeks -Both foreign and domestic investors were net sellers in the cash market on Thursday. -GIFT Nifty, traded with a discount of more than 30 points from Nifty Futures' Thursday close, indicating a start in the red for the Indian market. -Stocks to watch: Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Cipla, Nestle India, Sobha, Prestige Estates, L&T, Sula Vineyards, Avanti Feeds Tune in to the Marketbuzz Podcast for more cues

Indian aviation sector not just shrugged-off the pandemic blues, but it also broke all the previous records in 2023. The country's domestic air passenger traffic soared past 150 million last year-- despite the grounding of a big carrier in May. But it also meant that airlines were stretched like never before. And pilots were operating under extreme pressure. At least three of them reportedly died due to heart attack last year. So now, the civil aviation regulator has come up with a set of new rules. Will it ease the burden on pilots? How will it affect the airlines?  And thanks to holidays, last December saw the highest ever air passenger traffic in any month in the history of aviation. And like skies, records were set on the ground too. Sales of passenger vehicles crossed the four-million mark for the first time in 2023. Even a year before, in 2022, car sales had broken the previous record. But now, India's auto industry is facing a peculiar challenge. Car dealers have reported a 75% jump in unsold inventory at the beginning of this year, as compared to January of 2023. So what explains this dichotomy?  Let us now turn our focus to the financial markets. Shares of real estate firms have been firing from all cylinders, outperforming the markets over the past one year. The Nifty Realty index has doubled investors' wealth in one year, while some stocks have generated 3x returns during the period. Going ahead, are there more legs in this rally? Or are the stock prices over heated?    Staying with the financial markets theme, FMCG giant Nestle India recently announced that it will split its shares and give 10 shares for every 1 its shareholders hold. Currently, Maggi-maker has one of the most highly-priced shares in the Indian stock market. But what is a stock split, why do companies do it and what changes after that? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

In this episode of Market Minutes, Harshita talks about the key factors to watch out for today before domestic equity market open.The Sensex and Nifty are expected to remain volatile amid concerns over Red Sea disruptions. Tata Steel, Nestle India, LIC, and SJVN are among the stocks in in focus on January 2. Globally, the US shows flat futures, while Asia-Pacific markets exhibit mixed trends. Catch the global market set up, and also hear from Deven Mehata, Derivative Analyst from Choice Broking in the Voice of the Day segment. Market Minutes is a morning podcast that puts the spotlight on hot stocks, key data points, and developing trends.

Maggi, KitKat, Polo - all these brands are owned by Nestle. How did the company start? How did it grow to become this giant? In this episode, Rohan will take you through the story of Nestle India.

The role of the private sector in facilitating the climate transition journey of our world has been much talked about recently. While many corporations, including those in the fossil fuel sectors, have started drafting out their own journeys to “net zero,” Ajay Banga, the newly appointed president of the World Bank, has also emphasized the need for active private sector finance in the climate transition. There is a growing realization that governments alone cannot do all that is needed to prevent the worst-case scenarios that the world is increasingly faced with. And yet, the full scope of how the private sector can actually expedite this once-in-an-era transition has not been explored enough. In this episode, Suresh Narayanan joins Anirudh Suri to explore the role of the private sector in the climate transition journey.Episode ContributorsSuresh Narayanan is the chairman and managing director of Nestlé India Limited. He has been in this role since August 2015. He also serves as the chairman of the CII National Committee on Food Processing Industries. Under Mr. Narayanan's leadership, Nestlé India has received several accolades, including, most recently, “MNC in India of the Year” in 2022 by the All India Management Association, “Outstanding Company of the Year 2021” by CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards (IBLA), and “MNC of the Year” by Business Standard in 2020.Mr. Narayanan joined Nestlé in 1999 as executive vice president for sales in India. His international career commenced at Nestlé Indochina in 2003, and he has also served in the Philippines, Singapore, Egypt, and the Northeast Africa Region. He was honored as the “Entrepreneurial CEO” at the EY Entrepreneur of The Year™ Awards 2020. Business Today awarded him “Best CEO-FMCG” for two consecutive years in 2019 and 2020.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs. He is currently exploring how India is carving and cementing its role in the global tech ecosystem and the role climate technology can play in addressing the global climate challenge.He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations (HarperCollins, 2022) and is currently the managing partner at India Internet Fund, a technology-focused venture capital fund based in India and the United States. He has also written extensively on foreign policy, geopolitics, cybersecurity, climate, technology, and entrepreneurship in publications such as the Indian Express, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Foreign Policy, The Print, The New Republic, Economic Times, MoneyControl, and Asia Times. --Additional ReadingsA Comprehensive Framework for India's Climate Finance Strategy by Anirudh SuriWhy Banga  Being a Corporate Czar is Good for World Bank by Anirudh Suri—-Key Moments:(0:00); Introduction (4:29); Mr. Narayanan's Journey(9:45); The Private Sector's Role in Combating Climate Change(15:49); Nestle's Application of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (20:09); Nestle's Science and R&D-Based Approach (27:51); Obstacles to India's Private Sector Spending on R&D(37:15); On Packaged Foods and Food Security (38:53); Policy Hurdles in Public-Private Collaborations (42:42); India's Climate Opportunity Strategy (48:41); Concluding Remarks (49:15); Outro   

Nestle India has delivered its highest growth in a quarter in the last decade, but a lot more is brewing at the Maggi maker. Host Ratna Bhushan catches up with Suresh Narayanan, CMD, Nestle India, as they engage in  a healthy debate on nutrition and the upcoming competition.If you like this episode from Ratna Bhushan, check out her other episodes on Millet Mania, From Bite to Flight: Varun Berry's Big Plans Ahead, From Bikaner to BSE: Snacking Away and more! You can follow our host Ratna Bhushan on her social media:Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/ratnabhushanETLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratna-bhushan-aa83aa21 Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief' on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a new player in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) landscape – the one which cannot be ignored. Reliance Industries' announcement to enter the sector will heat up competition in the space dominated by the likes of HUL, ITC, Nestle India and Patanjali. Will the oil-to-telecom- conglomerate be a disruptor in this segment too?  Just like the FMCG firms, information technology companies are also feeling the margin pressure. It has forced some of the leading IT firms to reduce or hold back employee bonuses. Looming clouds of recession in the US and Europe are also making IT firms nervous, as key clients are tightening their purse strings. So, for how long will Indian IT service providers face margin pressure? And, is there a solution to it?  Cyrus Mistry's untimely and tragic death has shocked everyone in the business world and beyond. It comes just two months after his father Pallonji Mistry's demise. So what next for the multi-billion dollar Shapoorji Pallonji Group. While analysts believe the professionally-run group will see no impact on its functioning, they expect the ambiguity over the next mentor to cloud near-term outlook for group stocks.  Financial markets in Europe sunk on Monday after the Russian decision to snap the gas supply via its Nord Stream 1. Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more about this pipeline, and why is it so crucial for Europe.

The stock of cigarette to hotels conglomerate ITC has gained around 19 per cent thus far in March, far outperforming its peers like Hindustan Unilever, which has lost 10 per cent during this period.   Peers such as Godrej Consumer Products, Britannia, Nestle India, Dabur India and Marico, too, have lost 7 per cent to 11 per cent in March. While the Nifty FMCG index has mostly been flat, the Nifty50 lost over 2 per cent month-till-date (MTD). The fall in most FMCG stocks, analysts said, is on account of rising raw material prices that gained ground on the back of Russia-Ukraine war. Over the last quarter, prices of commodities like palm oil, crude oil and skimmed milk powder are up 23 - 42 per cent.   Crude-linked derivatives currently witnessing single digits inflation are likely to catch up with a lag of two-three months.   So, what's happening with ITC then? Analysts say the company is relatively insulated as it has other verticals such as hotels and cigarettes, which cushion the blow to its FMCG segment from the sharp rise in input costs.   What's also working for ITC is the fact that the government has kept the excise duty on tobacco unchanged in the Union Budget for fiscal 2022-23 (FY23), and the cigarette volumes are steadily climbing. That apart, lifting of most Covid restrictions post the third-wave has led to an increase in mobility, which augurs well for ITC's hotel business. ITC's paper business segment, too, is likely to do well in the backdrop of tight paper supplies in the domestic market and a possible surge in paper exports.   Analysts such as Vinay Khattar, head of research at Edelweiss Wealth Research, believe all ingredients are in place for the stock to now catch up with the markets.   The positives, he said, will lead to an earnings CAGR of 12 per cent in FY22–24 against a mere 7 per cent in the last five years. Cigarette volume should revive at a CAGR of 5 per cent during FY22-24 as against a CAGR of -1 per cent in FY11–21. FMCG's EBITDA margin likely to scale up to higher single digits; while the hotel, paperboard and agri-commodities businesses are set to revive, said Vinay Khattar, head of research at Edelweiss Wealth Research, in a recent report. Technical analysts, too, see the stock higher in the next three months, provided the overall market sentiment does not take a knock due to the ongoing political situation.  =============== Twitter: @Pun_ditry

Top headlines   ·       Sensex ends choppy day 145 pts down, Nifty holds 17,300 ·       Vedant Fashions makes decent debut; lists at 8% premium over issue price ·       Vijay Kedia-owned stock hits 10% upper circuit on order win ·       IDBI Bank gains 3% as govt set to begin investor outreach from Feb 25 ·       Firstsource Solutions hits 9-month low; tanks 44% from 52-week high   Equity markets ended an extremely volatile day on a subdued note as investors monitored the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Although reports suggested that Russian military vehicles were leaving the annexed Crimea, Western officials and the Ukrainian President urged caution in taking Russia's claims at face value.   In view of this, the BSE benchmark Sensex oscillated 789 points intra-day before closing at 57,997, down 145 points or 0.25%. The NSE Nifty also gyrated 233 points and eventually ended at 17,322, down 30 points or 0.17%.   On the bourses, Bharti Airtel, M&M, HDFC, Kotak Bank, Nestle India, and Dr Reddy's Labs were the only Sensex gainers. On the Nifty, Divis Labs, ONGC, Adani Ports, HDFC Life, and IOC were the among the gainers.   On the downside, ICICI Bank, SBI, NTPC, Ultratech Cement, Tata Steel, UPL and Tata Motors were the top laggards.   The BSE MidCap and the BSE SmallCap indices ended mixed, with the former dipping 0.03% and the latter advancing 0.42%.   Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Realty, Pharma, Consumer Durables and Oil & Gas indices ended in the green, adding between 0.5% and 1%. On the downside, the Nifty PSB index slipped 1.2%. The Nifty Metal, IT, Bank and Auto indices also closed lower by up to 0.6%.   Among individual counters, Vedant Fashions, the owner of the Manyavar brand, made a decent stock market debut, with its shares getting listed at Rs 936, an 8% premium over its issue price of Rs 866 on the BSE. The stock closed flat against its opening price, remaining 8% above the issue price. The company's IPO had received a lukewarm response, with the issue being subscribed only three times.   This apart, ace investor Vijay Kedia's portfolio stock Innovators Facade Systems was locked in the 10% upper circuit on the BSE after the company announced an order win worth over Rs 70 crore. The company was awarded this order for Design, Supply, Fabrication and Installation of Facade Work from Lodha Group. As of December 2021, Kedia held a 10.66% stake in the company.   Private lender IDBI Bank also gained 3% on the news that the government would start virtual roadshows with investors for the bank's strategic disinvestment from February 25, as the Centre and LIC looked to sell their stake to a private buyer. The roadshows will be managed by KPMG and Link Legal, which are the intermediaries appointed by the government.   Lastly, on the flip side, Firstsource Solutions continued to feel the pressure, hitting an over nine-month low on the BSE, down over 4%. The stock has corrected 44% from its 52-week high and 19% in the past two weeks after the company lowered its FY22 revenue growth guidance.

Top headlines   ·        Sensex ends 460 pts up, Nifty tops 17,600 on dovish RBI policy ·        Nykaa slips 7.5% on 59% drop in Q3 net profit ·        Mahindra Lifespaces rallies 20% on plan to buy land parcel from M&M ·        Solara Active Pharma tanks 20% on weak Q3 results ·        Govt likely weighing 5% stake sale in LIC mega IPO   Markets cheered the Reserve Bank of India's first monetary policy this calendar year where it kept key policy rates unchanged and continued with its accommodative stance to support growth. This was a tenth straight policy when the repo rate was left unchanged at 4% and the reverse repo rate at 3.35%.   The central bank's dovish stance, against what was expected, resulted in bond and stock prices surging. The 10-year government bond yields were down 0.99% at 6.7%, cooling off from the 6.9% level seen earlier this week.   In the equity market, the BSE benchmark Sensex surged 594 points to touch its intra-day high before ending 460 points higher than its previous at 58,926. On the NSE, the Nifty50 climbed 142 points, to settle at 17,606.   Tata Steel, Infosys, HDFC Bank, HDFC, Kotak Bank, M&M, Power Grid, and NTPC were the top Sensex gainers today, all up between 1% and 2%.   On the downside, Maruti Suzuki, Ultratech Cement, Nestle India, RIL, and Titan Company ended in the negative zone, all down by up to 1.7%.   The broader indices, however, underperformed the frontline indices where the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices closed 0.3% and 0.04% higher, respectively. Among midcaps, Page Industries, Varun Beverages, Bharat Forge, Crompton Greaves, Gujarat Gas and Gland Pharma were top losers, all closing between 2% and 4% lower.   Sectorally, the Nifty Bank, Financial Services, IT, Metal, and Private Bank indices rose more than 1% each. The Nifty PSB and Auto indices were the only 2 indices that ended in the red, both down 0.05% each.   Among stocks, Solara Active Pharma Sciences was locked in the 20% lower circuit, hitting its 52-week low on the BSE after the company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 140 crore in the December quarter due to lower revenue, against a profit of Rs 66 crore in the year-ago period.   Similarly, recently-listed Nykaa parent FSN-E commerce slipped 7.5% after reporting a 59% net profit fall to Rs 28 crore in the December quarter. Its operating profit margins also declined by 697 basis points to 6.3% from last year on the back of high marketing spends.   On the flip side, Mahindra Lifespace Developers surged 20% after the company announced its plan to buy a land parcel in Mumbai from promoter Mahindra & Mahindra. The land purchase is for an aggregate consideration of Rs 365 crore to be paid in tranches over three years, with 7% annual interest payable on reducing unpaid principal balance.   Lastly, reports suggested on Thursday that the government was considering selling about 5% of its stake in state insurer LIC as it prepared to file draft papers for the country's biggest IPO this week. The government reportedly plans to offer 316 million of its 6.32 billion shares in LIC. There will be no fresh issue of shares.

Top headlines   ·       Sensex ends 427 points lower, Nifty below 17,650 ·       Zomato ends 9% down, stock slips below listing price ·       Shoppers Stop hits 52-week high on strong December quarter results ·       Supriya LifeScience tanks 18% on disappointing Q3 earnings ·       Adani Wilmar IPO to open on Jan 27; price band fixed at Rs 218-230 apiece ·       AGS Transact Technologies IPO subscribed 7.78 times on last day   Global headwinds continued to weigh on Indian equities on Friday as the benchmarks ended in the negative territory for a fourth straight session.   The BSE Sensex closed with a 427-point drop at 59,037, with 10 index constituents ending in the green zone. The index had breached the 59,000 mark to hit an intra-day low of 58,621 earlier in the day.   The Nifty50 gave up the 17,650 mark to end at 17,617, down 140 points. The broader markets bled even more with both the BSE midcap and smallcap indices closing 2 per cent lower each on the BSE. The fear gauge, India VIX, soared 6 per cent to end near the 19 mark.   Bajaj Finserv, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, and Axis Bank were the top laggards on the bourses, while HUL was the top gainer, ending 3 per cent higher on the back of robust Q3 numbers. Maruti, HDFC twins and Nestle India were the other gainers.   Sectorally, barring the Nifty FMCG index, all others ended with losses. The Nifty PSB and consumer durables indices were the biggest losers, and closed 3 per cent lower each, followed by Realty, Metals, IT and Pharma, down 1.6-2 per cent.    Among stocks, e-commerce giant Zomato touched a new 52-week low, slipping below its listing price of Rs 115 on the BSE. It closed 9% lower at Rs 113.8. The company's market capitalisation also fell below the Rs 1-trillion mark to Rs 89,537 crore.   Similarly, the shares of recently listed Supriya Lifescience tanked over 18 per cent on the BSE after its Q3 earnings failed to impress investors. Even as its financials rose on a yearly basis, the numbers were lower when compared with the September quarter. On a quarterly basis, its profit after tax was 32% lower at Rs 39.6 crore, and revenues 21% down at Rs 117 crore.    On the flip side, Shoppers Stop hit a 52-week high, surging 17 per cent on the BSE after the company reported strong Q3 earnings. The stock later pared gains and closed 4.8% up. The company posted a profit after tax of Rs 50 crore in Q3, compared to a net loss of Rs 21 crore a year ago. Its revenue also grew 35% year-on-year to Rs 1,070 crore.   In the primary market, the IPO of AGS Transact Technologies was subscribed 7.78 times as of 4:30 pm on the last day of its subscription period. The Non-institutional investor portion was subscribed 25.6 times, while the retail investor and the qualified institutional buyer categories were subscribed 3.6 and 2.68 times, respectively.   Lastly, the Rs 3,600-crore IPO of edible oil major Adani Wilmar will open for subscriptions next week on January 27 and close on January 31. The company has fixed the price band for the issue at Rs 218-230 a share. Adani Wilmar is a 50:50 joint venture between conglomerate Adani group and Singapore's Wilmar group.

