Saturday, August 1, 2009

Intraday chart (range one day)


Intraday chart (range five days)

Q1 RESULTS- Tata power, TVS motors,Nalco,ABB

Q1 RESULTS
DLF Q1 NET PLUNGES 79%, REVENUE SLIPS BY 57%
DLF Q1 net slumped to Rs 396 crore (Rs 1,863.97 crore) due to sharp decline in demand for its housing and commercial properties. Revenue fell to Rs 1,649.86 crore (Rs 3,810.62 crore).

TATA POWER NET UP 144%, REVENUES DOWN 1%
Tata Power's net profit was up at Rs 396 crore (Rs 162 crore). Net revenues fell to Rs 1,975 crore (Rs 1,989 crore).
TVS MOTOR'S NET ZOOMS 157%, SALES UP 7%
TVS Motor's profit zoomed to Rs 18.1 cr (Rs 7 cr) due to sharp fall in raw material prices and an appropriate product mix.

NALCO NET DOWN 76%, SALES FALL 36%
National Aluminum Company's net profit was down at Rs 127 crore (Rs 525 crore). Sales were at Rs 920 crore (Rs 1460 crore).

ABB Q2 NET DOWN 36.5%, SALES SLIP 7%
ABB Q2 net profit stood at Rs 84 crore (Rs 132 crore). Total income dropped to Rs 1,525 crore (Rs 1,637 crore).

J&K CM Omar Abdullah resumes office

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resumed office today, a day after Governor N N Vohra rejected his resignation which he had tendered over allegations by a senior PDP leader of his being involved in the 2006 sex scandal case.
Dressed in Pathani suit, Omar was greeted by dozens of his staff who had lined up at the secretariat since morning.

The 39-year-old Chief Minister interacted with his staff and began his work by signing on some files.

He also held his usual morning meeting with his cabinet colleagues and later chaired a cabinet meeting.

Speaking to the media, he said, "I had to take a difficult decision in order to clear not only my own name but also to establish some respectability for politics and politicians in the state of Jammu and Kashmir."

He stressed that he had left the Assembly incident behind him as "I am not the one to dwell on the past. I look towards the future. I have never conducted myself or my politics with a view to extracting revenge and therefore what is done is done."

He said, "We have come to fulfill the aspirations of the people of the state rather than fight among ourselves. I believe in the highest political ethics, upright character and moral principles and my conviction is that only a person with unblemished character has the moral right to hold such positions from where he can serve people with full devotion and sincerity."

Japan's jobless rate at 6-year high

Japan’s unemployment rate rose to a six-year high in June and consumer prices fell at a record pace, adding to evidence the domestic economy is struggling to recover even as exports start to improve.

The jobless rate advanced to 5.4 percent from 5.2 percent in May, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo, higher than the 5.3 percent median forecast of economists surveyed. Consumer prices excluding fresh food, the central bank’s preferred gauge, fell a record 1.7 percent in June, a separate report showed.

Economists expect the jobless rate to rise to a record 5.8 percent as companies cut costs. Deflation may erode profits even as factory output rebounds, further hampering Japan’s recovery from its deepest postwar recession.

“Worsening job prospects will continue to weigh on Japan’s recovery,” said Yasuhiro Onakado, chief economist in Tokyo at Daiwa SB Investments Ltd. in Tokyo. “The export recovery is helping production but capacity utilization is still low and companies are still saddled with excess capacity and employment.”

The yen traded at 95.30 per dollar at 12:04 p.m. in Tokyo from 95.46 before the report was published. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 1.4 percent to 10,304.90, heading for its highest close since Oct 6, after Sony Corp. posted a smaller than expected quarterly loss.

Given Japan’s current production levels, companies have 6 million extra workers, the highest ever, the Cabinet Office said last week. A report yesterday showed that while output increased 2.4 percent in June from the previous month, it fell 23.4 percent from a year ago.

Record Low

The number of positions available to each job applicant rose stood at 0.43, a record low, the Labor Ministry said. Economists regard the ratio as a leading indicator for the unemployment rate.

Consumers have received temporary relief from the downturn from Prime Minister Taro Aso’s 25 trillion yen ($262 billion) in stimulus spending that included measures ranging from cash handouts to tax breaks on fuel-efficient vehicles. The packages helped bolster consumer confidence to an 18-month high in June.

Household spending rose 0.2 percent, a second monthly gain, a separate report showed today. Economists expected outlays to increase 0.5 percent. Retail sales fell 3 percent in June, the government said earlier this week.

“Consumer spending will clearly start weaken once the impact of the stimulus packages fades,” said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute in Tokyo.

Nintendo Co. and Sony, the largest makers of game consoles, are facing mounting pressure to cut prices after reports yesterday showed sales of the motion-sensing Wii fell for the first time and PlayStation 3 shipments tumbled to a two-year low.

The U.S. unemployment rate rose to a quarter-century high of 9.5 percent in June and in the euro zone it reached a decade high of 9.5 percent in May.

Saving More

At home, consumers are starting to save more, prompting retailers to offer cheaper products to lure consumers. Department store operator Millenium Retailing Inc. will start selling cheaper, generic products in September, according to Nagatoshi Nii, spokesman at the retailer. Aeon Co., Japan’s second-largest retailer, started selling house-brand beer that’s 20 percent cheaper than equivalent products at major breweries.

The drop in consumer prices will probably accelerate through the third quarter and exceed 2 percent in reaction to last year’s record increases in oil, Bank of Japan board member Tadao Noda said yesterday. Declines will moderate after that as the economy improves, he added.

Summer bonuses at Japan’s largest companies will slide a record 18.3 percent this year, according to a survey published last month by the Keidanren, the country’s biggest business lobby. The average budget for this summer vacation for each individual dropped 18 percent to 88,000 yen ($925) from last year, the lowest in four years, Dentsu Research Inc. reported this week.

