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Regular
Megabucks & Microcredit
At all-time high, markets celebrate an early Diwali
MUMBAI, OCT 13: The stock market seems to have already gone into celebration mode, a week ahead of Diwali. The 30-share Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) breached the previous all-time high level and closed at a new peak of 12,736.42 points.
The week couldn’t have ended on a better note as on a day when India's inflation rate breached the 5%-mark to touch a three-month high of 5.16%, the benchmark Sensex almost scored a double ton. Marketmen did not expect the Sensex to scale a new peak so swiftly. They hoped the benchmark index to cross the previous high level of May 10 around Diwali, which falls on October 21.
The Sensex gained 198.44 points to close at 12,736.42. This is the first time ever the index has moved past the 12,700-mark. The previous closing high was 12,612.38, recorded on May 10, 2006. The broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) ended the day at 3,676.05, up 55 points. However, this is not the all-time high closing for the broader index, which closed at 3,754 on May 10, 2006.
Technology, banking and infrastructure-related stocks were seen shining bright on Friday even as impressive corporate numbers kept pouring in. The index has rallied smartly in the recent past, after touching a low of 8,929 on June 14, 2006.
Provisional figures showed that FIIs were net buyers at nearly Rs 1,000 crore in the cash segment. However, the recent past has witnessed more inflows from the domestic fund houses than foreign investors.
Technology has been the main driving force behind the Sensex rally, and Friday also witnessed tech majors like Infosys Technologies, Wipro Ltd, TCS and Satyam Computers registering impressive gains. In fact, BSE IT and BSE Teck have been the best performing indices in the period between June 14 and October 13, 2006 during which the benchmark Sensex moved from a low of 8,929 to a high of 12,736.
Kunj Bansal, CIO, Religare Securities, said, "With this new high, a lot of buying interest will be witnessed. I think there is still a little upside possible from the current levels as the quarterly numbers have just started to arrive."
Nirmal Jain, CMD, India Infoline said, “The stock markets, which are trading at around 16-17 times current years earnings, are not expensive. Corporate earnings flowing in indicate a strong performance once again.”
Sensex riding on corporate earnings: Chidambaram
Finance minister P Chidambaram attributed the strong rally in the stock market to better corporate earnings and declining global oil prices. It could also be a belated reaction to Infosys’ results and expectations of higher earnings from other corporates, he said.
The latest rise in the inflation rate to 5.16% for the week-ended September 30, would not put pressure on interest rates, Chidambaram said. “There is ample liquidity in the system,” Chidambaram said, when asked if the surge in inflation would result in higher rates.
“Inflation will hover between 4% and 5% if supply side constraint persists. The constraints will be addressed once the new sugar, new wheat come in,” the minister said.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_f...tent_id=143408
Last edited by santosh tiwari; 14 Oct 06, at 08:42.
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Regular
Investor Wealth Soars to Rs 32,000,000,000,000
MUMBAI, OCT 13: Friday the 13th proved lucky for investors in Indian equities. After the freefall that pulled the Sensex down to a year’s low on June 14, it has taken four months to more than recover the losses.
The total market capitalisation of the BSE on Friday rose 40.8%, or a hefty Rs 9,26,473 crore, to Rs 31,97,357 crore since June 14, when the Sensex hit its low of 8,929.44.
The slow but steady recovery has been possible due to a massive rise of 3,806.98 points (42.63%) in the BSE 30-share Sensex since its lowest this year.
An industry-wise analysis of m-cap shows tyres (93.64%), construction (76.35%), entertainment (57.01%), diversified (58.23%) and cement (56.94%) sectors were the best performers between June 14 and October 13.
Ved Prakash Chaturvedi, managing director, Tata Asset Management said, “The new heights reflect a good performance by companies.” While the macro outlook remains good given the buoyant liquidity, the decline in oil prices and expectation of softer interest rates, the performance of companies will determine the future trend, he added.
The m-cap of the A group (198 companies) gained 40.33% from Rs 18,00,967 crore on June 14, 2006 to Rs 25,27,378 crore. Among A group companies, the highest increase in m-cap was registered by Polaris Software Lab (147.5%), followed by Escorts (140.7%) and Sterlite Optical (113.9%).