Top headlines   ·       Sensex falls 554 points, Nifty below 18,150 amid weak global cues ·       Prestige Estates surges 8% to hit life-time high on strong Q3 sales ·       AGS Transact Technologies IPO to open on Wednesday and close on January 21 ·       Delhivery gets SEBI's approval for Rs 7,460-crore IPO   Equity markets turned sharply lower in the fag-end of Tuesday's session as global cues became bearish. The 10-year US Treasury yield jumped to its highest in two years, topping 1.83 per cent. In the commodity market, international benchmark Brent crude futures rose 1.6% to $87.89 a barrel, and in the US, futures tied to Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices slipped 0.8 to 2%.   Back home, the BSE Sensex shed 554 points, or 0.9 per cent, to close at 60,755. The NSE Nifty50 ended at 18,113, down 195 points or 1 per cent. During the day, the indices hit intra-day lows of 60,662 and 18,086, respectively.   Only 7 Sensex constituents – Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Dr Reddy's Labs, Kotak Bank, Titan Company, and Nestle India – managed to end in the green. Losses, on the other hand, were led by Maruti Suzuki, Ultratech Cement, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, and IndusInd Bank.   The volatility index was up 6% at 17.78, indicating jitters among investors.   Sectorally, all Nifty indices ended significantly lower, with highest losses in realty, auto, and metals. The three indices closed over 2% down. All others were over 1% lower, barring banks and financials which ended marginally down.   Among individual stocks, shares of Prestige Estates Projects hit a record high, rallying 8% on the BSE after the real estate company said it registered its highest ever quarterly sales in the December quarter at Rs 4,267 crore, up 111% year-on-year. The stock closed 2.5% up.   On Wednesday, auto majors Bajaj Auto and Ceat are likely to be in focus along with Sterlite Tech as these companies will announce their Q3 results.   Further, the first IPO of calendar year 2022 will open for subscription tomorrow. Cash management services provider AGS Transact Technologies' offer will open on Wednesday and close on January 21. The price band for the issue has been fixed at Rs 166-175 per share. The company plans to raise Rs 680 crore through the issue, which is entirely an offer for sale.   Lastly, e-commerce logistics firm Delhivery has received the approval of the Securitries and Exchange Board of India to raise Rs 7,460 crore through an initial public offering. The IPO comprises a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 5,000 crore and an offer for sale of Rs 2,460 crore by existing shareholders. Through the offer-for-sale, investors Carlyle Group, SoftBank and Delhivery's co-founders will divest parts of their shareholding.

This conversation you're about to hear is a part of BusinessLine's Table Talk series, conversations with leaders on their life and times, and their businesses. In this episode, Senior Associate Editor Vinay Kamath speaks to Nestle India chief Suresh Narayanan. For the uninitiated, Narayanan joined Nestle in 1999 as executive VP of sales. He was in Egypt during the Arab Spring in 2011 with all the chaos in the country. From Egypt, Narayanan headed to the Philippines, one of Nestle's largest and most prestigious markets. But, in four months, in August 2015, he was sent to India to handle the Maggi crisis. No conversation with Narayanan is complete without asking him about how he handled it. They chat about his 40-year corporate journey, how Nestle coped the past two pandemic years, discuss his interests beyond corporate life, and the impact his near and dear ones had on his success. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/business-line/message

Defying weak global cues and surging coronavirus cases domestically, equity markets soared on Monday with the Nifty50 index reclaiming its crucial 18,000-mark by closing.    The 50-pack index hit an intra-day high of 18,017, before settling 1% higher at 18,003. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex ended at 60,396, up by 651 points or 1.09%.  UPL, Hero MotoCorp, Titan, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, SBI, and L&T were the top gainers on the Nifty, while Wipro, Divis Labs, Nestle India, Tata Consumer Products, Asian Paints, and Power Grid remained the top drags. In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap index added 0.7%, while the BSE SmallCap index gained 1.2% "Surging Covid cases are being ignored by markets globally since lockdowns and restrictions on economic activity are not expected. The domestic equity market expects the Q3 results starting this week to be very good, particularly for IT and financials and it is discounting good results in advance", said Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. Among sectors, the Nifty PSU Bank index was the leading outperformer with a 3.3% rally on the NSE. Among individual shares, Bank of Baroda, PNB, and Canara Bank rose up to 5% amid media reports that the government may consider increasing FDI limits in the sector during Budget 2022. Nifty Auto and Realty indices, too, put up a strong show with both closing 1.9% higher. From the latter, Sunteck Realty ended over 13% up after the company reported a 29% sequential jump in pre-sales at Rs 352 crores for the December quarter. Oberoi Realty, too, surged over 3% on robust bookings for the said quarter.  Now coming to some of the other top developments of the day -- Share price of Paytm parent One97 Communications fell over 6% and hit a new low on the BSE after global brokerage Macquarie reduced its target price on the stock to Rs 900. With today's slide, the share of the company has fallen 45% against its issue price of Rs 2,150 per share. Meanwhile, economists, including those at Citigroup Inc, India Ratings & Research, and ICICI Bank have lowered their GDP estimates after official data Friday showed that India's GDP will likely expand by 9.2% in the current fiscal -- slower than the 9.5% previously projected by the RBI.  Lastly, according to a research note by Goldman Sachs, the US Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates four times this year and will start its balance sheet runoff process in July.

Top headlines   ·       Sensex ends above 59,000, up 929 points; Nifty tops 17,600 ·       Eicher Motors surges over 5% on Royal Enfield's strong December sales ·       TCS gains 4% in three days, hits 13-week high ·       Textile shares rally on improved outlook ·       Nifty due for a pause, may even ease in early 2022, says UBS ·       India's Manufacturing PMI at three-month low in December   Indian equities kicked off calendar year 2022 on a solid note as fresh record highs in global markets bolstered domestic investors' confidence. The S&P BSE Sensex, which opened quietly, later gained strength during the day to hit a high of 59,266. The index then settled 929 points higher at 59,183 levels.   The NSE Nifty50, meanwhile, ended the day at 17,626, up 272 points after touching an intra-day high of 17,647. The top gainers on the index included Coal India, the Bajaj twins, Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, and HDFC Bank. The laggards were largely from the pharma space, including Cipla, Dr Reddy's Labs, and Divis Labs. Nestle India, HUL and M&M were some of the other top losers.   After a stellar two-year run for the Nifty during which it even left the S&P 500 behind at times, analysts at global investment firm UBS believe that the index's current valuation does not fully reflect upcoming headwinds. In a report, it said these headwinds include rising interest rates, both globally and in India, and importantly, the return of India's current account deficits. Given these factors, a multi-month pause for the index may be in order, according to the report.   This apart, among sectors, all indices today clocked smart gains, barring the Nifty Pharma index, which ended 0.5 per cent lower.   Banks, Financials, Auto, and IT shares led the benchmark indices to their respective fresh highs of the day. The Nifty Bank and Private Bank indices were the top performers, rising 2.7 per cent each, followed by the Nifty Financial Services, which was 2.5% up.   The Nifty IT index closed 1% higher today after hitting a record high of 39,286. Individually, the shares of IT major TCS hit a 13-week high of Rs 3,829, up 2.5 per cent, in intra-day trade. The stock has gained 4 per cent in the past three days on the BSE, and hit its highest level since October 8, 2021. The company's December quarter results are scheduled to be declared on January 12.   Auto shares also remained in demand on the back of healthy sales data for the month of December. Auto majors Tube Investments, Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Bharat Forge and Maruti were among the top gainers on the Nifty, all of which ended between 1 and 7% higher.   Eicher Motors rallied 5.5 per cent on the BSE, for instance, after the company's Royal Enfield brand reported a 43 per cent rise in month-on-month sales at 73,739 units in December. The company reported its best reading in several months. On a year-on-year basis, the Royal Enfield sales grew 7 per cent.   Besides, the shares of textile companies also maintained their upward movement on improved outlook. Shares of Vardhman Textiles and Sangam India hit their respective record highs, while Cantabil Retail touched a 52-week high on the BSE.   Lastly, on the macroeconomic front, India's manufacturing activity lost some momentum in December, easing to a three-month low of 55.5, after hitting a 10-month high in November, amid fears that the rapidly spreading cases of Covid-19 may hit consumer sentiment and output.

Top headlines • Benchmarks end lower for a second day; Sensex slips 166 pts, Nifty holds 17,300 • NBFCs to come under the ambit of PCA framework from Oct 2022 • Shriram Transport Finance slumps 7% as analysts see limited near-term synergy after merger • Anand Rathi Wealth debuts at 9% premium • WPI-based inflation hits 12-year high of 14.2% in Nov • Data Patterns IPO sails through on first day Investors chose to stay on the sidelines for a second straight day on Tuesday as major central banks meet this week to assess risks from the new Omicron variant of coronavirus. The global balancing act will begin later today when the US Federal Reserve convenes its latest two-day meeting, and includes new monetary policy statements by the US central bank on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England will meet on Thursday, and the Bank of Japan on Friday. That apart, studies that the Omicron variant has the potential to drive a further wave of infections, including among those already vaccinated, soured sentiment on the Street. Back home, India's annual wholesale price index-based inflation in November accelerated to 14.23 per cent, its highest level since April 2005, boosted by increase in manufacturing and food prices, fuelling concerns of rising inflationary pressure. All these triggers drove bulls away from the Street, taking benchmarks down by 0.3 per cent today. The BSE Sensex slipped 166 points to end at 58,117, while the Nifty50 closed 43 points lower at 17,325. In the intra-day deals, the BSE benchmark oscillated over 500 points and the Nifty swung 150 points. ITC, down nearly 3 per cent, was the top drag on the Sensex today after the company held its first ever analysts' meet. Among the notable announcements, ITC informed investors that it was redefining its portfolio, accelerating FMCG exports, considering digital as an area of investment, and was fuelling growth in hotel business. Bajaj Finance, Kotak Bank, Bharti Airtel, RIL, and Bajaj Finserv were some of the other top laggards. On the upside, Power Grid, Nestle India, Axis Bank, and Dr Reddy's Labs were the outperforming counters on the Sensex. In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap slipped 0.4 per cent, while the BSE Smallcap ended with minor gains. Among individual stocks, Anand Rathi Wealth listed at Rs 602.05, a 9 per cent premium over its issue price of Rs 550 per share, on the BSE. After listing, the stock moved higher to Rs 615 but pared gains to end at Rs 583.5, up 6 per cent over the issue price. The shares of Shriram Transport Finance plunged 7 per cent intra-day, to Rs 1,371 on the BSE, as most analysts saw limited near-term upside for the company after its proposed merger with Shriram Capital and Shriram City Union Finance. This was on the back of limited scope for synergies, given the varied nature of operating business segments and underlying customer base, analysts said. The shares of Lupin, meanwhile, surged 10 per cent to Rs 972.50 in intra-day trade after the drug-maker announced that it had received the Establishment Inspection Report from United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for its Goa manufacturing facility. The shares ended 6.6 per cent higher on the BSE. Among sectors, the Nifty Pharma index rallied 1 per cent, while the Nifty Realty and Financial Services indices slipped 0.7 per cent each. The Financials services sector, however, will be in focus tomorrow as the RBI has decided to bring NBFCs under its Prompt Corrective Action Framework from Oct 1, 2022. Now, let's recap primary market activity. The initial public offering of Data Patterns sailed through on the very first day and stood with 2.5 times subscription as at 3:30 PM. Further, the IPO of MedPlus Health has been subscribed 1.3 times so far on strong demand from retail investors and employees of the company. Lastly, the public issue of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Metro Brands ha

Top headlines • Benchmarks rally for a 3rd straight day; Sensex up 157 pts, Nifty atop 17,500 • Vodafone Idea hits over 2-year high • ITC to hold its first ever analysts' meet on Dec 14 • MapmyIndia IPO sails through on day 1; RateGain ends up with 16 times subscription Bulls had the upper hand in the tug of war seen in markets today, with benchmarks ending higher for a third straight day. Lack of domestic triggers and weekly F&O expiry kept the indices volatile through the day, with the BSE Sensex gyrating over 500 points intra-day. At close, the BSE benchmark stood at 58,807, up 157 points or 0.27 per cent. The NSE Nifty50, on the other hand, ended 47 points higher at 17,517. ITC, up 4.6 per cent, was the biggest gainer on the Sensex today. This was after the company announced it would hold its first ever Institutional Investors and Financial Analysts Day on December 14. L&T, Asian Paints, RIL, M&M, and Tech M, all up between 0.5 and 3 per cent, were the other top gainers on the index. The biggest laggards were HDFC Bank, Titan, Nestle India, NTPC, Power Grid, and HDFC. In broader markets, the BSE MidCap index closed 0.4 per cent higher and the BSE SmallCap index added 0.8 per cent. Individually, the shares of Vodafone Idea jumped nearly 17 per cent intra-day to hit a high of Rs 16.7 apiece on the BSE. The shares hit their highest level since May 2016 on the back of reports that the company had managed to raise funds for a repayment of interest amounting to around Rs 6,000 crore to bondholders, starting December 13. They ended 15 per cent higher on the BSE. Among sectors, the Nifty Bank index was the top loser, down 0.5 per cent, while the Nifty FMCG index gained 1.4 per cent. Meanwhile, in the primary market, the public offer of MapmyIndia sailed through on the very first day of the issue and was subscribed 1.56 times as at 3:45 PM. The IPO of Shriram Properties has also garnered 1.2 times subscription so far on day 2. Lastly, the initial share sale of RateGain Travel Technologies has been subscribed 16.45 times as at 4:00 PM on the last day of the issue. On Friday, primary market activity, retail inflation and IIP data, and global cues will guide the sentiment on the Street. The fourth IPO for this week – Metro Brands – will open for subscription tomorrow and will run through December 14. Separately, Star Health Insurance will also debut on the bourses tomorrow.

Succumbing to lacklustre global sentiments, domestic indices failed to gain ground oscillating between gains and losses in today's rough session. While metal, oil and commodity stocks dragged, realty, PSU bank and consumer durables made frail attempts at lifting the indices. Overall, the BSE Sensex index ended 109 points lower at 60,029. The NSE Nifty, on the other hand, settled with a loss of 41 points at 17,889. Both the indices had hit a high of 60,421 and 18,012 in the intra-day deals. Tata Steel, down 3.5 per cent, was the top loser among the Sensex 30 stocks, followed by Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, IndusInd Bank, Reliance, Dr.Reddy's, PowerGrid Corporation, Nestle India and Asian Paints. On the positive front, Maruti Suzuki (up 2 per cent), NTPC, Titan, SBI and Larsen & Toubro were the top gainers. The broader markets outperformed the key benchmark indices for a second day with a huge margin. The BSE Midcap index was up 0.6 per cent at 25,869, and the Smallcap index surged 1.1 per cent to 28,607. The overall market breadth was also fairly positive, with 1,952 advancing shares as against 1,301 declining stocks on the BSE. Within the space, shares of Allcargo Logistics were locked at the 20 per cent upper circuit at Rs 328.95, also its fresh life-time high, on the BSE on Tuesday, after the company reported 355 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 264 crore in September quarter (Q2FY22). Shares of Bayer CropScience, on the other hand, hit a 52-week low of Rs 4,630, down 8 per cent on the BSE in Tuesday's intra-day trade after the company reported 31 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline in net profit at Rs 154.10 crore Q2FY22. Meanwhile, it was a results heavy day for the markets with scores of large corporates announcing their Sept quarter results today. Indian pharmaceutical major, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, declared a profit after tax of Rs 2,047 crore for the quarter ended in September, up 12.9 per cent compared to Rs 1,813 crore reported in the same quarter in 2020. Strong operating performance and healthy revenue growth supported the bottomline during the quarter. HPCL, on the other hand, reported a 7.2 percent jump in the September quarter standalone net profit at Rs 1,923.51 crore. Operationally, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) were down 5.6 per cent at Rs 3,012.2 crore while margin was down at 3.6 per cent QoQ. Dabur, too, reported a 5 per cent YoY rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 505.3 crore and a 12 per cent YoY growth in revenue at Rs 2,817.6 crore. Similarly, the company's EBITDA grew by 9 per cent to Rs 620.7 crore as compared to Rs 569.4 crore in Q2FY21, while the margin slipped to 22 per cent from 22.6 per cent YoY. As regards the initial public offers, Fino Payments Bank closed the issue with nearly 2 times subscription. Meanwhile, Policybazaar, Sigachi Industries, and SJS Enterprises commanded subscription levels of 69 per cent, 20.15 times, and 46 per cent, respectively, till 3:40 PM. Separately, logistics startup Delhivery filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus with Sebi, for an issue size of Rs 7,460 crore. The primary issue will be of Rs 5,000 crore, which the company will raise via public issue. The offer for sale by the existing investors will be Rs 2,460 crore. Further, Sapphire Foods India, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut outlets, on Tuesday said it has fixed a price band of Rs 1,120-1,180 a share for its Rs 2,073-crore initial public offering (IPO). The initial share-sale will open on November 9 and conclude on November 11. Coming to Wednesday's trading session, markets will eye the outcome of the US Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting. Back home, corporate earnings of State Bank of India, Bata India, and Eicher Motors, along with 39 other companies will remain in focus on Wednesday. According to analysts, SBI's Q2 profit may nearly double on a yearly bas

After exhibiting lacklustre movement for the major part of the trading day, the key benchmark indices eventually ended in red as select financial shares extended losses at close. After swinging between 61,577 and 60,989, the BSE Sensex eventually ended with a loss of 207 points at 61,143. It's NSE counterpart, Nifty50, ended at 18,211, down 57 points. Axis Bank shed 6.5 per cent and Bajaj Finance plunged 4.8 per cent to end s top drags on the benchmark indices. Bajaj Finserv, IndusInd Bank, Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, NTPC, Nestle India, Kotak Bank and Mahindra & Mahindra were the other major Sensex losers. On the upside, Asian Paints surged 4.4 per cent on reports of price hikes by Berger Paints in November. Sun Pharma, Infosys, SBI, UltraTech Cement and ITC were the other prominent gainers. In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices ended flat but with a positive bias. Among individual stocks, shares of Maruti Suzuki ended 0.77 per cent higher at Rs 7,352.5 even as the company's Sept quarter net profit fell 65 per cent YoY to Rs 475.3 crore on the back of chip shortages and soaring commodity prices. Operationally, its Ebitda fell 56 per cent YoY to Rs 854.8 crore and Ebitda margin shrank 610 basis points YoY to 4.2 per cent. Besides, shares of Axis Bank ended 6.5 per cent lower after the bank reported a weak operating performance in September quarter (Q2FY22). In Q2FY22, Axis Bank's net interest income rose marginally by 7.8 per cent year-on-year at Rs 7,900 crore on account of 19 bps YoY fall in net interest margins to 3.39 per cent. Margins were impacted negatively by 13 bps sequentially due to change in mix. Apart from the result reaction, shares of SBI also hogged the limelight today as the company surpassed Bajaj Finance in terms of market cap. While SBI shares hit a record high of Rs 527 apiece, shares of Bajaj Finance declined nearly 5 per cent on the back of profit booking post September quarter results. By close, their respective m-caps stood at Rs 462,321 crore and Rs 451,509.7 crore. Meanwhile, in other news, SoftBank will sell around 20 per cent of its total stake in Policybazaar's initial public offering, the fintech company said today. The Japanese venture fund currently has a 13 per cent stake in the IPO-bound company. The initial share sale will open on November 1. That apart, India's inclusion in JPMorgan's global emerging-market bond index could prompt $25 billion of inflows from foreign investors, the bank said in a research report. While actual inclusion will depend on domestic and international developments, given India's large weight in the index, the process would likely be staggered over 10 months, similar to China's inclusion into GBI-EM in 2020, the report added. Now, on Thursday, a host of domestic and global triggers will keep the indices volatile. To begin with, investors will adjust their portfolio ahead of F&O expiry of the October series. Additionally, around 150 companies including Bajaj Finserv, CarTrade Tech, DLF, InterGlobe Aviation, JK Tyre, Marico, NTPC, Tata Power, SBI Card, and Westlife Development are slated to report their Q2 results tomorrow. In the primary market, Nykaa's Rs 5,300 crore IPO will open for subscription tomorrow. On the global front, investors will track the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision, fund flow activity by FIIs, and crude oil prices.