US GDP contracts 1.5% (5.4%) in April-June qtr

The U.S. economy probably shrank at a slower pace in the second quarter, a sign the worst recession in half a century is winding down, economists said before a report today.

Gross domestic product contracted at a 1.5 percent annual rate from April to June after dropping 5.5 percent the prior quarter, according to the median forecast of 78 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The report will also include benchmark revisions for prior quarters.

Profits at companies from Caterpillar Inc. to Dow Chemical Co. show the slump is easing as government efforts to revive lending and President Barack Obama’s stimulus take hold. Consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy, may take time to recover as job losses mount, eroding the growth analysts anticipate will start this quarter.

“We’ve definitely turned the corner but it’s going to be a slow, agonizing recovery,” said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. “We’re just not going to get the job growth that politicians promised and people expect. The consumer doesn’t want to spend a lot.”

The Commerce Department’s report on GDP, the sum of all goods and services produced, is due at 8:30 a.m. in Washington. Survey estimates ranged from a 0.7 percent gain to a decline of 2.9 percent.

A drop would be the fourth in a row, the longest losing streak since quarterly records began in 1947. The contraction so far has been the deepest since 1957-58.

Less Spending

The report may show consumer spending dropped at a 0.5 percent pace, the third decline in the last four quarters, the survey showed.

The economy has lost 6.5 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007, and economists surveyed by Bloomberg this month forecast the jobless rate will exceed 10 percent by early 2010.

“The United States economy has found bottom but will be slow in recovering as unemployment continues to be a drag on consumer spending,” Andrew Liveris, chief executive officer of Midland, Michigan-based Dow, said in a statement yesterday.

Second-quarter profit at Dow and at Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar, topped analysts’ estimates. Caterpillar, the world’s largest maker of construction equipment, said last week that stimulus programs in countries such as China were helping stabilize sales.

Slumps Easing

Recent reports showed the housing slump, which helped trigger the financial crisis last year, and the decline in manufacturing have eased. Housing starts rose in June as construction of single-family dwellings jumped by the most since 2004, Commerce reported earlier this month. Industrial production shrank in June at the slowest pace in eight months, according to figures from the Federal Reserve.

Most of the Fed’s 12 regional banks reported a slower pace of economic decline in June and July, the central bank’s regional survey of activity showed this week. Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told Congress last week that there were “tentative signs of stabilization.”

Companies probably cut stockpiles further last quarter, setting the stage for recovery in production.

“With inventory levels in an ultra-lean state, businesses should start adding inventories in the second half of the year as the economy begins to show signs of life,” said Ellen Zentner, senior economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.

Automakers

General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, both out of bankruptcy, are among firms set to ramp up production as government efforts lift demand.

The “cash-for-clunkers” trade-in program begun this month has spurred 16,351 new-vehicle sales so far, the Transportation Department said this week. The plan has given out $68.9 million in subsidies out of the $1 billion set aside.

Economists project the economy will grow at an average 1.5 percent pace from July to December, according to a Bloomberg survey taken in early July. David Weidman, chief executive officer of Dallas-based chemical maker Celanese Corp., is among those seeing an improvement.

“We exited the quarter with increasing optimism,” as rising demand offered “clear signs of economic recovery,” Weidman said in an interview this week.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average are up 12 percent since July 10 on better-than- anticipated earnings at companies from Motorola Inc. to 3M Co.

The country “may be seeing the beginning of the end of the recession,” Obama said this week. Even so, “we know the tough times aren’t over.”
U.S. Economy Probably Shrank at Slower Pace in Second Quarter

2004-05 to be the new base year for inflation index: FM

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said the wholesale price index (WPI) series, used to calculate inflation in the country, will have 2004-05 as the base year.
"The WPI series is being upgraded with base year 2004-05 in lieu of the existing one with base year 1993-94," Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha, replying to a queation on price indices.

With the advancement of the base year and probably a revision of commodities in the index and their weights, it is expected that the index would provide a better picture of the current scenario of prices.

"The WPI will now become more representative of today's reality. I believe it will come along with the revision in commodities and weights," rating agency Crisil Principal Economist DK Joshi said.

Though Joshi said the WPI will become a better measure, he doubted if the government would include services in the index and said people will have to continue depending on other indices like the consumer price index.

"The WPI price data collection completely excludes the services sector," Mukherjee said, replying to whether the current system of collecting data for monitoring prices is faulty.

71% of urban India students use PC: Survey

A striking 71% of students in Indian metropolitan areas say they use personal computers, according to a new survey by information technology giant Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

And 66 % of students in the southern city of Bangalore said they were active on blogging and social networking sites, compared with 39% nationally, the same survey found.

The survey of nearly 14,000 kids studying in English-language schools in 12 major cities in India shows schoolchildren here have embraced technology and the Internet, with Google and Wikipedia overtaking the library as the most trusted source of information.

The survey "confirms that today's students are shifting their academic and social life online and embracing the digital world as true digital natives," said S. Ramadorai, chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Consultancy.

Conducted in 2008 and 2009, the survey is the outgrowth of a quiz show that Tata Consultancy launched a decade ago in English schools across India to create an interest in technology. Through the survey, Tata Consultancy hopes to connect with potential employees by gaining a better understanding of how young people use technology to work, play and think, company officials said.

Rising incomes among India's middle class have meant that more families are likely to own a personal computer.

Among the many significant findings of the survey was the fact that the highest percentage of users of personal computers were in Bangalore and Delhi -- at 77%.

Some 63% of children surveyed said they spent more than an hour each day on the Internet; 41% of school children surveyed chose Google as a source of information, while 46% said they use online sources to access news.

Far fewer children reported using the library. Cochin in Kerala ranked the highest in library usage, at 14%.

Blogging and social networking also appear to be gaining ground. Higher education abroad remains a common goal among students. The U.S. remains the most popular study destination with nearly 40% preferring to study there, the survey found. However, when it comes to their careers, 49% said they would like to stay in India.