Financial shares came to the rescue of the benchmark indices for the second straight day, as a selloff in select index heavyweights exerted pressure on the indices. The BSE Sensex index ended with a loss of 102 points at 60,822, after trading within a range of 61,420 and 60,551. The NSE Nifty50, on the other hand, settled 63 points lower at 18,115. It touched a high and low of 18,314 and 18,034, respectively. HDFC was the major gainer among the Sensex 30 stocks, up 2.2 per cent, followed by Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank and Titan. On the flipside, ITC shed 3.4 per cent to close at Rs 236.50. Maruti, NTPC, Infosys, Tata Steel, HCL Technologies, Nestle India, Asian Paints, Larsen & Toubro and TCS were the other significant losers. Among individual stocks, shares of Reliance Industries ended 0.15 per cent higher on the BSE today ahead of the company's September quarter results, due to be announced later today. Analysts expect the September quarter performance of the oil-to-telecom conglomerate to be led by growth in retail, digital-telecom business, and steady petrochemical margins. That apart, LIC Housing Finance and Can Fin Homes declined 8 per cent each in the intra-day trade today after the announcement of their July-September quarter results. Their peer firm HDFC, on the other hand, hit a record high of Rs 2,937.75, rising over 3 per cent in the intra-day trade. On the upside, shares of IRB Infra surged 20 per cent to scale a fresh 3-year high of Rs 293 on the BSE on Friday. The stock has zoomed as much as 43 per cent in the last three days on the back of the company's fund raising plans. Further, shares of TVS Motor Company soared 10 per cent to Rs 632.85 on the BSE in Friday's intra-day trade on back of heavy volume after the company reported highest ever revenue, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (ebitda) for the quarter ended September 2021 (Q2FY22). The stock of two and three-wheeler manufacturer had hit 52-week high of Rs 665.70 on May 27, 2021. Sectorally, the Nifty Metal index fell for a second straight day, down nearly 6 per cent in 2 days, after China announced measures to curb surging coal and base metal prices. Among individual stocks, barring Welspun Corp, which was up 6 per cent, all other index constituents ended the day in the red led by Vedanta (down 8 per cent), Hindustan Zinc, Hindustan Copper, Nalco, Coal India, and Adani Enterprises. The Nifty Realty index, up over 2 per cent, was the top gainer on the NSE with Brigade Enterprises, Prestige Estate Projects, and Oberoi Realty rising up to 5.7 per cent. The Nifty Bank index, which hit a fresh record high of 40,587 in the intra-day trade, closed at an all-time closing high of 40,324. 10 of the 12 index constituents ended in the green led by Federal Bank (up 7 per cent), AU Small Finance Bank (3 per cent), RBL Bank, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, and Bandhan Bank. Next week, markets will react to Q2 results of RIL and ICICI Bank on Monday and will then focus on other corporate results. Maruti Suzuki, L&T, ITC, Axis Bank, Adani Enterprises, and SBI Life are some of the companies slated to report their results next week. In the primary market, FSN E-Commerce Ventures, operator of Nykaa beauty stores, has fixed the price band of Rs 1,085-Rs 1,125 for its maiden public share sale. The initial public offering (IPO) will remain open on October 28 and close on November 1. At the top-end, the beauty startup will be valued at Rs 53,200 crore ($7 billion).  

The domestic benchmark indices extended the record rally in the sixth consecutive session with Sensex and Nifty ending at fresh record closing high. The market posted a record close in all four sessions this week. The BSE 30-pack index ended at 61,305, up 569 points, after touching a new high of 61,353 in intraday deals. The NSE 50-share index, meanwhile, surged to a new peak of 18,350, before ending 177 points higher at 18,338. Adani Ports, Wipro, Grasim, ITC, and HDFC Bank were among major gainers on the Nifty, while losers were Coal India, Eicher Motors, Tata Motors, HCL Tech, and TCS. On the sectoral front, barring, auto, all other sectoral indices ended in the green, with infra, IT, realty, PSU Bank, power, and metal indices were up a percent each. In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap index closed 0.54 percent higher while the BSE SmallCap index added 0.46 percent. Overall, market breadth firmly favoured the bulls with 1,719 stocks advancing on the BSE compared with 1,637 stocks that declined. The BSE market-cap stood at Rs 272.8 trillion by the close. Coming to stock-specific moves, HDFC Bank was one of the top gainers on the benchmarks, rising to a record high level of Rs 1,690. The stock ended 2.9 percent higher ahead of the Q2 earnings, which are slated to be detailed on Saturday, October 16. Supported by healthy loan growth, stable interest margins, and lower operating expenses, private sector lender HDFC Bank is expected to report mid-teen growth in net profit for the July-September quarter. Shares of ITC too hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 258 in Thursday's intra-day trade on the back of heavy volumes. Most of the brokerage houses are bullish on ITC as they believe the company's cigarette business will fully recover with the aggressive vaccination drive and reduction in Covid-19 cases. The stock closed 2.85 percent higher. Further, the stocks of Wipro (up 5 percent), Mindtree (up 8 percent) & Infosys (up 0.3 percent) after a better-than-expected second quarter. However, TCS' downward trend continued following a weak set of Q2 earnings. That said, Avenue Supermart gained more than 4 percent ahead of its Q2 earnings on Saturday. IRCTC was the top midcap gainer, with the stock rising 11 percent to close at a record high level of Rs 5,485. On the other hand, Coal India was the top Nifty loser with the stock falling 2.9 percent, as the company has reportedly asked subsidiaries to refrain from conducting e-auction of coal for non-power use. Meanwhile, Tata Group stocks saw profit booking following major gains on Thursday. The stock of Apollo Pipes rose 1.15 percent higher after the company said the board will consider the issue of bonus shares, along with the results for the quarter ended September on October 22. India Cements too gained 8 percent on reports that the companies are expected to hike prices. The Share Market will remain closed on Friday on account of Dussehra. HDFC Bank, Avenue Supermarts, Aarnav Fashions, Artson Engineering, Infomedia Press, Sangam (India), and VR Woodart will release their September 2021 quarter earnings on October 16. Next week, the markets will continue to be driven by the corporate earnings for the quarter ended September 2021. Companies such as UltraTech Cement, HUL, Nestle India, Asian Paints, JSW Steel, HDFC Life Insurance, Tata Consumer Products, and ICICI Bank will detail their Q2FY22 numbers next week. According to Rohit Singre, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, now immediate supports are coming near 18,250 followed by 18,170 zone and any dip near the mentioned supports zone will be again a  fresh buying opportunity for the overall targets of 18,500 zone and immediate hurdle is coming near the 18,400-18,500 zone. Lastly, global markets, stock-specific moves as well as news related to Covid-19 will be among other major triggers for investors.

In a record-breaking rally on Dalal Street, the domestic benchmark indices logged strong triple-digit returns, with the BSE Sensex ending close to the 60,000 mark at 59,885, up 958 points. Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty settled today's trade 276 points higher at 17,823. Sensex touched an all-time high of 59,957 in intra-day deals and Nifty of 17,844. The investors took the US Fed's announcement that tapering may start as soon as November in their stride. Further, encouraging news on the Evergrande crisis also helped to clear some uncertainty on the global front. Analysts, however, caution that Evergrande is due to pay $83.5 million worth of interest on a dollar-denominated bond on Thursday and any negative news on this front could impact global sentiments. Meanwhile, Dr VK Vikaykumar of Geojit Finacial Service said that all previous bull markets in India had big corrections of 5-20 per cent but this has not happened so far. He warns that this will change and the market will correct, perhaps soon, since valuations are hard to justify. He advises that taking some money off the table may not be a bad idea even while riding this bull. In the 30-pack Sensex, 25 index stocks closed higher while five in the red. Bajaj Finserv was the best performing stock, followed by L&T, HDFC and Axis Bank. On the flip side, DRL, ITC and Nestle India were the top losers. The sentiment remained robust in the broader markets too as the BSE Midcap touched new high in intra-day session and ended 1.31 per .cent higher. The BSE Smallcap rose 0.91 per cent. Overall, investors added Rs 3.1 trillion to their kitty. That said, in the sectoral space, the buying was broad based, with most indices except Media ending in the red, mainly on account of profit-taking post 13 per cent rally on Wednesday. Nifty Realty was the best performer, up 8.7 per cent. The index continued its momentum sparked by demand revival in the property space. Bank and financial services-focussed sectors too jumped over 2 per cent. In stock-specific news, shares of JBM Auto surged to a new 52-week high after the company said it has bagged orders for 500 buses from various clients. The stock ended the day 13 per cent up at Rs 519. That apart, shares of Bajaj Finserv jumped over 5 per cent to cross the Rs 18,000 mark for the first time. The stock hit a new high of Rs 18,755 in intra-day deals and its market cap neared Rs 3 trillion. The stock finally settled at Rs 18,519. Speculation of the RIL takeover of JBF Industries fuelled a rally in the stock. The stock ended at its 5 per cent upper circuit. Amid a strong secondary market action, the primary markets too didn't shy away. The IPO by Paras Defense and Space Technology turned to be the most subscribed Indian IPO ever. The company received over 300 times on the final day of the bidding process, pipping Salasar Technology as the most subscribed IPO. Now, going into trade on Friday, the market participants will keenly eye if the BSE Sensex crosses the 60,000 mark as it is less than 150 points from achieving this feat. Developments around the Evergrande Group in China and the global mood may guide the markets. The likely listing of Sansera Engineering and other stock-specific moves can also sway market sentiments.

The domestic benchmark indices ended a volatile trading day marginally lower as investors were cautious ahead of the outcome of the FOMC meeting that will clear the air regarding the Fed's tapering plans. After trading in a narrow range for the most part of the day, the 50-pack Nifty finally settled 15 points lower at 17,547. Its BSE counterpart Sensex settled the day at 58,927, down 78 points. Both Sensex and Nifty have ended in the red in the last three of four trading sessions. In the Sensex pack of stocks, 16 ended in the green and 14 in the red. Tech Mahindra, M&M, HCL Tech and Bajaj Auto were the top gainers while HDFC, Nestle India, ICICI Bank and HUL were the worst laggards. Even as investors shunned the large-cap names, they lapped up the mid-and smallcap stocks with both hands.  Consequently, the broader markets outperformed the benchmarks. The BSE Midcap index closed the day 1.5 per cent higher, the Smallcap index rose 1.2 per cent. Sectorally, Nifty Media was the top performer as the index rose 13 per cent led by Zee Entertainment. It was followed by Nifty Realty, which gained 8 per cent on expectations of strong demand ahead of the festive season. Easing jitters over the Chinese economy bolstered the metal stocks which pushed the metal pack 1.5 per cent higher. The only laggards in trade today were the financial services, banking and FMCG sectors. The stock that hogged the limelight in today's session was Zee Entertainment. The stock surged to end over 32 per cent higher after the company signed a merger deal with Sony Pictures India. Post-merger, 47.07 per cent stake will be held by shareholders of Zee Entertainment, while Sony Pictures Networks will hold a 52.93 per cent stake in the merged entity. The stock hit a new 52-week high of Rs 355.40. Further, the shares of Route Mobile closed up 1.5 per cent after the company board approved up to Rs 2,000 crore fundraising plan. ITC continued to rally, with its market cap regaining Rs 3-trillion mark in intra-day deals. The scrip closed the session 1 per cent higher at Rs 243. KPIT Technologies, meanwhile, zoomed over 6 per cent after the company said it will acquire Germany's Future Mobility. Iin the primary market, Paras Defense and Space Technologies IPO continued to receive an overwhelming investor response. The IPO was subscribed over 40 times at the end of Day 2, with the retail portion subscribed the most at 68 times. The markets on Thursday will take cues from the outcome of the meeting of the US Federal Reserve. Besides, volatility could continue to plague investors amid the weekly F&O expiry. Lastly, the IPO of  Paras Defense will remain open for the last day of the bidding process. Tech charts suggest that the Nifty index range is between the 17300-17800 zone and either side breakout will decide the final direction.

The consolidation theme played out on the benchmark indices for the second day on Wednesday as both Sensex and Nifty declined marginally amid profit-taking in IT and auto names and a cautious global market setup. That said, the quantum of losses remained low with investors lapping up beaten-down private bank stocks. Overall, strong buying in the broader indices kept the market breadth positive. The BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices rose after a one-day hiatus, with the former hitting a new high in intra-day deals. It closed 0.81 per cent higher while the smallcap index gained 0.55 per cent. At the benchmark level, the flagship Sensex shed 29 points to end at 58,250. In the 30-pack index, 15 stocks closed in the green and 15 in the red. Kotak Bank, Titan, NTPC and Sun Pharma were the top gainers, up between 1-3 per cent. On the other hand, Nestle India, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Auto were the biggest losers. In the sectoral space on NSE, Nifty IT, Media and Auto declined the most. Bank and financial-oriented sectors along with Nifty Metal gained. Stocks from the textile and telecom sectors were in focus in today's session amid a Union Cabinet meeting. The cabinet approved a Rs 10,683 crore PLI scheme for the textile sector. PLI scheme for textiles is part of the overall announcement of the scheme for 13 sectors made earlier during the Union Budget 2021-22, with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore. Incentives worth Rs 10,683 crore will be provided over 5 years. This gave a leg-up to the textile stocks, with some rising as much as 12 per cent. On the other hand, the rally in telecom stocks amid hopes that the government will announce a relief package for the sector fizzled out as a Reuters report said the Union cabinet did not take up the said proposal. The cabinet was widely expected to take a decision on a so-called relief package for the telecoms industry, which would have helped all wireless carriers but especially the embattled Vodafone Idea. Following this, the stock slipped 15 per cent from day's high to end 3 per cent down at Rs 8 per share. Bharti Airtel also came off all-time high levels to end in the red. Among other stocks, shares of APL Apollo Tubes were in demand as they rose 5 per cent to Rs 1845 ahead of the 1:1 bonus share issue. They touched a new high of Rs 1875 in trade today. Info Edge rallied 9 per cent to end at Rs 6720, after touching an all-time high of Rs 6748, amid hopes of a strong growth outlook and likely windfall from policybazaar.com IPO. The company holds a 14 per cent stake in the company that has recently filed DRHP with Sebi. Meanwhile, in other news, equity mutual funds attracted a little over Rs 8,666 crore in August, making it the sixth consecutive monthly net inflow, on staggering investment in flexi-cap category. In comparison, such funds witnessed a net inflow on Rs 22,583 crore in July on huge investments in flexi-cap category, data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India showed. Now, going into trade on Thursday, we can expect the volatility to continue amid the weekly F&O expiry. Besides, Street will react to a host of global developments like the inflation print in China and ECB's decision setting meeting. Lastly, stock-specific triggers will continue to determine market moves.