Laptops and Ipod players do not appear to have reached many homes, according the survey. Mumbai had the highest laptop penetration, at 38%, compared to the national average of 19%. Tata Consultancy is one of India's largest information technology players, with 48,000 employees in India, 95% of whom are 25 years old or younger.

No scrutiny by SEBI in shares trading of Jai Corp: Govt

The government today said that market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has not launched any investigation in the trading of scrips of Jai Corp, which is engaged in the business of developing SEZ, infrastructure and real estate.

"...During the period of last two years, no formal investigation has been initiated by Sebi into the dealing in the shares of Jai Corp as preliminary analysis did not reveal any adverse observations that required further examination," Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena informed the Lower House.

He further said Sebi and the exchanges have put in place surveillance systems to monitor trading activity of listed companies.

During the year 2007-08 and 2008-09, Sebi had completed investigations in 169 and 116 cases, respectively, for various types of irregularities that include market manipulation, price rigging, insider trading and others.

"Sebi remains vigilant at all times to detect any malpractices in the market and wherever warranted, takes actions against the entities violating the provision of Sebi Act, Rules and Regulations," he added.
No scrutiny by Sebi in shares trading of Jai Corp: Govt

Bankers hail addl authentication for card purchases

The Reserve Bank's move to make additional authentication mandatory for credit/debit card online purchases from tomorrow is expected to effectively check card-related frauds, bankers said today.

“This will definitely help in preventing many cash frauds while using credit or debit cards for online purchases. Enhancing the security level is much needed in the face of rising usage of cards for online transactions,” IDBI Bank's Executive Director Sushil Muhnot told PTI here.

As per the RBI guidelines, customers will have to register their cards from tomorrow with the respective merchants- Visa or Master Card and create a security password.

When making online purchases, the cardholder will have to use this second verification in addition to the Card Verification Value Number (CVV), which is the main safety
parameter used currently.

A senior State Bank of India (SBI) official said, although, the implementation of the new method may create some technology challenges to banks, the move will enhance customer confidence to go for online purchases.

“There may be some challenges in the initial stage to implement the new method as banks have to be ready with the software required to identify the second authentication or password while making transactions," the official said.(MORE)

However, the Reserve Bank's decision to step up security for card shopping will significantly help to reduce the misuse of cards, he said.

“At present, the CVV number, date of birth and the expiry date on the cards are used to ensure secured purchases. This is not sufficient in the present context where fraudsters
find new ways to misuse the cards,” a senior official with a leading private sector bank said.

The apex bank decided to introduce a second level of security for online transactions using credit/debit cards in the backdrop of escalating number of credit card frauds across the country.

Parsvnath to raise up to Rs 750 cr via QIP

Realty major Parsvnath Developers plans to raise Rs 500-750 crore through private placements of shares within two weeks for reducing its debt and completion of the ongoing projects.
In the first phase, the company is likely to raise $100-150 million (Rs 500-750 crore) through qualified institutional placements (QIPs), sources said, adding that the QIP is likely to be launched in the next two weeks.

"The company is planning to issue fresh shares for the QIP. Post-issue, the promoters stake will come down by 15-20 per cent," a source said.

Earlier, the Parsvnath board of directors had approved raising of up to Rs 2,500 crore through various instruments, including issue of further securities to persons other than the existing equity shareholders of the company and also by way of QIP to qualified institutional buyers.

When contacted, Parsvnath Chairman Pradeep Jain said: "We are planning to raise 100-150 million dollars in the coming days depending on the market conditions."

About 65 per cent of the funds raised would be utilised to cut the company's debt, which currently stands at about Rs 1,600 crore, and rest for completing the existing projects, sources said.

Parsvnath is aiming at reducing its debt to about Rs 600-700 crore by the end of this fiscal.

The company has a land bank of about 193 million sq ft, of which 80 million sq ft is under construction.

Parsvnath, which has presence across 50 cities and 17 states, is operating in all the verticals of real estate that includes housing, retail, offices, SEZs, hotels, IT Parks and integrated townships.

In the last few months, many real estate firms, which are facing a huge slowdown in demand for their properties since the last one year, have raised funds through QIPs.

Software sector targets $54 bn exports in FY10

Slowdown hit, India's software exporters are exploring new markets in the middle east and Africa to increase IT exports by 10 per cent and touch $54 billion in the current fiscal.
IT software exports were valued at $49.5 billion in 2008-09, which was about 14 per cent more than that in 2007-08.

"We are not expecting much growth in exports in 2009-10 due to the global slowdown," Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) Executive Director D K Sareen said. The ESC, however, has set a higher target for growth in electronics hardware exports, he added.

The council has set a target to earn $4.5 billion from electronics hardware export in the current fiscal which is about 15 per cent more than the shipments of $3.9 billion in 2008-09.

With most of the country's main markets like the US and EU reeling under the impact of demand slowdown, the ESC is encouraging the industry to explore Middle East, Latin America, South African region and Japan to increase exports.

India will be showcasing its strength in IT hardware, software and services and telecom sectors at GITEX, an IT exhibition in Dubai. India had exported electronics hardware and software worth $980 million to Middle East countries in 2007-08.

Hindalco Q1 net falls 31% at Rs 480 cr, beats estimates

Hindalco Industries Ltd (HALC.BO), India's top aluminium maker, on Friday reported a smaller-than expected 31 percent fall in quarterly standalone net profit, helped by weakening raw material prices and better product mix.

Hindalco, which bought Canada's Novelis in 2007, reported net profit of 4.81 billion rupees ($100 million) in the April-June quarter, compared with 6.97 billion rupees a year earlier.

Net sales fell to 38.99 billion rupees from 46.48 billion.

A Reuters poll of nine brokerages forecast net profit of 3.09 billion rupees for the quarter, on net sales of 38.52 billion.