A favourable GDP data print for the first quarter of the financial year 2021-22 resulted in a strong positive opening for the benchmark indices, which pushed them to new record high levels. But soon profit-taking ensued, driving both Sensex and Nifty lower for the day. Furthermore, a weak manufacturing PMI print and moderation in GST collections in August also dampened the mood. The GST mop-up in August stood at Rs 1,12,020 crore as against Rs 1,16,393 crore in July according to the data released by the finance ministry. Meanwhile, the factory activities lost momentum in August due to Covid-induced curbs and rising input costs, showed IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) as the figure fell to 52.3 in the month from 55.3 in July. Amid this backdrop, BSE barometer Sensex cracked 580 points from a record high of 57,919 touched to end at 57,338, down 214 points. The NSE Nifty closed the day at 17,076, down 56 points. The index had touched a new high of 17,226 in the intraday session. In the 30-pack Sensex, 18 stocks closed in the red with M&M, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv and TCS as top losers. Asian Paints, Nestle India, Axis Bank and DRL were the best performers. The broader markets outperformed the benchmarks, with BSE Midcap closing near record-high levels, up 0.92 per cent. The BSE Smallcap index added 0.22 per cent. On the sectoral front, Nifty Metal and IT indices bled over 1 per cent each, with the former snapping its three-day winning run. On the other hand, Nifty Realty surged over 5 per cent and was the best performing index. The auto index ended flat amid a mixed bag show in August month and as companies flagged chip shortages. In stock-specific news, shares of AU Small Finance Bank rebounded nearly 7 per cent after a 13 per cent crash on Tuesday as the management clarified on the recent exits in the bank, including on the resignation of internal audit head, Sumit Dhir.  The bank in an exchange filing on August 31, 2021, said Dhir resigned following personal reasons. The scrip recouped gains and ended 2 per cent higher on BSE. Shares of Oberoi Realty surged 11 per cent to Rs 778.05 on the BSE following the announcement of the inclusion of shares in the F&O segment, effective October 1. Likhita Infrastructure rose 4 per cent after the company received orders worth Rs 145.86 crore from Indradhanush Gas Grid for laying & construction of steel gas pipeline and terminals along with associated facilities for sections 5 & 9 of the North-East Gas Grid (NEGG) Project. BHEL added nearly 5 per cent as the company said it has secured the largest ever order worth Rs 10,800 crore from NPCIL. Meanwhile, in the primary market, the IPO by Ami Organics sailed through amid a strong response from retail investors and QIBs. Overall, the issue was subscribed nearly 2 times at the end of Day 1. Vijay Diagnostic IPO however started off on a weak note as the IPO garnered only 30 per cent bids on the first day of issue. Both IPOs close on Friday. Now, going into trade on Thursday, stock-specific activity and global cues will continue to influence market trajectory. Auto stocks will remain in focus amid the release of August sales figures. Oil market companies will also hog the limelight amid the outcome of the Opec+ meet due later today. Investors must also brace for higher volatility amid the weekly F&O expiry.

Amid hopes of strengthening economic recovery and firm global cues, investors on Dalal Street lapped up shares with both hands, driving the barometers Sensex and Nifty towards record high levels on Tuesday. Further, Federal Reserve's indication that tapering was sometime away also kept the market mood buoyant. Amid this, across the board buying was visible which resulted in Sensex soaring 663 points to 57,552. It scaled a record peak of 57,625 in trade today. Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty surged past the 17,000 mark to close at 17,132, up 201 points. It had touched a new high of 17,154 earlier. Only three stocks, namely Nestle India, IndusInd Bank and RIL ended in the red in the 30-pack Sensex. Bharti Airtel, Bajaj twins, Asian Paints, Titan and TCS were the top performers, rising between 2-7 per cent. In the 50-pack Nifty, 42 stocks closed higher and eight lower. The broader markets too rejoiced but lagged the benchmarks. BSE Midcap index and Smallcap index added over 0.8 per cent each. That said, the market breadth on such a day marginally favoured sellers, which denotes traders flocking to large-caps and taking profits out of mid and small caps. Sectorally, only the media stocks languished. On the other hand, Nifty Metal surged the most, up 1.5 per cent. Nifty IT and Financial Services followed suit with a gain of over 1 per cent each. The auto stocks too gained ahead of their August sales figures on Wednesday. In stock-specific action, Airtel shares rallied 7 per cent and were the best-performing stocks on both Sensex and Nifty. The Rs 21,000 crore fundraising along with clarification on Google investment buzz bolstered the stock. The company said it has received interest from high-quality investors and companies for its various businesses and it evaluates various opportunities of potential investor engagement and takes decisions in a judicious manner. It further said that as a matter of policy, Airtel does not comment on media speculation/ report(s). Following this, the stock had hit a new high of Rs 668 and ended at Rs 664. Shares of HCL Tech also surged to a fresh record level of Rs 1193.15 in trade today after the company announced an investment of $1.25 million in Series A preferred shares of Austin GIS Inc., a Delaware-based entity. It finally settled at Rs 1181, up nearly 2 per cent. The stock has rallied 16 per cent in this month. Shares of SRF also scaled a fresh peak of Rs 10354 in trade today following the announcement of bonus issue in the ratio of 4:1, meaning the company will give free four shares for every one that is held. The scrip closed 4 per cent higher at Rs 10141. Gujarat Fluorochemicals climbed 2 per cent to Rs 1732 after CRISIL Ratings reaffirmed its rating to the company. In other news, oil is headed for the biggest monthly loss since October as investors weighed the prospect of additional OPEC+ production and the restoration of crude output in the US after Hurricane Ida. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies will meet on Wednesday to assess the global market and prospects for demand as the pandemic grinds on. With expectations the hit to consumption from the delta variant will fade, they are on course to restore another 400,000 barrels a day, a Bloomberg report said. Now, going into trade on Wednesday, the Street will react to the Q1 GDP print that will be released later today. Any disappointment on that front can spark a selloff on Street, especially with indices rallying, confident of an ongoing economic recovery. That said, the auto stocks will be on investors' radar as August sales data will start to trickle in. According to Emkay Global, auto sales for August are likely to see positive momentum for commercial vehicles and 2-wheelers on a sequential basis. Volumes for passenger vehicles may see a hit, whereas tractors may see a mixed performance in the domestic market. Further, stock-specific news flow, oil price moves amid Opec+ meet and glob

Buoyed by encouraging global cues amid US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell's comments, the Indian benchmark indices scaled fresh record highs on Monday. Powell on Friday signalled that pandemic-era Federal Reserve policy support will be withdrawn cautiously and gradually, boosting riskier assets. After opening on a gap-up note, the benchmark indices extended gains. logging their best intra-day gains since August 3. The BSE Sensex hit a new high of 56,958 in intra-day session. The 30-pack index closed the day at 56,890, up 765 points, led by gains in RIL and private lenders. Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank and Tata Steel were the top Sensex gainers and TechM, Nestle India and Infosys were the worst performers. Meanwhile, NSE Nifty ended at 16,931, a gain of 226 points. It vaulted past 16,800 and 16,900 marks to a new peak of 16,952. The gains were not concentrated at the benchmark level. Both BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices outperformed Sensex, with a gain of 1.72 per cent and 1.55 per cent, respectively. BSE Midcap even scaled a new high of 23,672 in trade today. Following this, the market breadth remained positive, with an advance-decline ratio of 2:1. Sectorally, the Nifty IT was the only loser amid profit-taking and strength in the rupee versus the dollar. Nifty Metal, on the other hand, was the top gainer, up nearly 2.5 per cent. Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Bank and Nifty Private Bank rose 2 per cent each. In stock-specific action, shares of Bharti Airtel hogged the limelight as they rallied over 4 per cent on BSE following the announcement of Rs 21,000 crore rights issue. Further, the company's chairman Sunil Mittal said that it was time to raise tariffs and the company eyes ARPU of Rs 200 by the end of this fiscal & Rs 300 eventually, which also boosted the stock. Shares of another blue-chip firm Axis Bank rose 4 per cent after the company has started issuing debt securities under its Rs 35,000 crore-debt raise plan announced earlier this year. Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki added nearly 3 per cent pn announcing price hikes across models from next month amid rising input costs. Sandhar Technologies surged 9 per cent after a media report suggested the firm along with Sona BLW Precision Forgings and Bharat Forge are among Indian firms supplying components to Tesla. The stock had risen 13 per cent in intra-day deals. Now, the focus will turn to the GDP numbers that are due for release on Tuesday post market hours. Any disappointment on the recovery front can dent the overall bullish sentiment on the Street. Besides, global cues and stock-specific triggers will continue to hold sway over market moves.

In a tussle between the bulls and bears on Dalal Street today, the bears managed to have an upper hand but did not batter the bulls completely. Profit booking in private lenders, Maruti and Titan pulled the benchmark indices from all-time high levels. BSE Sensex ended the volatile session flat, down 15 points or 0.03% at 55,944. It hit a fresh peak of 56,198 today. Meanwhile, NSE Nifty shut shop at 16,635, up 10 points or 0.06%. It touched a new high of 16,712. Among 30 Sensex stocks, only nine closed in the green. Bajaj Finserv was the worst loser followed by Titan, Maruti Suzuki and Bharti Airtel while TCS, Infosys, RIL and Nestle India were the top gainers.   That said, market breadth favoured buyers as the advance-decline ratio was nearly 2:1. This can be attributed to the buying witnessed by the mid and smallcap indices which rose for the second day today. The BSE Midcap index rose 0.58% and BSE Smallcap 0.68%. In the sectoral pack, Nifty FMCG, IT and Metal indices were the only gainers, up over 0.5 per cent each. Nifty Realty, meanwhile, put up the weakest show, down 0.8 per cent. Among stock-specific names, shares of Allied Digital rallied 10 per cent to Rs 65.75 on the BSE after the company said it has won a six-year contract valued at Rs 650 crore from a global automotive giant. Among large caps, TCS jumped to an all-time high of Rs 3697 today. The stock finally ended the day at Rs 3659.50, up 1 per cent. Further, the company's market cap also soared to Rs 13.5 trillion. Adani Ports jumped nearly 4 per cent after the company's proposal to acquire a 10.4 per cent stake for Rs 644.78 crore of  Gangavaram Port from the Andhra Pradesh government has received approval from the state's maritime board. On the flip side, shares of Star Cement tumbled 6 per cent to Rs 109.60 on the BSE after the stock of cement manufacture turned ex-share buyback today. The company has fixed Thursday, August 26, 2021, as the record date for the purpose of buyback of equity shares. In other news, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam undertook the annual performance review of PSU Banks today. In a press conference, the FM said collectively, PSU Banks have done well and come out of Prompt Corrective action despite the pandemic. They are showing clear profits and are also now able to raise money for their capital requirements. Now, going into trade on Thursday, high volatility will be on cards amid the monthly F&O expiry. Further, all eyes will be on the US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell's commentary at Jackson Hole Symposium. There have been expectations that Powell might indicate when the central bank could begin "tapering" or easing stimulus to an economy now recovering from Covid-19.

Strong action in the broader markets overshadowed the performance of the benchmark indices as the BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices gained over 1.5% each. The midcap pack closed 1.52% up and smallcap 1.69%. Following this, the market breadth also turned positive, with the advance-decline ratio at 2:1.   Meanwhile, flagship Sensex and Nifty made steady ascend on Tuesday, pushing Sensex past 56,000 in intra-day and Nifty above 16,600. Thanks to strong gains in Bajaj twins, private lenders HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank along with index heavyweight Reliance Industries, Sensex closed the day with a gain of 403 points or 0.73% at 55,959. Meanwhile, the Nifty50 pack closed the day at 16,625, up 128 points or 0.78%. Bajaj Finserv was the best performing stock in the 30-pack Sensex. The stock rallied 8.65% to hit a new high of Rs 16,590.15 after the company said it has received in-principle approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for sponsoring a mutual fund. The stock eventually closed 8 per cent up. The spillover impact of this was also visible on Bajaj Finance that too hit a fresh peak of Rs 7,046.80 and was among top Sensex gainers. The stock closed 3% higher at Rs 6,979. Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, HDFC Bank and SBI were among other top gainers, up between 2-3%. On the flip side, Nestle India, HDFC, Infosys and HCL Tech were the top losers, down 1% each. Sectorally, defensive sectors like FMCG and IT witnessed profit-taking after a strong rally over the past few sessions. Nifty Metal, meanwhile, emerged the best performer, with a gain of nearly 3%. It was trailed by Nifty Media and PSU Bank indices that added 2% each. In stock-specific moves, both the companies that debuted on bourses put up a tepid show. The shares of Aptus Value closed at Rs 346.50 per share, down 2% to its issue price of Rs 353. The stock had listed at Rs 329.95, a discount of 7%. Chemplast Sanmar, meanwhile, opened at a 3% discount to the issue price of Rs 541 at Rs 525. It later gained some ground and ended only a 1% discount at Rs 534.90 on BSE. That apart, shares of Info Edge rallied 5 per cent to Rs 5766 after JP Morgan initiated coverage on the stock with a target price of Rs 6,600 per share. And shares of Wonderla Holidays jumped 4 per cent to settle at Rs 237.05 after the firm informed exchanges that Wonderla Kochi is set to reopen from September 1, 2021. Lastly, an update on the global market. A rally in European stocks ran out of steam and US index futures pared gains as investors await insights on the Federal Reserve's policy path amid lingering concerns about the threat of Covid-19 to the global economy. The Stoxx Europe 600 index erased an advance as the strong rebound in Chinese technology shares failed to carry through to Europe. Futures on the S&P 500 rose 0.2% and Futures on the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.3%, indicating a positive Wall Street start.

Tracking an upbeat global market mood, benchmark Sensex and Nifty snapped their two-day losing run to end the volatile session on a firm note, with a major chunk of gains parked in IT names and index heavyweight Reliance Industries. The BSE barometer Sensex rose 226 points or 0.41% to 55,556. Nifty ended shy of 16,500 mark at 16,496, up 46 points or 0.28%. HCL Tech, TCS, Bajaj Finserv and Nestle India were the top gainers in 30-pack Sensex. Each of these stocks also hit their respective all-time highs in trade today. Nestle India even touched Rs 20,000 mark for the first time. On the other hand, auto majors M&M and Bajaj Auto were the top losers followed by Ultratech Cement and Power Grid. The advance-decline ratio on Sensex was at 1:1 but for BSE it was at 1:3, indicating that for every one stock that rose three fell. The poor market breadth can be attributed to heavy selling visible in the mid & smallcap names. While both indices recovered nearly 1% from day's low, they still ended in the red. BSE Midcap lost 0.90% and BSE Smallcap 1.55%.   In the sectoral landscape, only Nifty IT, Financial Services and Bank closed with gains. The IT index rose 1.7% and even hit a new high in intra-day session. Meanwhile, Nifty Media was the worst loser, down 1.7%. Nifty Auto too lost over 1% and Nifty Realty 0.99%. On the stock-specific front, shares of Nuvoco Vistas opened at a discount of 17% on the BSE to list at Rs 471 per share as against the issue price of Rs 570. Later, the scrip recouped losses to end 13% above its listing price but 7% below the IPO price. That said, the recently listed Zomato also faced heavy selling pressure after the anchor investors' lock-in period came to an end. The stock tumbled 9% to Rs 127 on the BSE. It touched a low of Rs 124.9 in trade today. Shares of Airtel, RIL and Vodafone Idea rose up to 1.5% after a media report stated that India is considering allowing telecom players to pay the AGR dues over a period of 20 years, an extension from 10 years earlier. Further, in another news Reliance Jio added 5.5 million subscribers to its network in June, followed by Bharti Airtel with 3.8 million users, while Vodafone Idea continued with its losing streak by shedding another 4.3 million customers, as per the latest data by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Arvind Fashions gained 9% to Rs 262 after the company's board approved preferential allotment of equity shares aggregating to Rs 439 crore to various marquee investors, including promoters at the price of Rs 218.50. Now, going into trade on Tuesday, while global cues will continue to guide market sentiment, any stock-specifc action can also sway market moves. Lastly, shares of Chemplast Sanmar and Aptus Value will list on the bourses.

Spooked by tapering concerns, along with faltering growth and China's regulatory curbs, benchmark indices, in tandem with other global peers, ended the last session of the week in the red. With this the benchmark indices ended the truncated week nearly 0.50 per cent down, snapping their two-week winning run. In today's trade, the benchmark Sensex dipped 300 points to 55,329 while Nifty50 lost 118 points to 16,451. Analysts foresee a few choppy sessions in the days ahead for the Indian equity markets. However, they feel that the indices will bounce back after a correction as that could spur buying by new investors. HUL, Asian Paints, Nestle India and Bajaj Finance were the top Sensex gainers and were up between 2-5 per cent. On the other hand, Tata Steel, SBI, DRL and Sun Pharma were the worst losers, shedding up to 8 per cent. The selloff in broader markets was sharper as the BSE Midcap index lost 1.91 per cent and BSE Smallcap 1.83 per cent. Consequently, the market breadth deteriorated further. The Advance-decline ratio of 1:3 on the BSE suggested that three stocks fell for one that rose. In the sectoral space, barring Nifty FMCG which rose over 2 per cent, all indices shut shop in deep red. The FMCG pack gained in all four sessions this week. Metal pack, meanwhile, melted 6.43 per cent amid a sharp plunge in iron ore futures. It was followed by Media and Realty that lost over 3.5 per cent each and then Nifty PSU Bank that dropped 3.4 per cent. Stock-specific activity remained high amid a new listing on the bourses. Shares of CarTrade Tech defied grey market indications to list at a 1 per cent discount at Rs 1600 per share. The stock extended losses and ended over 7 per cent lower to the issue price of Rs 1,618 on the BSE. Shares of Ujjivan Small Finance plunged nearly 19 per cent to Rs 19.70  following the resignation of Nitin Chugh from the position of Managing Director (MD) and CEO of the bank w.e.f. close of business hours on September 30, 2021, citing personal reasons. The stock also hit a new 52-week low of Rs 19.40 on the BSE. That apart, Hindustan Unilever swelled to its 52-week high of Rs 2628.85. The stock rose for the 7th day in a row as investors turned to defensive stocks from the FMCG space in a weak market. The stock finally settled 5 per cent higher at Rs 2618. IndoStar Capital tumbled 12 per cent to Rs 297 on the BSE as the company's offer for sale opened for non-institutional investors today. Now, going into trade next week, in the absence of any macroeconomic data, global markets are likely to sway the market sentiment. On the global front, all eyes will be on the address by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at Jackson Hole, Wyoming symposium. That apart, investors will continue to track the progress of Delta variant of virus and its implications on global growth. Lastly, three IPOs are up for listing next week, namely Nuvoco Vistas, Aptus Value and Chemplast Sanmar.