Last year, aluminium prices fell as the global economic slowdown hit demand for raw materials such as aluminium, used in automotive and construction industry. ($1=48.3 rupees)

R-Comm Q1 net up 12.5% to Rs 1,636.61 cr

Reliance Communications has announced its Q1FY10 numbers. Its net profit increased 12.54% to Rs 1,636.61 crore from Rs 1,454.31 crore (QoQ).
Key Takeaways from Reliance Communications' concall:

Reliance Communications Q1 net profit increased 12.54% to Rs 1,636.61 crore from Rs 1,454.31 crore (QoQ).
Rel Comm adds 18.3 mn subscribers in last 6 months

Adani Power IPO oversubscribed 21.5 times

Adani Power IPO subscription at 21.51 times

The Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Adani Power Limited which hit the primary markets on July 28, 2009 has received overwhelming response from investors. The issue has received subscription of 21.51 times till 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009. The issue has received bids for 5351653580 equity shares against the offer of 248794681 equity shares. The issue has received bids for 213067075 equity shares at cut-off price.

The issue has received subscription of 15.02 times in NSE with bids for 3737896890 equity shares against the offer of 248794681 equity shares. The issue has received subscription of 156456950 shares at cut-off price.

In BSE, the issue has received subscription of 656.91% with bids for 1634351940 equity shares against the offer of 248794681 equity shares.

The company has come out with IPO of 301,652,031 EQUITY SHARES [including 52,857,366 Equity Shares Anchor investor portion] of Rs 10 each for cash at a price band of Rs. 90 To Rs. 100 through 100% book-building process.

The IPO closed Yesterday- July 31, 2009.

The rating agency ICRA Limited has assigned IPO Grade 3 for the issue.

We will be a 9,500mw company by 2013: NHPC

NHPC IPO: $1.2bn proceeds to fund 11 projects
It will be the first public sector enterprise to tap the capital markets this year. National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has kicked off its road shows, as it looks to raise up to Rs 6,000 crore. Katya Naidu and Vidhi Godiawala report.
For the first time in its 34-year history, NHPC has 11 projects under construction. At the same time, it is looking at a USD 1.2 billion IPO to fund it. The company wants to double its capacity over four years.
SK Garg, CMD, NHPC, said, "By 2012, we will be commissioning almost 2,300 MW. Two projects will come in the first year of the 12th Plan, which will add another 2,000 MW. By 2013, our company will be something like 9,500 MW company."
The IPO is expected to raise Rs 6,000 crore at the higher end of the price band. Of this Rs 6,000 crore, around Rs 4,000 crore will accrue to the company, Rs 2,000 crore will go to the government for its 5% stake it is divesting.
At Rs 30-36 per share, the IPO is aggressively priced. Bankers hope the uptick in market sentiment and the government's credibility will make it a good bargain.
Vallabh Bhansali, Chairman, Enam Securities, said, "It is a unique company. It is in hydro power, it is a large company, financially very good, and not leveraged like other power companies. A lot of factors have gone into valuing this company."
Falguni Nayar, MD - Institutional Equities, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said, "We are hoping for a positive response because market is improving and investor appetite is improving."
S Vishwanathan, MD, SBICAPS, said, "This issue will be a forerunner for many more issues to come."
NHPC hopes its IPO will see the same strong subscription rush seen by Adani Power's IPO earlier this week, when it was subscribed 4 times on the very first day. Experts point out that NHPC's expansion is not the only thing that hangs in the balance. This IPO could well set the pace for future divestments as well.

Telenor stake hike in Unitech's arm awaits govt's nod

Govt awaits interior min nod to clear Telenor deal
India's finance ministry is waiting for comments from the home ministry before deciding whether to approve an increased investment by Norway's Telenor in local telecom carrier Unitech Wireless, a minister said on Friday.

Telenor has a 49 percent stake in Unitech Wireless, the telecoms arm of Unitech Ltd, and has an agreement to lift that to 67.25 percent, which would bring its total investment to 61.2 billion rupees ($1.3 billion).

Under India's foreign investment rules, telecoms firms can sell up to a 49 percent stake to foreigners under an "automatic" route but need clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), an arm of the finance ministry, to go above that level.

Foreign ownership in telecoms firms is capped at 74 percent.

Earlier, the FIPB had deferred its decision on Unitech Wireless' proposal to increase foreign holdings in the company to up to 74 percent, without giving any reason.

"The proposal was deferred for want of comments from ministry of home affairs," Junior Finance Minister Namo Narain Meena said on Friday in a written reply to a question in the Parliament, without elaborating.

A spokesman for Unitech Wireless declined comment when asked why the company was seeking approval to increase foreign holdings to up to 74 percent, but said there was no change in Telenor's proposed stake buy of a total 67.25 percent.

The Economic Times reported on Thursday that the government was set to give security clearance to Telenor on condition that none of the staff who have worked in the company's Pakistan operations are employed in India.

Indian media reports have cited Telenor's operations in Pakistan as raising security concerns for Indian authorities.
(US$=48.17 rupees)

Govt moves bill to up LIC's equity, dividend payout

The federal government on Friday moved a bill in parliament to raise the capital base of state-run Life Insurance Corp and enable it to pay up to 10 percent dividend to the government.

The LIC (amendment) Bill, introduced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the lower house of parliament, proposes to raise the paid-up capital of the insurer to 1 billion rupees or more from the present 50 million rupees.

The bill also said the insurer could get sovereign guarantee for its products to the extent needed.

LIC can allocate 90 percent or more of its surplus to policy holders or keep it in a separate account, it said, adding the remaining could be paid to the government as dividend.

Earlier, junior finance minister Namo Narain Meena said the total premium income of market leader LIC grew 4.45 percent to 1.56 trillion rupees in FY09, lower than the 17.19 percent expansion seen in 2007/08.