Soon after a gap-up start to the day, wherein Sensex scaled Mt 56,000, the domestic benchmark indices succumbed to profit taking at higher levels. With the markets closed for trading on Thursday on account of Muharram, the traders avoided carrying their positions to Friday. Further weekly expiry and mixed global setup also kept indices volatile. The BSE barometer Sensex had jumped to an all-time high of 56,118 in intra-day deals. Although, the index ended the day at 55,629, down 163 points amid losses in private lenders. Its NSE counterpart Nifty50 too ended lower at 16,569, down 46 points after hitting new peak of 16,701. In the Sensex pack, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj twins and Nestle India were the top gainers and Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank, PowerGrid and IndusInd Bank were the worst losers. Consequently, Nifty Private Bank index was the worst sectoral performer, down nearly 1 per cent. Metals and realty indices too witnessed heavy selling. On the flip side, defensive sectors remained in demand. FMCG pack gained the most. IT, pharma and PSU Bank were among only other gainers. The broader market action was mixed with BSE Midcap rising 0.26 per cent and BSE Smallcap shedding 0.18 per cent. Despite gains in the midcap index, the market breadth remained weak once again and the advance-decline ratio was at 1:2. In stock-specific action, Vodafone Idea shares rallied over 12 per cent on the BSE to Rs 6.45 as over four crore shares changed hands on BSE and NSE in bulk trade. Canara Bank shares too were in demand, up 3 per cent at Rs 157, after the bank said its QIP to raise up to Rs 2,500 crore opened on Tuesday. Among financial names, Bajaj Finance too put up a good show as the stock hit new record high of Rs 6640.80 in intra-day deals. Its market cap briefly crossed Rs 4 trillion mark, making it the eighth most valuable stock. The stock, however, ended at Rs 6544, up 2 per cent and with m-cap of Rs 3.95 trillion. Shares of Windlas Biotech on the other hand extended their decline and were trading lower for the third straight day since listing. In the intra-day trade, the shares dropped 4 per cent at Rs 385.50 on the BSE, and are down 16 per cent from its issue price of Rs 460 per share. The stock ended at Rs 388. Lastly, on the global market front, US equity-index futures fell as investors assessed the outlook for economic recovery and awaited the latest Federal Reserve minutes to gauge the direction of monetary policy. Futures on the S&P 500 fell 0.1 per cent while Dow Jones futures were down 0.3 per cent. The Stoxx Europe 600 was little changed.

The market bulls fired on all cylinders to help the benchmark inidces snap out of their range-bound mode and log record highs. Signs of economic recovery, firm global markets and a robust performance by India Inc in the June quarter were the major catalysts that helped flagship Sensex and Nifty log their biggest gain in over 2 months. The 30-pack index closed at a record peak of 53,823.36, up 873 points or 1.65 per cent after scaling a new high of 53887.98 in intra-day session. At the same time, Nifty crossed Mt 16,000 to a fresh high of 16,146.90 in intra-day only to close at  16,130.75, up 246 points or 1.55 per cent. IT, financials and FMCG players were the lead index contributors. Among Sensex stocks, Titan, HDFC, Nestle India and IndusInd Bank were the best performers. Bajaj Auto, Tata Steel and NTPC were the worst. The broader markets underperformed with BSE Smallcap and Midcap indices closing 0.23 per cent and 0.19 per cent higher, respectively. They had scaled fresh highs in opening trade. Sectorally, all indices barring Nifty Metal and Nifty Media logged solid gains. FMCG index was the top gainer, up 1.73 per cent. Overall, the volatility rose 7.3 per cent to 13.74 while investors added Rs 2.37 trillion to their kitty. The BSE's overall market capitalisation also hit a record as it zoomed past Rs 240 trillion. There was no dearth of stock-specific activity on Street. Despite such solid gains, shares of Vodafone Idea hit 52-week low of Rs 7.17 on the BSE. The stock recouped minute losses to end 10 per cent lower at Rs 7.40 after reports suggested Kumar Mangalam Birla has told the government that he is willing to give up promoter stake in the company. The rally in Infosys continued, with the stock scaling new highs in intra-day session at Rs 1658.70. The company's market cap soared past Rs 7 trillion. The scrip ended the day at Rs 1654.10, up 1.4 per cent. Shares of Bharti Airtel and Tata Consumer Products gained up to 3 per cent ahead of their quarterly numbers later in the day. Going into trade on Wednesday, a host of factors would be at play. First and foremost, the RBI money policy committee will enter into a rate setting huddle with the outcome due on Friday. All eyes will be on Markit Services and Composite PMI numbers for July that are scheduled for tomorrow. That said, nearly 70 companies will post their June quarter numbers, resulting in stock-specific action. Some of the prominent names that are slated to post their earnings are Titan, SBI, Adani Green, PNB Housing, Godrej Consumer Products and Blue Star. Furthermore, four IPOs will hit Street to raise a little over Rs 3,600 crore. At Rs 1,838 crore, KFC and Pizza Hut operator Devyani International is the largest IPO amongst them. Despite its loss-making nature, analysts have largely assigned Subscribe rating to the issue, banking on its discounted valuations and growth potential ahead. Krsnaa Diagnostics, Windlas Biotech and Exxaro Tiles are other IPOs that will open for subscription on Wedneday. Lastly, on the global market front, US stocks eyed a firm start as S&P500 futures traded 0.3 per cent higher while European shares also traded on a firm note. Stoxx Europe was up 0.2 per cent.

Indian markets hit a fresh high on Tuesday even as concerns about the spread of the delta variant of coronavirus weighed on global equities. Domestic economic indicators like GST collection, auto sales volume, PMI and monsoon trend show a strong rebound in July, which have instilled confidence about India. The BSE Sensex closed at 53,823.36, up 872.73 points or 1.65%. The Nifty ended at 16,130.75, up 245.60 points or 1.55%. Among sectors capital goods, banks, auto and telecom were top gainers. Titan, HDFC, Nestle India, IndusInd Bank, Ultratech Cement and Bharti Airtel were top gainers in the Sensex. There were only three stocks in the red in the Sensex, those were NTPC, Tata Steel, and Bajaj Auto.

US Federal Reserve's reassurance that more economic progress is needed to kick off tapering of stimulus helped Asian markets heave a sigh of relief. At a news conference, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said it was not yet time to think about raising interest rates, and that while the Fed has begun discussing plans to taper its bond purchases, the exact timing will depend on incoming data. Following this, US markets ended listless with S&P500 flat, Nasdaq up 0.7 per cent and Dow Jones down 0.3 per cent. Although in Asia, Japan's Topix index, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 and South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3 per cent each. Efforts by China to restore market calm also helped sentiment. State-run media have published articles suggesting the rout is overdone, while analysts have speculated about intervention by government-linked funds, a Bloomberg report said. This pushed Hong Kong's Hang Seng 1.7 per cent up. Apart from the global market action, the earnings announcement from key Nifty majors and monthly derivatives expiry would keep the participants busy. Amid this, SGX Nifty traded down 15 points at 15,691. With two initial public offers (IPOs) running, activity remains high in the primary market. Rolex Rings IPO was fully subscribed within hours of opening on Wednesday and closed the trade with 3.84 times subscription. Glenmark Life Sciences was subscribed 5.78 times on the second day of subscription and closes today. Now, a look at the stock-specific triggers that are likely to guide the market today. Over 90 companies, including Tech Mahindra, TVS Motors, Future Retail, Lauras Labs, PVR, Raymond, Stove Kraft and Union Bank will announce their quarterly numbers today. Brokerages project a 16-23 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise in Tech Mahindra's June quarter profit and a 10 per cent jump in revenue on 1 per cent contribution from acquisitions and ramp-up in deals won in prior quarters. Shares of Tatva Chintan Pharma Chem will debut on the bourses on Thursday. The second most subscribed IPO of 2021, with 180 times bids is set to double on listing. The grey market premium for the stock surged by Rs 1,140-1,150 or 105-110 per cent over the issue price of Rs 1,083 ahead of listing. Nestle India reported a 10.7 per cent YoY growth in its profit after tax for the April-June quarter. Its net sales for the quarter surged by 13.8 per cent YoY to Rs 3,462.4 crore from Rs 3,042 crore. Happiest Minds Technologies reported a nearly 29 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 35.73 crore in the June 2021 quarter as against a net profit of Rs 50.18 crore in the year-ago period. Its revenue, however, grew 41.4 per cent YoY at Rs 331.52 crore. ABB India posted a four-fold jump in its net profit to Rs 68 crore in the June quarter compared to the year-ago period mainly due to higher revenues.

The Indian market is likely to open flat Thursday as the trend on SGX Nifty indicates a flat start for the broader index in India. The Nifty futures were trading 11.50 points or 0.07 percent lower at the 15,695.50 level on the Singaporean Exchange at 8:00 am.

The bulls and bears are likely to remain at loggerheads once again as the global setup remains mixed, with stock-specific action expected to be high amid earnings announcement. Back home, indices look set to open higher as SGX Nifty was last seen up 40 points at 15,782 around 7.20 am.  Elevated volatility in the run up to Thursday's F&O expiry cannot be ruled out while focus will remain on pharma names after the bear hammering in last session. Furthermore, US Fed meet, FII flow trends and IMF's downgrade on growth projections can also sway markets. Citing the impact from the Covid second wave, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday slashed India's growth projection from 12.5 per cent to 9.5 per cent for fiscal 2021-22. The projection aligns with RBI's growth forecast for the current financial year. Meanwhile, in overnight trade, US stocks fell, ending a five-day winning streak in the three major indexes, as investors were cautious before results from top tech and internet names and Wednesday's Federal Reserve announcement. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.24 per cent, the S&P 500 lost 0.47 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.21 per cent. In Asia, most indices tracked a weak Wall Street finish to open in the red. Japan's Topix index fell 0.5 per cent and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.1 per cent although Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up 1.45 per  Now, a look at the stock-specific triggers that are likely to guide the market today. Over 60 companies, including Maruti Suzuki India, Nestle India, Birlasoft, Central Bank of India, Geojit Financial Services, Route Mobile, Tata Coffee, TCI Express, United Breweries and UTI Asset Management Company will release their quarterly numbers later today.  A low base last year and  continued demand for in-home consumption products like Maggi, Kitkat, Nescafe is likely to drive Nestle India's growth in the June quarter (Q2FY21), believe analysts. In year-on-year (YoY) terms, the company is expected to post a 14-19 per cent jump in profit after tax (PAT) and 13-21 per cent increase in revenues. As for Maruti, analysts believe the company may be able to guard the dent on revenue during the June quarter, owing to sequential rise in average selling prices, price hike taken during the quarter, and better product mix. On the revenue front, analysts estimate the income to rise in the range of 340 to 353 per cent year-on-year (YoY) but decline 22 to 25 per cent QoQ. The standalone net profit could be anywhere between Rs 787 crore and Rs 987.7 crore as against a loss last year.  IndiGo posted its highest ever quarterly loss of Rs 3,174.17 crore during the April-June period as the second wave of the pandemic during April and May forced down the number of air passengers. Adding to this, the airline's condition was worsened by crude oil prices have inched up, which means operating costs increase for airlines.  IndusInd Bank reported doubling of its net profit to Rs 1,016 crore in the June 2021 quarter, on a dip in provisioning and a surge in other income. The bank had posted a net profit of Rs 510.39 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. Private sector Karnataka Bank reported a nearly 46 per cent fall in net profit at Rs 106.08 crore for the quarter ended June 2021, mainly on account of decreased treasury income. The lender's net profit stood at Rs 196.38 crore in the year-ago period. Lastly, in the primary market, the initial public offer (IPO) by Rolex Rings will open for subscription today. The issue, with a price band at Rs 880-900 per share, looks to raise over Rs 700 crore. Ahead of the share sale, the company on Tuesday collected a little over Rs 219 crore from anchor investors.  Meanwhile, Glenmark Life Sciences was subscribed 2.8 times on Tuesday, the first day of the issue. The wealthy investor portion was subscribed 88 per cent, and the retail portion was subscribed 5.3 ti

Three days of selling in markets awarded investors with enough opportunity to lap up stocks available at cheaper prices, resulting in a sharp recovery from day's low even as some caution ahead of the US Fed meet and weakness in global peers persisted. After plunging over 750 points in the intra-day session, the BSE Sensex recouped most of the losses and ended only 135 points or 0.26 per cent down at 52,444 while its NSE counterpart Nifty settled at 15,709, down 37 points or 0.24 per cent after over 200 points crash in intra-day. Bharti Airtel, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finserv were among top Sensex gainers while Kotak Bank, DRL, M&M and Power Grid were the top losers. In the broader markets, BSE Smallcap index with a decline of 0.45 per cent lagged the benchmark index although BSE Midcap settled unchanged. In the sectoral space, the Nifty Metal index extended gains to the fifth day today. It was the top performer, up over 1 per cent with only Nifty IT as another gainer. PSU Bank, Auto and realty indices faced heavy selling. On the stock-specific front, shares of Bharti Airtel soared over 5 per cent to Rs 567.90 on the BSE after the company upgraded its prepaid plans and discontinued its Rs 49 entry-level prepaid recharge. Century Textiles hit an all-time high of Rs 819.50 on the BSE as it reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 25 crore for the quarter ended June 2021 as against a net loss of Rs 36 crore in Q1FY21. It finally ended 16.60 per cent higher at Rs 796.35 per share. On the other hand, Tata Coffee and Maruti Suzuki investors sold shares following their June quarter show. Tata Coffee's profit declined to Rs 28 crore from Rs 35 crore a year ago, resulting in a 9 per cent decline at Rs 214.75. The stock had touched a 52-week high of Rs 246.75 in early trade. Maruti Suzuki, meanwhile, missed Street estimates as it posted a net profit of Rs 441 crore in the June quarter. The scrip ended 1 per cent lower at Rs 7150.20. In trade on Thursday, investors would react to the US Fed meet outcome later in the evening. Further, global cues, Q1 earnings and FII flow trends will continue to sway mood. Maruti and Nestle shares will be in focus in early trade. Nestle India posted an 11 per cent YoY jump in Q2 PAT at Rs 589 crore but missed estimates. Over 90 companies are slated to post their quarterly earnings on Thursday, including Tech Mahindra, TVS Motors, Future Retail, Lauras Labs, PVR, Raymond, Stove Kraft and Union Bank. Volatility could remain high on account of monthly F&O expiry. In the primary market, the initial public offer by Rolex Rings was subscribed nearly 4 times on Day 1 itself while Glenmark Life Sciences too received bids in the same quantum. Globally, US futures rose with European stocks as positive earnings boosted sentiment, while Asian equities were weaker amid Chinese market turbulence. The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.4 per cent and futures on the Nasdaq 100 added 0.3 per cent. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.2 per cent.

As the global mood soured and investors booked profits in bulk in pharma names amid regulatory concerns at Dr Reddy's Labs, benchmark indices reversed early gains and retreated for the second day on Tuesday. Regulatory overhaul by the Chinese government drove MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan to its lowest level since December. Hong Kong benchmark fell 2.84 per cent and Chinese blue-chip shares cracked 2.9 per cent. Although Japan and Aussie markets showed resilience. The European markets and US futures were also subdued amid risk-off sentiment amid investors ahead of the US Fed meet later today. Amid this backdrop, the BSE barometer Sensex declined 274 points or 0.52 per cent to 52,579 while the Nifty50 closed shop at 15,746, down 79 points or 0.49 per cent. DRL, Axis Bank, Kotak Bank and Sun Pharma were the top index losers while Tata Steel, Bajaj twins and SBI were the top gainers. Broader market outperformance continued as Nifty Smallcap declined 0.02 per cent and Nifty Midcap 0.43 per cent. Meanwhile, in sectoral space, the Nifty Pharma index clocked its biggest intra-day crash in the seventh month as it declined over 5 per cent. Weak Q1 show by select names and a probable action against pharma major DRL on a whistleblower complaint were key overhangs. It finally settled 4.3 per cent down. Metal index with a gain of nearly 1.5 per cent outperformed.   In stock-specific action, DRL shares tanked 10 per cent to Rs 4844.35 after the company in in its Q1 filing said it has commenced a detailed investigation into an anonymous complaint that alleges healthcare professionals in Ukraine and potentially in other countries were provided with improper payments by or on behalf of the company in violation of US anti-corruption laws. DRL has disclosed the matter to the US Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission and Securities Exchange Board of India. Further, the company posted a 1 per cent YoY decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 570.8 crore in the June quarter (Q1FY22). Inox Leisure shares rallied nearly 6 per cent to Rs 320.65 on the BSE even as the company refuted media reports claiming that Amazon is looking to pick a stake in the firm. HUDCO stock tanked nearly 4 per cent to Rs 45.40 as the two-day offer for sale by the government to sell up to 8 per cent stake opened for instititional investors. The issue was oversubscribed on Day 1 of bidding. APL Apollo Tubes hit a 52-week high of Rs 1819.3 after the company said board would consider bonus issue of shares at their meeting on August 6. The scrip finally ended the day 8 per cent up at Rs 1735.70 on the BSE. Even as the pharma stocks bled, the IPO by Glenmark Life Sciences received strong investor response on Day 1 of the bidding process. The IPO sailed through on Day 1 itself with nearly 3 timed bids. Now, going into trade on Wednesday, the focus would remain on earnings season with over 60 companies slated to post their Q1 earnings, including Maruti Suzuki, Nestle India, Birlasoft, Happiest Minds, Icra and UBL. Besides, focus will be on the Fed's policy meeting. Lastly, FII flow and global cues will continue to sway market moves.