The overall premium income of all the life insurers stood at 2.24 trillion rupees at the end of FY09, compared with 2.01 trillion rupees in the previous year, he added.

ABG Shipyard confirms 8% stake in Great Offshore

Open offer price for Great Offshore may go to Rs 500/sh
ABG Shipyard increased its stake in Great Offshore to 8% and revised open offer price to Rs 450 per share. However Bharati Shipyard had an upper hand, as it held 20% stake in Great Offshore. The price revision could be as high as Rs 500 per share from Bharati Shipyard to counter the current open offer price.

Subhiksha CDR misses July 31 deadline

Subhiksha Corporate Debt Restructuring (CDR) misses July 31 deadline. The reason being the report is not ready yet.

Banks provide for most of Rs 850 cr loans this quarter. Banks are likely to extend CDR by another month. Banks have asked Subhiksha promoters to bring Rs 250 cr.

ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, BOB are BOI are some of these bankers.

Subhiksha owes Rs 181.50 crore to ICICI Bank, Rs 149.89 crore to HDFC Bank, Rs 75 crore to Bank of Baroda, Rs 50 crore to Bank of India, Rs 50 crore to Federal Bank and another Rs 50 crore to Yes Bank.

Essar Oil picks 50% stake in Kenya-based refinery

Ruias-owned Essar Oil today announced acquisition of 50 per cent stake in a 4 million tonnes oil refinery in Kenya.

The company acquired 50 per cent stake of western energy majors Shell BP and Chevron in Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd, Essar said in a press release.

The company, however, did not give the acquisition price.

The acquisition was done through Essar Energy Overseas Ltd. The Government of Kenya holds the remaining 50 per cent stake in the company.

KPRL is a 4 million metric tonne (MMTPA) per annum refinery in Mombasa, Kenya.

"This acquisition marks Essars foray in overseas refining market and is a step towards realising its vision of a global refining capacity of 1 million barrels per day," the release said.

Essar Oil operates a 2,80,000 bpd refinery at Vadinar in Gujarat.

Off-Budget expenditure doubles at Rs 97,019 cr

The off-budget expenditure incurred by the government has almost doubled since 2006-07 to Rs 97,019 crore in 2008-09, Parliament was informed today.

Off-budget expenditure, which includes subsidies on oil, fertiliser and food, stood at 1.79 per cent of GDP in the last fiscal, Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Meena said the off-budget expenditure was Rs 40,361 crore in 2006-07, 0.98 per cent of GDP, and subsequently increased to Rs 97,019 crore the last fiscal.

To another query, Meena said the Indian economy will grow around 7 per cent this fiscal.

For maintaining the growth momentum, the government has taken a slew of measures like providing fiscal stimulus packages and stimulating investment in infrastructure, Meena said.

The government has also increased the budgetary allocation for 2009-10 plan and non-plan expenditure by 34 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively, over the Budget estimates of last fiscal.

ATF prices up by Rs 620/kl w.e.f. midnight

State-run oil firms today increased jet fuel prices marginally by 1.6 per cent on the back of rising international oil rates.

Aviation turbine fuel rates in Delhi were increased by Rs 585 per kilolitre to Rs 36,923 per kl, effective midnight tonight, an official of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) said.

The increase follows a sharp 5.7 per cent cut in jet fuel prices two weeks ago.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum had in the past two months raised ATF rates four times on firming international oil prices. Jet fuel rates were Rs 31,614.51 per kl on May 1 and in four turns they were raised to Rs 38,557.56 per kl by July 1.

The rate was lowered to Rs 36,338 per kl on July 16.

In Mumbai, home to the nation's busiest airport, the rate will be increased to Rs 38,098 per kl from Rs 37,475 per kl.

The increase in ATF price, which constitutes 40 per cent of airlines' operating cost, will add to the margin pressures of the cash-strapped domestic carriers.

Jet fuel in Kolkata will be dearer by Rs 649 per kl at Rs 45,060, while in Chennai the price has been increased to Rs 40,789 per kl from Rs 40,164 per kl.

RBI MAY REVIEW EASY MONEY POLICY

RBI for rollback of monetary expansion to check inflation
The RBI governor, D Subbarao, today made a strong case for a rollback of the expansionary monetary policy being pursued to combat the impact of the global financial meltdown, saying it could result in another bout of inflationary pressure.

"Creation of high power money in the face of large fiscal
deficit...is not costless; it can sow the seeds of the next
inflationary cycle," Subbaro said, delivering the JRD Tata
Memorial lecture organised by the industry body Assocham here.

RBI had made available a potential liquidity of Rs
5.60 lakh crore, nearly 9 per cent of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), to help the country tide over the liquidity crisis
following the global financial meltdown triggered by the
collapse of America's iconic investment banker Lehman Brothers in mid-September.

Noting that RBI would continue to pursue an accommodative monetary policy until the economic conditions improve, he said, "reversing the expansionary policies is definitely on the agenda (of the central bank).

"The current monetary and fiscal stance is, however,
not the steady state. The Reserve Bank needs to roll back the special monetary accommodation", he stressed

The RBI, Subbarao said, will roll back the easy monetary
policy after the government shows credible commitment to
fiscal responsibility and the economy manifests more definite signs of recovery.

The challenge for the central bank is to simultaneously
maintain a comfortable liquidity situation and anchor
inflationary expectations, he said.

Inflation, which has been in the negative zone since
June, fell to (-)1.54 per cent for the week ended July 18 even as prices of essential food items like cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetables rose.

The Governor said the RBI's objective is to
simultaneously maintain price stability, financial stability
and growth but it cannot do much to tame a supply driven
inflation except as a line of defence in extreme situation.

Noting that the government borrowing programme has
increased substantially, the Governor said it militates
against the low interest regime.

"Government borrowing had resulted in firming up of
yields, notwithstanding the substantial excess liquidty,
militating against the low interest rate regime that we want," Subbaro said.