Equity markets resumed their upward journey after a one-day hiatus on Wednesday, as investors looked past overnight weakness on Wall Street and focused on stock-specific developments.  The S&P BSE Sensex jumped 193.5 points, or 0.37 per cent, to end the volatile session at a new closing peak of 53,055 levels while the NSE's Nifty50 shut shop at 15,880, up 61 points or 0.39 per cent. In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices rallied 0.58 per cent and 0.38 per cent, respectively.  Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finserv, Hindalco, UPL, Nestle India, HDFC, IndusInd Bank, and Adani Ports ended as the top gainers on the benchmarks, up between 1 per cent and 5 per cent. On the downside, Titan Company, ONGC, SBI Life, Maruti Suzuki, Shree Cement, and Reliance Industries were the top laggards, down up to 2 per cent. Among these, shares of Tata Steel jumped 5 per cent on the NSE after the company estimated Rs 10,000-12,000 crore per annum capex plan over the next 5 years, excluding potential acquisitions. The company further intends to reduce gross debt by over $2 billion in FY22 as against a $1 billion annual debt reduction target set earlier. On the flipside, shares of Titan Company, the other Tata Group firm, dipped 3 per cent to Rs 1,717.55 on the BSE in intra-day trade, but settled 2 per cent lower, after its quarterly business update of Q1FY22 highlighted that healthy growth trajectory sustained till mid-April 2021 until lockdown disrupted demand.  The company recorded a revenue growth of around 117 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in Q2 with revenue contribution of nearly 50 per cent, 10 per cent and 40 per cent coming from April, May and June months, respectively. The figure was, however, down 60 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis. Sectorally, realty and metal indices rose 2 per cent each as unsold real estate inventory declined further in Q2CY21 and as Tata Steel's capex plans gave a sentimental push to peer stocks. Besides, expectations that higher export orders and lower raw material prices may support profitability margins of steel players during the current financial year 2021-22 (FY22) also boosted sentiment. Sobha, Brigade Enterprises, Godrej Properties, and Indiabulls Real Estate from the realty pack and Hindalco, Jindal Steel, JSW Steel, SAIL, Tata Steel, and Nalco from the metal pack advanced between 2 per cent and 6 per cent on the NSE. Meanwhile, all other key sectoral indices gained up to 0.6 per cent each, except the Nifty Auto index, which slipped 0.07 per cent. In the primary market, the three-day initial public offers of GR Infraprojects and Clean Science and Technology sailed through on Day 1. GR Infra's issue was subscribed 2.18 times till 4:30 PM while that of Clean Sciences was subscribed 1.64 times. Global markets US equity-index futures rose along with stocks in Europe as investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting for clues on policy makers' thinking on interest rates and stimulus. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index climbed 0.6 per cent, led by gains in commodity sectors. In Asia, stocks fell with Chinese tech firms in Hong Kong retreating after Beijing's cybersecurity probe. Hang Seng declined 0.4 per cent, Japan's Nikkei tumbled 0.96 per cent, and South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.6 per cent.

Investors booked profit at the bourses for the third consecutive day as lack of fresh triggers left participants directionless about the markets. While the indices did start higher on Wednesday, last-hour sell-off in all but IT space pushed the markets in the red. The frontline S&P BSE Sensex cooled off 393 points from day's high to end at 52,483 levels, down 67 points or 0.13 per cent. The Nifty50 also eased 27 points, or 0.17 per cent, to settle at 15,721 level. Index heavyweights Reliance Industries, Infosys, Maruti Suzuki, TCS, and Nestle India gained between 0.6 per cent and 1.2 per cent to support the indices even as losses in ICICI Bank, HDFC, HUL, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, and Tech Mahindra capped gains. Trend in the broader markets was mixed. The BSE MidCap index slipped 0.03 per cent while the BSE SmallCap index ended 0.56 per cent up. Individually, shares of Cipla hit a record high of Rs 997.20 as they rose nearly 2 per cent on the BSE in intra-day trade after Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) permitted the firm to import Moderna's Covid Vaccine with emergency use authorisation in India. In the past two days, the scrip has gained 4 per cent. That apart, Uflex shares also hit a fresh lifetime high after they zoomed 20 per cent to Rs 573 on the BSE in intra-day trade on the back of a robust March quarter (Q4FY21) result. India's largest multinational flexible packaging company and a global player in polymer sciences posted a 163 per cent year on year (YoY) jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 264.7 crore supported by healthy operational performance. On the downside, shares of listed airline players InterGlobe Aviation and SpiceJet slipped 0.3 per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively after the government extended ban on international passenger flights till July 31, 2021. Sectorally, the Nifty IT index ended 0.6 per cent higher with Happiest Minds, Coforge, Mphasis, Infosys, Tech M, and Wipro rallying up to 7.5 per cent. Analysts at Kotak Securities expect robust revenue growth of 3-4.5 per cent sequentially for Tier-1 companies except HCL Tech. As regards Midcaps, the brokerage expects growth rates ranging from 3.5-7 per cent QoQ. Revenue growth, it says, is expected to climb between 9-19 per cent on a YoY basis courtesy of strong recovery and low base of June 2020. All other indices settled lower with the Nifty Media index down 0.8 per cent and the Nifty Bank index down 0.7 per cent. According to a report by S&P, Indian banks face systemic risks as the country wades through the aftermath of the Covid-19 second wave. The banking sector's weak loans are likely to remain elevated at 11-12 per cent of gross loans in the next 12-18 months. The second wave, it says, will impair the performance of Indian financial institutions in the first half of fiscal 2022, with much resting on the effectiveness of government measures to address this problem. Global markets US stock futures indicated a flat-to-negative start on Wall Street later in the day. Dow Jones Futures were down 50 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 4:30 PM while S&P 500 Futures and Nasdaq Composite Futures slipped 0.1 per cent each. In Europe as well, shares fell on Wednesday as worries about rising inflation and the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus hit economically sensitive sectors. The pan-European Stoxx 600 fell 0.9 per cent by mid-morning, with autos tumbling 2.4 per cent. In Asia, shares ended mixed. Japan's Nikkei dipped 0.07 per cent but South Korea's Kospi and China's Shanghai Composite added 0.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively.

Investors booked profits in cyclical stocks as growing concerns about new coronavirus outbreaks in Asian countries, undercutting an economic recovery,  worried investors. Besides, valuation concerns regarding Indian equities flagged by global agency HSBC and economic growth concerns raised by S&P, in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, added to investor woes. In their Asian outlook conference for the second half of 2021, brokerage firm HSBC said on Tuesday that the valuation of Indian stock market has become a concern now after a sharp run up from their March 2020 low. It maintains a 'neutral' rating on Indian equities and opines that the government's latest stimulus measures announced Monday are marginally positive. Relative to the economic dislocation seen in India, the package is not very large, it believes. S&P, meanwhile, cut India's FY22 GDP growth forecast to 9.5 per cent from 11 per cent predicted earlier and said that permanent damage to private and public sector balance sheets will constrain growth over the next couple of years. Against this backdrop, the frontline S&P BSE Sensex ended the day at 52,549 levels, down 186 points or 0.35 per cent while the broader 50-share Nifty closed at 15,748 levels, down 66 points or 0.42 per cent. PowerGrid, HUL, Nestle India, Cipla, Divis Labs, and IndusInd Bank eked out gains of up to 2 per cent to end the day as the top Nifty gainers. On the flipside, ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindalco, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank, and Bajaj Auto declined in the range of 1.6 per cent to 2.5 per cent to settle as top laggards. The broader markets too reversed their gains with the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices closing 0.42 per cent and 0.07 per cent lower, respectively amid losses in Oil India, SJVN, NHPC, Adani Transmission, Vodafone Idea, IFCI, Srei Infra, and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation. Among individual stocks, shares of HDFC Life slipped 3.4 per cent to Rs 672 in the intra-day trade today after nearly 110.6 million shares changed hands on the counter on the BSE. Standard Life is believed to have sold 3.46 per cent stake. That apart, shares of Bajaj Healthcare zoomed 20 per cent and hit a new high of Rs 863.95 on the BSE in intra-day deal on Tuesday after the company announced that it has moved the Indian Patent Office requesting to grant a compulsory license for manufacturing & supply of Covid-19 drug “Baricitinib”. Shares of Cipla also advanced nearly 3 per cent to Rs 989 apiece on the BSE amid reports that India's drug regulator has granted the company permission to import Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine for restricted emergency use in the country. In a separate communication, Moderna has informed that the US has agreed to donate a certain number of doses of its Covid-19 vaccine through Covax to the Government of India for use here and has sought approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), while Cipla, on behalf of the US pharma major, has requested for import and marketing authorization of these jabs. From a sectoral viewpoint, the Nifty Bank, Auto, Metal, and PSB index slipped between 1 per cent and 1.5 per cent on the NSE while the Nifty Pharma and FMCG indices advanced 0.5 per cent each. Global markets   Shares inched back from record highs on Tuesday on emerging Covid-19 variants across the globe, while investors also remained on edge over the United States' exit from accommodative policy. European stocks, as measured by the pan-European STOXX 600 index, were up 0.4 per cent, helped by a jump in industrial, financial and mining stocks. In contrast, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.5 per cent lower as recent positive momentum stalled as some countries re-imposed lockdowns to contain the spread of the Delta variant of the virus. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.8 per cent, while in Australia the ASX/200 index closed down 0.1 per cent. Chinese stocks lost

Benchmark equity indices slumped over 1 per cent in Friday's intra-day session but made a sharp V-shaped recovery to end the day little changed. Financials and metals exerted pressure on the bourses, even as gains in Reliance Industries, FMCG, and select private bank stocks tried to limit the losses. The S&P BSE Sensex fell 722 points intra-day but recovered to close 21 points, or 0.04 per cent, higher at 52,344 levels. The broader Nifty50 index, meanwhile, bounced back from the day's low of 15,451 to end at 15,683 levels, down 8 points or 0.05 per cent. The correction was deeper in the broader markets where the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices closed 0.7 per cent and 0.89 per cent down, respectively. Overall, the market breadth was heavily skewed towards bears with the Advance to Decline ratio standing at 1:2. ONGC, Coal India, Power Grid, JSW Steel, UPL, NTPC, M&M, SBI, and Nestle India were the top laggards among the large-cap stocks while Mahanagar Gas, Ashok Leyland, SAIL, Canara Bank, Max Financial Services, Graphite India, HEG, Hindustan Copper, Affle India, and Wockhardt Pharma cracked in the mid-, and small-cap segments. Sectorally, the Nifty PSU Bank declined nearly 2 per cent while the Nifty Auto, Metal, and Realty indices slipped up to 1 per cent each. On the upside, the Nifty FMCG index ended 0.29 per cent higher. Buzzing stocks   Shares of Vodafone Idea soared 10 per cent on report that the company may raise up to Rs 7,000 crore via QIP route. Reports further suggest the Department of Telecommunication may allow Vodafone Idea to raise funds supported by FDI. Shares of SBI Cards and Payment Services, on the other hand, tanked 6 per cent to Rs 984 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in intra-day trade on Friday after around 64 million shares, representing 6.8 per cent of the total equity of the company, changed hands on the NSE and BSE. While the names of the buyers and sellers could not be ascertained immediately, reports said US-based private equity firm Carlyle planned to offload 5.1 per cent stake in SBI Cards and Payment Services. The stock eventually ended 4 per cent lower on the NSE. Shares of Nazara Technologies also tanked 12 per cent to Rs 1,463.75 on the BSE in intra-day trade after foreign brokerage firm CLSA initiated coverage on the stock with a Sell rating and target price of Rs 1,095, citing hefty premium valuation. The stock was trading close to its 52-week low level of Rs 1,412.50 hit on April 12, 2021. Lastly, shares of Adani Ports and Adani Enterprises snapped their four-day losing run as they surged 7 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively. Adani Power, Adani Green, and Adani Transmission, however, hit their 5 per cent lower circuit for the fifth straight day. In the primary market, the initial public offer of Dodla Dairy garnered subscription of over 45 times on the final day while that of KIMS got oversubscribed by nearly 4 times till 4:15 PM. Global markets   Stocks were stranded just below record highs on Friday, with investors left looking for direction after digesting the US Federal Reserve's more hawkish stance. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat after falling for four sessions. Chinese blue-chip shares were also little changed, along with Japan's Nikkei. In Europe, a slide in bank and energy stocks hit shares, with a hawkish policy outlook from the US Federal Reserve also casting a dampener. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.2 per cent while Germany's DAX index fell 0.3 per cent.

Benchmark indices succumbed to profit booking, even as healthy buying continued in the broader market space, after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept repo rate unchanged for the sixth consecutive time at 4 per cent and maintained the policy stance as Accommodative. The six-member monetary policy committee (MPC), however, revised the growth projection downward to 9.5 per cent from 10.5 per cent for the current financial year and revised the inflation projection upward to 5.1 per cent. Furthermore, it announced the third tranche of bond buying worth Rs 40,000 crore under G-SAP 1.0. It also announced G-SAP 2.0, under which it will buy bonds worth Rs 1.2 trillion. Given this, 10-year government bond yields hardened by 0.45 per cent to top 6 per cent-mark while the equity markets witnessed selling. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex tumbled 436 points from the day's high and hit a low of 51,953. It, however, trimmed losses marginally to settle the day at 52,100 levels, down 132 points or 0.25 per cent. On the NSE, the Nifty50 index dropped 64 points from the record high level of 15,734, touched earlier in the day, to close at 15,670 levels. The frontline indices were dragged down largely by banking and FMCG counters such as Nestle India, SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, HUL, Axis Bank, and Titan. Overall, the Nifty Bank index ended 1 per cent lower, followed by the Nifty Private Bank and FMCG indices, down 0.8 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively. On the upside, the Nifty Metal and Realty indices clocked gains up to 1.3 per cent. That said, market participants continued to buy stocks in the broader markets after the RBI announced a special, Rs 15,000 crore-liquidity window for sectors like travel and toursim, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, aviation and related companies, spa clinics and beauty parlours. The BSE MidCap index advanced 0.63 per cent while the BSE SmallCap index added 0.78 per cent. Both the indices hit record peak levels of 22,540 and 24,280, respectively in intra-day trade. Among individual stocks, Indian Hotels hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 144, up 6 per cent on the BSE on the back of nearly two-fold jump in trading volumes. Royal Orchid Hotels surged 10 per cent, followed by Taj GVK Hotels & Resorts (8 per cent), EIH (up 7 per cent) and Lemon Tree Hotels (up 5 per cent). Meanwhile, liquor stocks like United Breweries, Globus Spirits, United Spirits, IFB Agro Industries, and Radico Khaitan surged between 1 per cent and 8 per cent. Among other news driven stocks, shares of Bharat Forge moved higher by 9 per cent to Rs 758, also its 52-week high, on the BSE in intra-day trade after the company reported a consolidated profit after tax of Rs 212 crore for the March quarter on healthy sales income. The auto ancillary company had posted a loss of Rs 68.6 crore in Q4FY20. That apart, Adani Enterprises has now become the second most valuable company among the Gautam Adani-led Adani Group of companies as the stock hit a new high of Rs 1,713 after rallying 8 per cent on the BSE in intra-day trade. The stock was trading higher for the fifth straight day and has rallied 30 per cent during the week. Adani Enterprises, the flagship of Adani Group, has now surpassed other group company Adani Total Gas to become the second-most valuable Group companies after Adani Green. Global markets   European stocks inched higher on Friday in cautious trading ahead of US jobs data with the pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.1 per cent. Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei and South Korea's Kospi had slipped 0.4 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively. China's Shanghai Composite and Australia's ASX200 index, meanwhile, gained 0.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively.

Bulls ruled on Dalal Street on Friday, the first day of the June F&O series, as a trinity of steady decline in Covid-19 cases, announcement of unlocking in the national capital, and $6 trillion fiscal stimulus in the US, held up investor confidence. The benchmark Nifty index scaled a fresh record peak of 15,469.6 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in intra-day trade today, surpassing its previous record peak of 15,432 hit on February 16. The index traded higher for the sixth consecutive session as India recorded its lowest daily count of new Covid-19 cases in 44 days. The country, on Thursday, logged 1.8 lakh fresh virus cases while death remained below 4,000-mark. Add to it, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also announced that the national capital will begin to unlock from Monday and said that construction activities and factories will be reopened from May 31. Reading these developments as a first step towards a gradual uptick in economic activities, benchmark indices zoomed to day's high of 51,529 on the S&P BSE Sensex and record peak on the Nifty. By close, the Sensex index was quoting at 51,423 levels, up 308 points or 0.6 per cent while the Nifty50 was at 15,436-mark, up 98 points or 0.64 per cent. During the week, both the frontline indices added 1.7 per cent each. Individually, Reliance Industries was the biggest contributor towards the indices' rally today after the stock clocked its sharpest intra-day gain in two months and zoomed 6.4 per cent. The stock, which settled 6 per cent higher on the BSE, looks firm on both, fundamental and technical, grounds. Analysts at Jefferies maintained their 'buy' rating on the counter with a target of Rs 2,580 per share.   Shares of Mahindra & Mahindra, on the other hand, ended 2 per cent higher on the BSE today after it reported consolidated profit of Rs 163 crore for the March quarter of 2020-21 (Q4FY21), which was impacted by a one-time loss of Rs 840 crore. In comparison, M&M had reported a loss of Rs 3,255 crore in the year-ago quarter. The company has also announced the highest-ever dividend of Rs 8.75 per share for FY21, to commemorate the 75th year of the company. Sun Pharma, meanwhile, was the top laggard on the indices today, down 4 per cent at close, as the company reported a lower-than-expected profit after tax (PAT) in the March quarter (Q4F21) due to lower other income. It tumbled nearly 5 per cent in intra-day trade.   Grasim, Adani Ports, Eicher Motors, Coal India, HDFC, Kotak Bank, and IndusInd Bank were the other top gainers of the day, up between 1 per cent and 3 per cent. On the downside, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finserv, NTPC, PowerGrid, Shree Cement, and Nestle India were the top losers, down up to 2 per cent. Broader markets, however, settled the day in the red on the back of profit-booking. The BSE Midcap index fell 0.12 per cent and the BSE SmallCap index dropped 0.48 per cent. In terms of sectoral participation, the Nifty PSU Bank index gained 0.7 per cent, followed by the Nifty Private Bank index, up 0.3 per cent. On the contrary, the Nifty Pharma index slipped 1.2 per cent on the NSE. Global markets European shares rose to a record high on Friday as UK-exposed financial stocks gained following a hawkish comment from a Bank of England official, with the prospects of increased US fiscal spending boosting market sentiment. That apart, European economic sentiment and consumer confidence data, which is due later in the day, is also expected to show an improvement in May. Given this, the pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.5 per cent to a record high of 448.55 points and was set to add about 0.8 per cent this week. German stocks also added 0.4 per cent, as the country planned to offer adolescents Covid-19 vaccine shots from early-June. Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei climbed 2 per cent, South Korea's Kospi gained 0.7 per cent, and Australia's S&P/ASX200 rallied 1.2 per cent. In the commodities market, oil prices, which

After clocking a one-way rally over the past two days, domestic indices took a breather on Wednesday to digest news flow around record Covid-19 fatalities in the country along with global inflation fears. India's daily virus cases rose marginally on Wednesday with over 267,000 fresh cases. With this, the new infection count has remained below the 300,000-mark for the third consecutive day.  However, the country reported a national record of 4,529 new deaths which, analysts say, remains a cause of concern. The country has been reporting over 4,000 deaths per day for over a week now. Globally, stocks dipped and cryptocurrencies extended losses as uncertainties over inflation prompted investors to reduce exposure to riskier assets for now. Investors concerned about rising inflation will be keeping a close eye on the Federal Open Market Committee as it publishes the minutes from its April meeting later today. In Europe, the pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 1.1 per cent in early deals while in Asia, Japan's Nikkei erased 1.3 per cent, China's CSI300 slipped 0.3 per cent, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index tumbled 2 per cent. With these dual concerns in mind, domestic investors booked profit, majorly in large-caps, on Dalal Street. After a gap-down start, the BSE barometer of 30-shares managed to eke out slim gains in the intra-day deals but tumbled nearly 450 points from the day's high to hit a low of 49,831. The index settled the day at 49,903 levels, down 291 points or 0.58 per cent. On the NSE, the Nifty50 index defended the crucial 15,000-mark and closed at 15,030 levels, down 78 points or 0.52 per cent. Earlier today, it hit a low of 15,008. Coal India, Cipla, Sun Pharma, UPL, Nestle India, Indian Oil Corporation, Tech M, Axis Bank, and SBI Life were the top gainers of the day, up between 1 per cent and 4 per cent, while Tata Motors, HDFC, M&M, JSW Steel, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel, and Kotak Bank were the top laggards, down up to 5 per cent. In the broader market space, the S&P BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices ended 0.53 per cent and 0.35 per cent higher, respectively. Sectorally, the trend was largely mixed. The Nifty Financial Services index declined 1 per cent, followed by 0.9 per cent loss each in the Nifty Private Bank and Metal indices. On the upside, the Nifty Realty index zoomed over 2 per cent while the Nifty Pharma index added 1 per cent. Buzzing stocks   Shares of Tata Motors dipped 6 per cent to Rs 312 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on Wednesday on account of profit booking even as the firm reported a strong operational performance for the quarter ended March 2021, led by its UK subsidiary JLR and its India business. It also narrowed consolidated loss, which was mainly on account of exceptional items. The stock eventually ended 5 per cent lower on the BSE. Those of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank tumbled 8.1 per cent to hit an intra-day low of Rs 28 apiece on the BSE after the lender's asset quality worsensed in the March quarter. The stock, however, erased losses partially and closed 3 per cent lower on the BSE. Gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio rose from 0.97 per cent last year and 0.96 per cent (4.8 per cent as per pro-forma) in Q3FY21 to 7.1 per cent in the quarter ended March 2021. Net NPA ratio also rose to 3 per cent from 0.2 per cent last year and 0.05 per cent in Q3FY21. Shares of Birla Corporation, on the other hand, traded higher for the eighth straight day and hit a record high of Rs 1,375 after it rallied 14 per cent on the BSE in Wednesday's intra-day trade on strong set of numbers for Q4FY21. The share surpassed its previous high of Rs 1,290, hit on January 8, 2018. Gland Pharma shares also hit a new high of Rs 3,512, up 14.6 per cent on the BSE, in the intra-day trade on Wednesday. In the last two days, the scrip has surged over 17 per cent after the company reported a healthy 34 per cent year-on-year rise in its consolidated net profit i

A sharp drop in Covid-19 cases lifted benchmark indices nearly 2 per cent higher on Monday as investors cheered sooner-than-expected peaking of the second virus wave. The frontline S&P BSE Sensex zoomed 848 points to settle the day at 49,581 levels, lifted largely by financial counters. Eight of the top 10 index contributors included names like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC, SBI, Axis Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. Reliance Industries and Infosys, meanwhile, were the remaining two contributors. Analysts attribute this sudden investor interest to the sector's recent underperformance and the resultant sectoral rotation. Over the past two weeks, only three bank stocks -- AU Small Finance Bank, RBL Bank, and SBI -- outperformed at the bourses, rising between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent on the NSE as against a 1.25 per cent rise in the frontline Nifty50 index. That apart, while ICICI Bank and The Federal Bank gained 1 per cent and 0.25 per cent, respectively, all other Nifty Bank constituents declined in the range of 0.11 per cent and 12 per cent. The Nifty Bank index too slipped 0.31 per cent during the period. That apart, India, on Monday, reported over 281,000 fresh cases taking total infections to 24.96 million. New cases fell below 300,000 for the first time in 25 days as the country seeks to scale up vaccinations. Analysts believe investors are seeing this as an early sign of Covid cases peaking out which could limit the dent on the financial sector. On the NSE, the Nifty50 reclaimed the 14,900-mark and ended at 14,923 levels, up 245 points. About 39 of the 50 constituents ended the day in the green including IndusInd Bank (up 7.5 per cent), SBI, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, UPL, Axis Bank, Tata Motors, and Eicher Motors. On the downside, Cipla, L&T, Bharti Airtel, Nestle India, Sun Pharma, HDFC Life, and Maruti Suzuki were the top laggards, down up to 2.4 per cent. In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices ended 1.6 per cent higher, each lifted by stocks such as Hester Biosciences and Gokaldas Exports. Shares of Hester Biosciences were locked in the 20 per cent upper circuit band, at Rs 2,964 on the BSE, and up 34 per cent in the past two trading days, after the pharmaceutical company said it has tied up with the Gujarat government to explore the production of Covid-19 vaccine through technology transfer from Bharat Biotech. The Ahmedabad-based firm said it has already initiated discussions with Bharat Biotech in this regard. Those of Gokaldas Exports, meanwhile, hit an over three-year high of Rs 127 apiece after they rallied 20 per cent in Monday's intra-day trade on the BSE as the company's profit after tax jumped three-fold to Rs 16 crore for quarter ended March 2021 (Q4FY21). It had posted a PAT of Rs 6 crore in Q4FY20. The stock of the textiles company was trading at its highest level since January 2018. On the sectoral front, all but the Nifty Pharma index ended the day with gains. The Nifty Bank index added 4 per cent on the NSE today, trailed by the Nifty Financial Services index (up 3 per cent), and the Nifty Metal index (up 2.5 per cent). On the contrary, the Nifty Pharma index slipped 0.2 per cent on profit booking. On the results front, Bharti Airtel today reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 759 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 as against a loss of Rs 5,237 crore during the same period, a year ago. Its revenue from operations rose 12 per cent to Rs 25,747 crore while Mobile ARPU rose to Rs 145 from Rs 135 YoY. Ahead of the announcement, shares of the telecom firm settled 2 per cent lower on the BSE. Colgate Palmolive, on the other hand, posted a 54 per cent YoY growth in net profit at Rs 315 crore for Q4FY21. It's revenue increased 19 per cent on year to Rs 1,283 crore, while margins expanded 840 bps to 33 per cent. Global markets   European stocks dipped on Monday after staging a sharp recovery late last week, as underwhelming Chinese dat

Domestic equity markets traded within a narrow range on Friday, fluctuating between gains and losses, as a slew of downgrades in the GDP growth forecasts for FY22 along with slowdown in the vaccination programme amid supply crunch kept investors indecisive about the market direction. India recorded over 343,000 fresh Covid-19 infections on Friday, taking the caseload tally to little over 24 million. According to a government official, two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be made available in the country between August and December, enough to vaccinate the entire population. This comes after Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka decided to suspend the vaccination for people in the 18-44 age group amid acute shortage of vaccines. However, favourable global cues helped the indices to limit losses. In Europe, the pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.3 per cent, with banks and retail stocks leading the gains, following a healthy session in Asia. Barring Singaporean shares, all other Asian stocks strengthened on reassurances from the US Federal Reserve that a spike in inflation was temporary, with China and South Korea shares advancing 1.7 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively. Singapore stocks, on the other hand, tumbled more than 3 per cent after the city-state's imposed strict Covid-19 curbs. Against this backdrop, the BSE barometer of 30-shares culminated the session at 48,732.5 levels, adding 42 points or 0.09 per cent. During the choppy session, the index hit a high and low of 48,899 and 48,473, respectively. On the NSE, the broader 50-share index defended the 14,650-mark to settle at 14,678 levels, down 19 points or 0.13 per cent. It traded within a range of 14,592 and 14,750 levels. Overall, 21 of the 30 shares on the Sensex and 34 of the 50 constituents of the Nifty ended the day in the red. Coal India, Hindalco, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Grasim, and IndusInd Bank on the Nifty and M&M, SBI, ONGC, Dr Reddy's Labs, and NTPC on the Sensex ended the day as top laggards. There shares were down between 2 per cent and 4 per cent. On the upside, Asian Paints, UPL, ITC, Nestle India, L&T, HUL, Britannia, PowerGrid, and Reliance Industries were the combined top gainers of the day, gaining up to 8.5 per cent. On a weekly basis, both, the Sensex and the Nifty50 indices slipped around 1 per cent each. Profit-taking in the broader markets was sharper than benchmarks today with the S&P BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices losing 1.2 per cent each. Sectorally, the Nifty Metal index nursed the steepest loss of around 4 per cent, followed the Nifty Realty index, down 3 per cent and the Nifty PSU Bank and Auto indices, down 2 per cent each. On the upside, only Nifty FMCG index ended in the green, up 2 per cent. Buzzing stocks >> Shares of Asian Paints moved higher by 11 per cent to Rs 2,839 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Friday after the company reported a strong 44 per cent year-on-year (YoY) revenue growth at Rs 6,651 crore in the March 2021 quarter, led by a 48 per cent YoY volume growth in the decorative segment. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 2,871 on January 11, 2021. The stock pared gains partially and ended 8.5 per cent higher on the BSE. >> ITC shares, meanwhile, rose as much as 4.6 per cent to Rs 213 on the BSE in intra-day trade, thus recording its sharpest gain in over three months, on the back of heavy volumes. Earlier, on February 4, 2021, the stock had seen an intra-day rally of 6.8 per cent and had touched a 52-week high of Rs 239.15. >> Shares of L&T ended 2 per cent higher on the BSE ahead of the announcement of its March quarter results, due later today. While analysts see up to 18 per cent YoY growth in the company's net profit, its ability to hold on to margins amid higher raw-material prices and restored salarie , order pipeline, and commentary on FY22 guidance amid the Covid-19 second wave uncertainty would be the key monitorables. >> Moreover, Escorts shares ended flat o

Markets witnessed a lacklustre trade on the day of the weekly F&O expiry as consistent rise in Covid-19 cases kept investors on the fence. The sudden and steep surge in the number of coronavirus cases has swamped the health system, which seemed to have collapsed. Given this, Fitch Solutions has cut India's FY22 GDP growth forecast to 9.5 per cent that further kept investment activity in check. That said, March quarter results did lead to a sharp, stock-specific movement in select counters. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex swung within a band of 400 points today, hitting a high and low of 49,011 and 48,614 levels, respectively. At close, the BSE barometer settled at 48,950, up 272 points or 0.5 per cent. Bajaj Auto (up 2.5 per cent) closed the session as the top index performer, followed by HDFC, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, ICICI Bank, Nestle India, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. On the downside, Bajaj Finserv, PowerGrid, ONGC, Sun Pharma, IndusInd Bank, and NTPC settled as top laggards, down up to 1 per cent. On the NSE, the 50-share index closed at 14,725 level, up 107 points or 0.7 per cent. About 35 of the 50 constituents on the index settled firm including Hindalco, Wipro, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors, Eicher Motors, and Bajaj Auto. The broader markets, too, performed in-line with frontline indices. The S&P BSE MidCap index added 0.9 per cent while the S&P BSE SmallCap index gained 0.6 per cent. Motilal Oswal Financial Services, IDBI Bank, Mphasis, Jindal Steel, Coforge, Angel Broking, Datamatics, and Subex were some of the outperformers in the broader market space. Sectorally, the Nifty PSU Bank and Pharma indices nursed losses on the NSE today, down 1.2 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively. On the upside, metals and IT stocks continued to shine with the respective sectoral indices soaring up to 2.5 per cent. Buzzing stocks >> Shares of information technology companies were in focus at the bourses on Thursday, with Coforge rallying 19 per cent to hit a record high of Rs 3,448 on the BSE after the company reported a healthy set of numbers for the quarter ended March 2021. Besides Coforge, Wipro, Mindtree, Mpahsis and Firstsource Solutions hit their respective record highs on the BSE while Mastek, Intellect Design Arena, Sasken Technologies, Newgen Software Technologies, Nucleus Software Services and Sonata Software surged in the range of 5 per cent to 11 per cent in the intra-day trade. >> That apart, shares of Tata Steel rose 6 per cent and hit a new high of Rs 1,129 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Thursday after the company reported a higher-than-expected consolidated net profit at Rs 6,644 crore in the March quarter of FY21, against a net loss of Rs 1,481 crore in the corresponding period last year. >> Shares of IDBI Bank also surged 15 per cent to Rs 43.50 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on Thursday after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control in IDBI Bank. Currently, LIC, that owns 49 per cent stake, is the promoter of the bank and has management control, while the government is the co-promoter with a 45 per cent stake. The shares, however, ended 6 per cent higher on the BSE. >> Lastly, shares of Hero MotoCorp ended 4.5 per cent higher on the BSE, ahead of Q4 results announcement, slated later today. Analysts expect the two-wheeler manufacturer to post nearly 60 per cent year-on-year growth in Ebitda aided by healthy sales volume and low base effect. Net profit, meanwhile, may rise about 30 per cent YoY. Global markets   European stocks inched higher on Thursday, hovering near record levels, as strong earnings reports from AB Inbev and several eurozone banks added to an upbeat mood. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.2 per cent, with food and beverage, utilities and telecoms leading the gains. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei jumped 1.8 per cent as it reopened after a five-day holiday while

Gains in banking and auto counters following superior Q4 results and vaccine optimism buoyed domestic global markets for the third day in a row on Wednesday ahead of the US Fed policy outcome later today. The BSE flagship index Sensex ignored a weak set of global cues and risks arising from Covid-19's second wave to surge 790 points to 49,734. ICICI Bank, HDFC twins, Bajaj Finance, Kotak Bank and SBI were the key index contributors. Meanwhile, NSE Nifty settled the day at 14,865, up 212 points with 35 constituents in the green and 15 in the red. In the 30-pack Sensex, Bajaj Finance emerged the best performer as it rose 8.3% to Rs 5,279 following a 42% jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,347 crore during the fourth quarter of FY21. It was trailed by IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank and Kotak Bank that gained in the range of 3-5%. On the flip side, Nestle India, HCL Tech, L&T, TCS and DRL were among the top losers. The broader markets also settled in the green although underperformed the benchmark. Nifty Midcap 100 index added 1.11% while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index gained 0.64%. In the sectoral space, Nifty Realty, Nifty Pharma and Nifty Metals turned out to be the day's losers. Bank Nifty with a gain of 3.02% was the best gainer ahead of the expiry of F&O contracts. It was trailed by Nifty Private Bank, Nifty Financial Services and Nifty PSU Bank indices which gained between 2.5-3%. In stock-specific moves, shares of TVS Motor Company rallied 14.06% to settle at Rs 645.90 on the BSE after the company's Q4 numbers beat analysts' estimates. The scrip touched intra-day high of Rs 661.10, its 52-week high. Shares of Anupam Rasayan also hit a 52-week high of Rs 666 in intra-day session today after it bagged an order worth Rs 1,100 crore from a multinational life sciences firm. The scrip finally settled the day at Rs 640.10, up 1.82%. SBI jumped 2.95% after the bank's board approved raising $2 billion through a public offer or private placement. Shares of Hindustan Unilever and Bajaj Auto ended the day 1.07% and 2.76% higher, respectively, ahead of their March quarter results tomorrow. That apart, Zomato filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Sebi to raise Rs 8,250 crore through its Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO offer includes a fresh issue by the company worth Rs 7,500 crore, and an offer for sale by the selling shareholder Info Edge. Meanwhile, in other news. As the Covid pandemic continued to rage havoc in the country, many economists flagged risks from the same to India's economic recovery. For instance, S&P Global, which has a long-term credit rating of 'BBB-' on India, just one notch above junk, said it may have to revise its base-case assumption of 11% growth over fiscal 2021/2022 if wider containment measures to contain Covid are re-imposed. The rating agency believes the Covid outbreak poses downside risks to GDP and heightens the possibility of business disruptions. In a recent note, those at IHS Markit suggest that they expect the Indian economy (as measured by GDP) to grow at 9.6 per cent in FY22. Maharashtra’s lockdown, it said, represents a significant dampener on growth, as the state accounts for 16 per cent of the national GDP. Lastly, an update on the global markets. World shares cosied up close to record highs and the dollar and global bond yields nudged up on Wednesday, as traders waited to see if the U.S. Federal Reserve utters the dreaded ‘T’ word later - tapering of its mass stimulus programme. Japan's Nikkei ended 0.2 per cent up, South Korea's Kospi declined 1 per cent, and Australia's S&P/ASX200 index gained 0.44 per cent. European stocks were little changed amid a busy earnings-reporting day. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was flat. Futures on the S&P 500 Index advanced 0.1%, indicating a flat-to-positive start for Wall Street later in the day.