SENSEX CLOSES AT 2009 HIGH; UP 282 POINTS

Buoyed by good corporate results, Sensex touched its 2009 high, closing 1.8% up at 15670. Nifty closed at 4636, up 65 months.

The Sensex witnessed huge buying interest on the first day of the August series and closed July month on a strong note, up 8% during the month. It closed at 13-month high on the back of strong earnings and global cues. The Nifty closed above the 4600 level. The upsurge in shares of oil & gas exploration, banking, FMCG, capital goods, metal and select pharma companies supported the markets throughout the session.

The indices saw some blip around 14:15 hours IST due to realty stocks, Bharti Airtel, TCS, Reliance Communication, Hero Honda, SAIL, BPCL and Unitech. But in the last one hour of the trade, they gained more strength again. The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 282.35 points or 1.83%, to settle at 15,670.31, after seeing an intraday high of 15,732.81. Its previous closing high in the last 13 months was at 15,503.92

The 50-share NSE Nifty shut shop at 4636.45, up 1.42% or 65 points over previous close, after seeing a day's high of 4669.75.
Both the indices gained 8% each for the month and up 1.5-1.9% for the week. The BSE Auto, Realty, FMCG and IT were the strong sectors this month, their indices were up 25%, 22%, 21% and 20%, respectively. The Nifty August futures closed with 17 points premium (provisional figures).
ONGC and SBI were the star performers of the day, both surged 5-6% on the back of institutional buying. Deven Choksey of KR Choksey Securities said the market looked little bit promising and some of the heavyweights started taking up the positions in the market and that included Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). "Some of the long only foreign institutional investors (FII) funds, who have started acting into the market, have started allotting funds to some of these large size market companies where the growth is now looking little bit more certain. That is where we are seeing the kind of buying also emerging from that side," he said.

SBI Q1 numbers were good on Thursday posted 42% jump in net profit. He added, "We are expecting that the market having gone up to 4,660 on the Nifty, probably may make some small correction. But thereafter probably it would go up because of higher allocation of funds and largely towards some of the heavyweight counters including those of banks like State Bank of India. So from that perspective, we are seeing the kind of buying continuing in coming days. Maybe we should be having some kind of profit booking in the beginning of the next week but thereafter one should see an upside continuing in the market."

Hindalco Industries surged 6.65% as the company's bottomline numbers were above the estimates though it was down 31% at Rs 480 crore versus Rs 696.8 crore, YoY. The markets expected around Rs 226 crore.

Adani Power initial public offering (IPO) witnessed huge investors' interest and was subscribed 21.59 times. The issue received bids for more than 537 crore shares as against the issue size of 30,16,52,031 shares. Its founder company, Adani Enterprises was up 0.33%.

The BSE FMCG Index outperformed other indices, surged 3%, as Nestle, United Spirits, HUL, Tata Tea, Britannia (Q1 net was up 17% and sales up 5%), ITC, Godrej Consumer and Ruchi Soya were up 2.5-6.4%.
The Oil & Gas Index went up 2.65% led by exploration companies. ONGC shot up 5.91% Aban Offshore, Essar Oil, Reliance Industries and Reliance Petroleum were up 2.5-4.5%. Cairn India was up 1.33%. Crude was up over 5% on Thursday. However, BPCL, HPCL, IOC and GAIL fell 1-3%.

Bankex was up 1.9% led by SBI, which rose over 5%. Kotak Mahindra, HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank were up 2-4%. ICICI Bank was up 0.5%.

In the technology space, Patni Computer surged another 10%, after seeing over 10% rally on Thursday (the company posted strong numbers for the quarter). Infosys rose 2.66% and Wipro up 0.43%. However, HCL Tech went down 1.7% and TCS fell 0.68%.

Metal stocks like Hindalco surged 6.65%. Sesa Goa, Sterlite Industries, Jindal Saw, Hindustan Zinc, Tata Steel and JSW Steel were up 1-3.8%. However, Jindal Steel fell 2.72%.

In the auto space, Bharat Forge jumped 10.27% and Tata Motors was up 6.61%. Maruti Suzuki, Apollo Tyres, M&M and Bajaj Auto went up 0.5-1%. However, Hero Honda was up 2.08%.

In the capital goods space, ABB, Punj Lloyd, Siemens, BHEL and L&T went up 1-1.7%.

Telecom stocks like Idea Cellular surged 4.23%. However, Bharti Airtel lost 3.06%. Today was the last day for Bharti-MTN talks and sources said that they could extend date for talks further. Reliance Communication slipped 2.11%.

In the power pack, Neyveli Lignite was up 5% and Reliance Infrastructure rose 1.69%. Tata Power, Torrent Power and Suzlon Energy gained 0.5% each. However, Lanco Infratech lost 2.84%. GVK Power, GMR Infra, NTPC, Power Grid Corp and Reliance Power slipped 0.5-1%.

Pharma stocks like Ranbaxy Labs, Sun Pharma, Biocon, Apollo Hospital and Glenmark went up 1-2.5%. However, Wockhardt lost 4.42%. Cipla, Dr Reddys Labs and Matrix Lab were down 0.5-1.3%.

However, realty stocks lost the ground today. Omaxe, Ackruti City, Unitech, Orbit Corporation, DLF and Indiabulls Real declined 1.4-3.5%.

Volumes were lower; total traded turnover stood at Rs 83,315.90 crore. This included Rs 19,894.54 crore from the NSE cash segment, Rs 57,151.46 crore from the NSE F&O segment and the balance Rs 6,269.90 crore from the BSE cash segment.

Among the broader indices, the BSE Midcap Index was up 1% and Smallcap Index was flat. About 1,452 shares advanced while 1,356 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 363 shares remained unchanged.

Global cues:

At the time of closing of Indian equities, European markets and US futures were flat in trade.

Asian markets ended higher. Shanghai surged 2.7%. Hang Seng, Nikkei and Kospi were up 1.5-1.9%. Straits Times and Taiwan Weighted rose 0.7-0.9%.


Nifty holds 4600; oil exploration, banks, FMCG gain
At 15:07 hours IST - the Nifty gave up 1/2 of gains and was still holding above 4600 level. Heavyweights ONGC and SBI were up over 5%. Leading counters like Reliance Industries, HUL, Infosys, ITC, HDFC, HDFC Bank, Sterlite, BHEL, Tata Motors, Nalco, Idea, Tata Steel, Ambuja Cements, Hindalco and Maruti were trading higher.

However, heavyweight Bharti Airtel plunged over 4%; today is the last day of Bharti-MTN talks and sources believe that the company may extend further. Shares of power, realty and oil marketing companies were also under pressure.

The Nifty rose 48 points, to 4,620 and the Sensex gained 212 points at 15,600. About 1430 shares advanced while 1376 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 365 shares were unchanged.

Sensex trades strong despite selling at higher levels

At 14:23 hours IST - the Sensex continued its uptrend on the back of buying in heavyweights, despite selling pressure at higher levels. Shares of oil & gas exploration, banking, FMCG, capital goods and select metal stocks were witnessing buying interest. Infosys, Tata Motors, HDFC, Idea Cellular, Reliance Capital, Sun Pharma, Reliance Infrastructure, Ambuja Cements, Maruti, Ranbaxy and Suzlon Energy were other gainers.

Hindalco and Nalco surged 2.5% and 4.8%, respectively, ahead of their Q1FY10 numbers.

However, on the losing side, heavyweight Bharti Airtel tumbled over 3.5%. Jindal Steel tanked 4%. TCS, Hero Honda, DLF, Reliance Communication, PNB, HCL Tech, BPCL and Unitech were down 1-1.8%. SAIL was down 0.5%.

The Nifty rose 41 points, to 4,612 and the Sensex went up 180 points, to 15,568. About 1432 shares advanced while 1370 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 369 shares were unchanged.

Reliance Industries, Infosys, ICICI Bank, L&T, ITC, ONGC, SBI and HUL were leading counters.

In the midcap space, Godfrey Phillip, Sunteck Realty, Patni Computer, Max India and 3M India were up 6-14%. However, REI Six Ten, Simplex Infra, Atlas Copco, Dish TV India and Wockhardt were down 4-5.6%.

In the smallcap space, Sonata Software, Fresenius Kabi, Kirloskar Ferro, Kothari Product and Automotive Axle went up 10-12%. However, Vishal Info, Tanla Solutions, Vikas WSP, Arshiya International and Ganesh Housing fell 5-13%.

Nifty hovering around 4650; Nalco, ONGC, SBI up

At 13.05 hrs IST, the Nifty was trading with good gains. It was hovering around the 4650 mark. Buying interest was seen across all the sectors. The BSE FMCG index outperformed the other sectoral indices. Strong buying interest was seen in banks, oil & gas, capital goods, metal, IT, auto and power stocks. Reliance, Infosys, ICICI Bank, L&T and ITC were major contributors to the Sensex.

The Sensex was up 328.64 points or 2.14% at 15716.60, and the Nifty was up 85.30 points or 1.87% at 4656.75.

About 1657 shares advanced, 1117 shares declined, and 397 shares were unchanged.

Sandeepa Arora, of IIFL, India Infoline, said that the Nifty could hit 5,000 if it crossed 4,650–4,700. She said, in an interview to CNBC-TV18, “Earlier, we were between 4,000 and 4,500. I think you will see that moving upwards between 4,400 to maybe 4,800 or 5,000 even.

Top gainers on the Sensex were ONGC at Rs 1,166.35 up 6.08%, Tata Motors at Rs 416.00 up 5.21%, SBI at Rs 1,811.90 up 5.17%, Sterlite Ind at Rs 648.40 up 3.46% and ITC at Rs 251 up 3.38%.

Top gainers on the Nifty were NALCO at Rs 310.45 up 6.41%, ONGC at Rs 1,167.15 up 6.00%, SBI at Rs 1,812.15 up 5.19%, Tata Motors at Rs 415.95 up 5.18% and Idea Cellular at Rs 79.30 up 4.27%.

ABG Shipyard said it has increased stake in Great Offshore to 8% and revised open offer to Rs 450/share. The stock rose 2.5%. Great Offshore went up 2% and Bharati Shipyard rose over 1%.

Sensex trades strong; oil exploration, banks, FMCG lead
At 12:15 hours IST, the Nifty was trading strong and was holding the 4600 level, despite seeing profit booking at higher levels. Shares of oil & gas exploration, banking, FMCG, telecom (barring Bharti Airtel), capital goods and select metal stocks were witnessing buying interest.

However, selling in Bharti Airtel, Jindal Steel, Power Grid, NTPC, BPCL, ACC, PNB and Hero Honda was putting some pressure on the markets.

The Sensex rose 271 points, to 15,658 and the Nifty went up 71 points, to 4,643. The market breadth was positive; about 1714 shares advanced while 1046 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 411 shares were unchanged. The broader indices have come off from highs and were up 1-1.4%.

In the oil & gas space, ONGC surged nearly 6%. Reliance Industries, Cairn India and Reliance Petroleum were up 1.5-2%. GAIL and IOC went up 0.5-0.6%.

Banking stocks like SBI shot up 4.80% as yesterday the company reported strong numbers for Q1FY10. Kotak Mahindra, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda and Axis Bank moved up 1.5-4.5%. Federal Bank was up 3.22% on good Q1FY10 numbers.

FMCG stocks like Nestle, United Spirits, United Breweries, Ruchi Soya, Tata Tea, Britannia, ITC, HUL and Godrej Consumer were up 2-7.8%.

In the capital goods space, Siemens, Suzlon Energy, L&T, Punj Lloyd, BHEL and ABB gained 1-2.5%.