Led by the healthy buying in index heavyweights Reliance Industries and banking and financial counters, domestic benchmark indices edged higher for the second day in a row. Analysts believe stocks are up in anticipation of good quarterly earnings and improved outlook due to a hike in stock prices and demand. Concerns on the Covid front still lingered in the backdrop. Meanwhile, investor focus will shift to the US Fed's policy meet outcome slated for tomorrow. The BSE Sensex settled close to day's high at 558, up 48,944 points amid across the board buying. It had touched an intra-day high of 49,009. Meanwhile, NSE's Nifty50 shut shop 168 points higher at 14,653. With April derivative expiry approaching, and with Nifty option premiums not pricing much above 14700 for now, caution is recommended, said Anand James, Chief Market Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. L&T was the best performer in the 30-pack Sensex as it gained 3.53%. It was trailed by Bajaj Finance, SBI, IndusInd Bank, RIL and HDFC Bank that gained between 2-3%. On the downside, Maruti Suzuki emerged as the worst performer, down 1.28%, after the automaker's March quarter numbers disappointed investors. The company reported a standalone net profit of Rs 1,166.1 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 (Q4FY21). It was down 9.72 per cent from the previous year’s profit of Rs 1,291.7 crore. The numbers missed Street estimates by a huge margin as analysts had projected the PAT to grow anywhere between 37 per cent and 51 per cent YoY. Other Sensex losers were - NTPC, Nestle India, Kotak Bank and DRL. On the sectoral front, all indices ended in the green on NSE with Nifty Metals in the lead, up 2.7%, followed by Nifty PSU Bank index which added 2.3%. Nifty Pharma clocked the least gains among all at 0.7%. Broader markets, meanwhile, outperformed the benchmark with Nifty Midcap and Nifty Smallcap indices rallying 1.57% and 1.74%, respectively. Among stock-specific action: Shares of Jindal Steel & Power scaled a fresh 52-week high of Rs 455.95 on the BSE after the company board approved divesting entire equity interest in subsidiary Jindal Power to Worldone, a promoter group company, for Rs 3,015 crore. The scrip settled the day at Rs 450.35, up 1.82%. Castrol India surged as much as 7% in intra-day trade after the firm reported a near doubling of net income for the quarter to March at Rs 243.6 crore as against Rs 125.2 crore a year ago, driven by robust revenue growth. The stock finally settled the day only 1.8% higher at Rs 127.50. Shares of State Bank of India climbed 2.82% after the firm said the company board will meet on April 28 to mull raising up to $2 billion. Shares of Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance and Britannia closed in the green ahead of their March quarter results later today. In other news, the US Chamber of Commerce warned that the Indian economy could falter as a result of a record spike in coronavirus cases, creating a drag for the global economy. Myron Brilliant, executive vice president of the Chamber said the risk of spillover effects was high given that many US companies employ millions of Indian workers to run their back-office operations. "We expect that this could get worse before it gets better," Brilliant told Reuters, citing a "real risk" the Indian economy would falter. Lastly, an update on the global markets. Shares dipped from record highs on Tuesday as optimism about the economic recovery was dented by caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision and a raft of earning updates. The MSCI world equity index, which tracks shares in 49 countries, fell 0.1%, following a muted session in Asia and slight early losses in Europe. S&P 500 futures rose almost 0.1% indicating a firm start for Wall Street.

Indian markets look poised to open on a gap-down note on Thursday as a record spike in Covid-19 cases in the country is likely to keep investors on edge. However, market bulls could take heart from strong global cues and the recent ramp-up in vaccine drive announced by the country. High volatility could also mark the session amid weekly F&O expiry. At 7.20 am, adjusted SGX Nifty was ruling 100 points lower at 14,190 vs Tuesday's close of 14,290. D-Street was closed for trading on Wednesday on account of Ram Navmi. The massive second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic vaulted past another grim milestone as India reported nearly 3.16 lakh fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day count recorded in any country so far. Deaths from the virus climbed to another high of 2,102 in the past 24 hours. The fast-rising Covid cases along with lockdown-like restrictions imposed by the states could harm India's economic recovery, opine experts, resulting in a correction in the markets. Meanwhile, in an update on the global markets, Wall Street rebounded in overnight session after a two-day decline in a broad rally as a tilt toward stocks poised to benefit from a recovering economy offset Netflix Inc's sell-off after its disappointing results a day earlier. The Nasdaq Composite added 1.19%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.93% while the S&P 500 also gained 0.93%. Tracking firm cues from US markets, Asia stocks bounced. Japan's Topix index rose 1.4%, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index added 0.1% and the Kospi index rose 0.5%. That apart, crude prices edged lower for a third day on Thursday on a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories and concerns surging Covid-19 cases in India will drive down fuel demand in the world's third-biggest oil importer. Brent crude was trading 0.38% down at $65.07 a barrel in early trade after settling 2% down at $65.32 on Wednesday. Now, a look at the stock-specific triggers that are likely to guide the market today Cyient, Tata Elxsi and 10 other companies will release their quarterly earnings on April 22. Nestle India on Tuesday reported a 14.6 per cent year-on-year growth in its net profit at Rs 602 crore for the quarter ending March 2021. It was Rs 525 crore in the year-ago period. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandated KV Kamath committee has approved banks' proposal to restructure loans to Future Retail and Future Enterprises the two main arms of the Kishore Biyani-led group, a media report said. A year after announcing the merger of Den Networks, TV18 Broadcast, and Hathway Cable & Datacom into Network18 Media, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) called off the transaction. Life Insurance Corporation of India acquired 46,000 equity shares or 0.02% of paid-up equity in Voltas on April 19. LIC had increased its stake in the company to 5.01% from 4.99% earlier.

The Indian market is likely to open lower Thursday as the trend on SGX Nifty indicates a gap-down opening for the broader index in India. The SGX Nifty was trading around 14,195 as compared to Nifty Futures’ Tuesday’s close of 14,296. Meanwhile, worries over the second wave of COVID-19 in the country and tightening of restrictions in various states are likely to keep the market volatile.

Nestle India releases its Q4FY21 (Q1CY21) at its Board Meeting held on 20th April 2021. How did the company perform in this quarter?

US stocks retreated from an all-time high in the overnight session as investors awaited the heart of the earnings season and more economic data later in the week. Technology shares dragged down the S&P 500, which posted its biggest drop in almost four weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.36%, S&P 500 lost 0.53% while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.98%. Tracking weakness in US stocks, markets in Asia too declined. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.82%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.49%, although, South Korea's Kospi was up 0.36%. Meanwhile, in the oil markets, prices edged higher supported by a weaker US dollar but gains were capped by concerns about the impact on demand from rising coronavirus cases in India. Brent crude futures were up 0.15% at $67.15 per barrel after settling at $67.05 on Monday. Despite a weak global setup and strength in oil prices, Indian markets looked poised to bounceback after bear hammering in Monday's session, boosted by the government's decision to vaccinate all above 18 years of age, starting May 1, a move that's expected to change the course of the pandemic currently raging through the country. At 7.40 am, SGX Nifty was trading 26 points or 0.18% higher at 14,415. That apart, India also reported a slight decline in the number of fresh Covid cases although the figure was above 2.5 lakh. Now, a look at the stock-specific triggers that are likely to guide the market today Nestle India and 7 other firms will report their March quarter numbers today. Analysts expect Nestle to post up to 14% YoY jump in Q1 PAT, led by increased in home consumption, better demand from rural and urban India, sustainable growth in Maggi noodles and new products launches. Tech Mahindra said it has acquired a 100% stake in DigitalOnUS, a hybrid cloud and DevOps services provider, for USD 120 million (about Rs 898 crore) to augment hybrid-cloud offerings for enterprise customers globally. Cement maker ACC reported a 74.17 per cent YoY increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 562.59 crore for the first quarter ended March 2021, helped by an increase in sales and cost-efficiency. It had posted a profit of Rs 323.02 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Indian Overseas Bank said it has convened an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next month to seek shareholders' approval for issuance of preferential shares to the government for Rs 4,100 crore capital infusion in 2020-21. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company reported a lower consolidated profit at Rs 62.51 crore in Q4FY21 as against Rs 178.73 crore in Q4FY20.

Keeping in continuation of the prevailing corrective phase, Indian markets lost over one and a half per cent last week as rising Covid cases cast a cloud over economic growth and earnings outlook. In the absence of any major events this week, Covid-19 related developments, March quarter earnings and global cues will continue to guide market mood amid the possibility of extreme volatility in the holiday-shortened week. Equity markets would remain closed on Wednesday for Ram Navami. The Indian markets will enter the second week of earning season with 55 companies slated to post their results, including ICICI Bank, HCL Technologies, Nestle India, 5paisa Capital and Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services. Stock-specific movements based on upcoming results can be expected in the market, say experts, with banking and finance stocks likely to remain in focus. That apart, as Covid-19's second wave wreaks havoc across the country, investors will keep a close watch on the pace of rising infections, vaccination drives and state-wise restrictions to contain the pandemic. As per the latest data, India recorded over 2.75 new Covid cases in last 24 hours, its biggest single-day spike with total cases past the 1.5 crore mark since the start of the pandemic. The fast-spreading cases and ensuing restrictions by states could dampen the pace of economic recovery, fear investors. This concern was also visible among foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) who have pulled out a net Rs 4,615 crore from Indian markets in April so far. If they turn net sellers in April, that would be the first monthly selling since September 2020. Hence the flow will be closely watched going forward. That apart, oil price movement, rupee's trajectory versus the dollar and global cues are likely to influence market mood this week. And now, let's take a look at the trade setup for today. Asian shares hovered near 1-1/2 week highs on Monday helped by expectations monetary policy will remain accommodative the world over, while Covid-19 vaccine rollouts help ease fears of another dangerous wave of coronavirus infections. Australian shares were 0.25 per cent higher while South Korea's KOSPI added 0.4 per cent and Japan's Nikkei eased 0.4 per cent. However, back home, indices looked poised for a gap-down start as India continues to report a record spike in Covid cases. At 7.40 am, SGX Nifty was ruling 170 points down at 14,472. On the stock-specific front, shares of Macrotech Developers will list on the bourses today. The IPO that ran between April 7-9 was subscribed 1.36 times. The issue price has been fixed at Rs 486 per share. ACC, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, Bajaj Consumer Care, CRISIL, Agio Paper & Industries, Pratik Panels, Response Informatics, and Sri Chakra Cement will release quarterly numbers on April 19. HDFC Bank on Saturday reported a 15.8 per cent YoY rise in its consolidated net profit at Rs 8,434 crore for the quarter ended March 2021. The private sector lender had registered a net profit of Rs 7,280 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Mindtree said its consolidated net profit rose by 53.9 per cent YoY to Rs 317.3 crore in the March quarter on the back of strong operational efficiency and expressed confidence in logging double-digit growth in FY22. Debt-ridden Coffee Day Enterprises said trading in its shares would be resumed at BSE and NSE from April 26.

A smart recovery in the fag-end of the session, aided by gains in private banks, metals, and pharma stocks, helped the benchmark indices reverse losses and end near day's high on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the benchmark Sensex and Nifty hit a low of 48,010 and 14,353, respectively as a record spike of over 200,000 daily Covid-19 cases, weekend curfew in Delhi, and WPI inflation at an 8-year high of 7 per cent made investors jittery, nudging them to take profits off the table on concerns of a delay in economic recovery. The sudden rise in Covid cases and the micro-lockdowns imposed across key economic hubs in India have also made foreign brokerages trim their return expectation from Indian equities over the next 12 months. After Nomura, that recently cut its March 2022 Nifty50 target to 15,340, analysts at Goldman Sachs have now tempered their expectation. They now see the Nifty at 16,300 levels in 12 months (16,500 earlier). However, they have retained their ‘overweight’ stance on India for now. Against this backdrop, the BSE barometer Sensex recouped 800 points from the day's low and ended 260 points, or 0.5 per cent, higher at 48,804 levels. The NSE's Nifty50, meanwhile, settled at 14,581 levels, up 77 points or 0.5 per cent supported by gains in heavyweights like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, TCS, HDFC, Reliance Industries, ONGC, and Axis Bank. These stocks gained in the range of 1 per cent to 4 per cent. Investors were quick to off-load shares of auto and PSU banks. That apart, profit booking was also seen in select FMCG and IT stocks such as Nestle India, Britannia, Infosys and Tech M. Overall, the Nifty Bank, Pharma, Metal, IT, Financial Services, and Private Bank indices ended up to 1.4 per cent higher while the Nifty Auto, Realty, PSU Bank, and FMCG slipped between 0.04 per cent and 1.5 per cent. In the broader markets, the S&P BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices ended 0.1 per cent and 0.03 per cent lower at 19,923 and 20,800 levels, respectively. In the intra-day deals, the indices had hit a low of 19,641 and 20,555, respectively. Individually, shares of Infosys slipped 6 per cent to Rs 1,320 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on account of profit booking in the counter following the company's March quarter numbers. The IT bellwether on Wednesday posted a 17.47 per cent YoY growth, but a 2.3 per cent sequential fall, in net profit at Rs 5,076 crore in Q4FY21. Yet analysts remain bullish on Infosys as they believe underlying metrics such as headcount addition, fresher hiring along with deal win momentum seen through FY21, should continue to aid the company's growth leadership in FY22 as well. That apart, Dabur India joined the elite club of companies with Rs 1-trillion market capitalization on the BSE today, after its share price rose 3.5 per cent to a fresh high of Rs 580. With the market-cap of Rs 1.01 trillion by close, Dabur India is at 38th position in overall market-cap ranking, the BSE data shows. Besides, shares of Finolex Industries rose 7.4 per cent to hit a 52-week high of Rs 150 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Thursday after they turned ex-date for stock split in the ratio of 1:5. The company has fixed April 16 as the record date for the sub-division of one equity share of the face value of Rs 10 into five equity shares of the face value of Rs 2 each. On the earnings, Wipro on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 2,972.3 crore for March quarter of financial year 2020-21, up 27.78 per cent YoY, as against Rs 2,326 crore posted in the same period last year. Its consolidated revenue from operations, meanwhile, climbed 3.4 per cent YoY to Rs 16,245 crore in the recently concluded quarter. Ahead of the results, the shares of the firm ended 2.95 per cent higher at Rs 431 on the BSE. Global markets   Asian shares slipped on Thursday dragged down by Chinese stocks as recent upbeat economic data raised fears of monetary policy tightening. MSCI's broadest

Markets managed to end in the green amid high volatility on Thursday. The BSE Sensex ended at 48,803.68, up 259.62 points or 0.53%. The Nifty closed at 14,581.45, up 76.65 points or 0.53%. Among stocks, TCS, ONGC, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Dr Reddy’s were top gainers in the Sensex. Infosys, IndusInd Bank, Maruti, Nestle India and Bajaj Finance were major laggards.

In this episode we have discussed about Saurabh Mukherhjea Founder and CIO of marcellus Pms Investment Philosophy Stocks From Consistent Compounders & Little Champs Asian Paints - Not a paint company, it's a tech giant. Pidilite ltd. - Founders of Adhesive segment. Nestle India ltd. - Holding 97% of Baby milk market share. Amrutanjan ltd. - 2 Biggest pain balm company making deep routes in sanitary pads segment. Alkyl amines ltd. - Having huge moat around business with great growth potential. GMM Pfaudler - Major player in glass lined equipment. Sources The Unusual Billionaires Coffee Can Investing: The Low Risk Road to Stupendous Wealth Marcellus Investment Managers Youtube channel Visit our Blog : https://www.toounce.com/post/mcx-bulldex Stay tuned and Happy Investing. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Nestle India slips 5% after Q1 profit margin contracts YoY

Nestle India PBT flat at Rs 704 cr for March quarter, revenue up 10.7%

To ease lockdown blues, Nestle India has started a campaign suggesting a variety of recipes for its instant noodle brand Maggi. Nestle India has launched “Maggi Cooking Made Simple" on its website, and it brings the most popular recipes. From across the nation under three categories of “made easy", “made with a twist" and “made healthier". Nikhil Chand, director, foods & confectionery, Nestle India. Said "In trying times like these, with limited ingredients, meals made at home demand variety. The solutions available on www.maggi.in will encourage consumers of all skill levels to approach everyday cooking.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latestnewssuno/support