Metal stocks like Gujarat NRE Coke rose 5.09%. Sterlite Industries, Hindustan Zinc, Sesa Goa, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, Ispat Industries, Jindal Saw and Hindalco (ahead of numbers) were up 1.5-3.7%. NMDC and SAIL went up 0.6-0.9%.

Sensex gains strength; all sectoral indices in green

At 10:56 hours IST, the Sensex gained more strength on the first day of August series. It touched the 15,700 level on the back of huge buying in across the sectors, especially banking, auto, metal, oil & gas and capital goods stocks. The Nifty was trading above the 4650 level.

The broader indices were in line with the benchmark indices, gained 1.7-2.3%. The market breadth was strong; about 1901 shares advanced while 821 shares declined on the BSE. Nearly 449 shares were unchanged.

The Sensex surged 325 points, to 15,713 and the Nifty rose 92 points, to 4663. The Nifty August future was trading with 7 points premium.

On the sectoral front, the BSE Metal Index shot up 3%. Bank, Oil & Gas, Auto, Capital Goods, Realty and IT indices went up 2-2.7%. FMCG, TECk, Power and Healthcare indices gained 1-1.7%.

Reliance Industries, Infosys, ICICI Bank, L&T, ITC, ONGC and SBI were the leading counters.

Tata Motors, SBI, Sterlite, ONGC, Hindalco and NALCO were top gainers and surged over 4% each. However, Bharti and BPCL were the only losers.

In the midcap space, Sunteck Realty surged 16%. Godfrey Phillip, Patni Computer, India Infoline and Monnet Ispat moved up 7.7-10.7%.

In the smallcap space, Fresenius Kabi, Hinduja Venture, Marathon Nextgen, Kothari Product and Supreme Petro went up 8.5-13.5%.

Nifty trades above 4600; Sensex at 2009 highs

The markets opened strong following positive global cues and the Sensex was trading at 2009 highs. Heavyweights were witnessing huge buying interest. Shares of oil & gas exploration, auto, realty, metal and infrastructure stocks were supporting the markets.

At 9:56 am, the Nifty rose 76 points, to 4,647 and the Sensex gained 264 points at 15,652. The CNX Midcap surged 83 points, to 5,963 and the BSE Smallcap Index went up 82 points, to 6,286. About 660 shares advanced while 64 shares declined on the NSE.

Among the frontliners, Cairn (4% as crude surged 5%), Sterlite Industries, Suzlon (ahead of numbers), DLF, M&M, Tata Motors, Reliance Capital, SBI (on good numbers), L&T, ONGC, Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, Ranbaxy Labs, Hero Honda and HDFC were the gainers.

Midcap Space:

Lanco Infratech was up 0.4%, after doing successful QIP.

Deccan Chronicle was up 4.5% and PTC surged 5% on good numbers.

WWIL was up 2.5% and SEAMAC up 5% on good numbers.

Indiabulls Real, Parsvnath, HDIL, Sesa Goa and Gujarat NRE Coke were up 1-3%.

Adlabs lost 3%.

Global cues:

Asian markets were strong. Hang Seng rose 2%. Shanghai, Nikkei and Kospi were up 1.2-1.8%. Jakarta, Straits Times and Taiwan Weighted gained 0.4-0.8%.

The US markets hit 9-month high amid strong earnings and lower jobless claims, although slipped from the day's high. The Nasdaq hit 2,000 level in the intraday trade for the first time since October, 2008.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 84 points at 9,154 and was off nearly 90 points from day's high of 9,247.

The S&P 500 Index rose 11.6 points at 987, after slipping 10 points from day's high of 997. The Nasdaq Composite gained 16.5 points to 1,984, after slipping 25 points from day's high of 2,010.

Commodities:

The Reuter CRB was up 3.98%, biggest gain since March 19.

Crude went up 5.5% at $67/bbl after dropping nearly 6% in the previous session.

Base metal recovered. Copper rose 4% to 10-month highs.

Lead went up 3%, Zinc gained 4% and Nickel up 5% to 10-month highs.

Gold was up 0.8% to $935/ounce and Silver rose 1.7% to $13.48/ounce.

Raw sugar made fresh 3-year high at 18.75cents/pound.

Market cues:

-FIIs net buy USD 28.7 million in equities on July 29
-MFs net sell Rs 292 crore in equities on July 29
-NSE F&O Aug series begins with Open Int of Rs 56,635 crore versus Rs 48,993 crore in July (16% higher)
-Value terms higher because Nifty has rallied 8% this series
-FIIs net buy Rs 367 crore in cash markets on July 30 (prov)
-DIIs net sell Rs 287 crore in cash markets on July 30 (prov)
-FIIs net sell Rs 339 crore in F&O on July 30

F&O cues:

-Initial Open Int July June
-Nifty Futures Open Int by Rs 10,552 crore versus Rs 9,069 crore
-Stock Futures Open Int Rs 22,135 crore versus Rs 19,861 crore
-Total Options Open Int Rs 23169 crore versus Rs 19,502 crore
-Market-wide rollover at 75% versus 77% last series
-Nifty Rollover at 69% versus 63% last series
-Nifty August futures trading at 1-point premium
-Strong Rollovers: Textiles (88%), Cement (85%), Power (85%)
-Weak Rollovers: Metals (71%), Sugar (72%), FMCG (75%)
-Nifty Open Int PCR starts at 0.95 (Same as last series beginning)
-Nifty Puts add 23.8 lakh, Calls add 21.9 lakh shares in Open Int
-Nifty Aug 4700 Call adds 7.3 lakh shares in Open Int
-Nifty Aug 4500 Put adds 5.3 lakh shares in Open Int
-Nifty Aug 4600 Call adds 5.2 lakh shares in Open Int
-Nifty Aug 5000 Call adds 3.7 lakh shares in Open Int