Reliance Industries, the numero uno in terms of m-cap, increased its value by Rs 46,113 crore. Another heavyweight stock, Indian Oil, added Rs 28,318 crore to its m-cap during the same period. ONGC ’s m-cap, the second largest, also increased Rs 23,699 crore in four months.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_f...tent_id=143410
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Regular
India, EU to sign the biggest trade deal
HELSINKI, OCTOBER 13: Giving a major push to their strategic partnership, India and the 25-nation European Union (EU) decided to sign a Trade and Investment Agreement, a comprehensive pact that will cover a vast spectrum of sectors.
The India-EU Summit, attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to launch negotiations on the agreement, accepting a report of the High-Level Group of businessmen set up last year.
http://www.financialexpress.com/late...tent_id=143349
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Regular
Air Deccan Talks to States for Cheaper Airports
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 13: Leading no-frills carrier Air Deccan today said it was in talks with infrastructure developer GMR Group, the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka governments for constructing low cost airports.
"We are in preliminary discussion with GMR Group asking them to build low cost airports," Air Deccan Managing Director Capt G R Gopinath told reporters in a video conference from Bangalore
He, however, clarified that the airline would not be participating financially in the develpoment of such low cost airports.
"We will assure direct daily connections to these places," he said.
Gopinath also said he had approached Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Governments to build airports for low cost carriers in these states.
"Our officials have met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and expressed our views on the need for low cost airports and submittted a master plan," he said.
The Andhra government has in principle agreed to develop three such airports in the state.
"Our request to them was to treat it (the airport) as state subject. Within six to 12 months they should be able to put these airports," he added.
A similar proposal was also mooted to the Karnataka government, he said, adding that the airline executives would meet the state government officials in this regard next week.
Gopinath said he also met with Left party leader Nilotpal Basu for the revival of Cooch Behar airport, although he has not met the West Bengal Chief Minister.
http://www.financialexpress.com/late...tent_id=143344
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Regular
PM Asks European Cos to Tap Indian SEZs
HELSINKI, OCTOBER 13: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited European companies to explore "expanded opportunities" in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being created in India.
Addressing the India-EU Summit here, he strongly disapproved of restrictive visa regimes, saying these can "stifle" the potential of business and trade cooperation between the two sides.
Singh assured that the interests of foreign companies with regard to further liberalisation of foreign direct investment in areas like telecommunication and retail, improvement of infrastructure, opening up India's financial sector and relaxation of labour laws was receiving the attention of his government.
http://www.financialexpress.com/late...tent_id=143346
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Regular
Inflation rise not to put pressure on rates:FM
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 13: The Government said the rise in inflation to 5.16 per cent will not put pressure on interest rates as there is ample liquidity in the economy and inflation would moderate once fresh sugar and wheat supplies arrive.
"Inflation will hover between 4-5 per cent if supply side constraint persists," Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters.
Medium term moderations in inflation will set in only when supply constraints are addressed, he said.
"The constraints will be addressed once the new sugar, new wheat come in," he said.
When asked whether inflation which crossed the 5 per cent mark for the week ended September 30 will put pressure on interest rates, he said, "No.. it would not as there is ample liquidity in the system."
The government's intention is to bring down inflation below 4 per cent the Finance Minister had said earlier.
The Reserve Bank is due to come out with the quarterly review of the Monetary Policy later this month.
Chidambaram said that inflation crossed 5 per cent because of fuel and lighting components.
"We are trying to find out the reasons behind price rise of these components as they generally do not vary so much," he said.
The prices of the two components rose during the week ended September 30 compared to corresponding figures last year, due to the rise in prices of the two components which, was a little exaggerated since the prices rose on a declining base last year.
http://www.financialexpress.com/late...tent_id=143343
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Regular
PM lures Europeans to invest in infrastructure
HELSINKI, OCTOBER 12: Portraying India as an attractive, safe and profitable business destination, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited European firms to invest in the country's core sectors that require a massive 320 billion dollars over the next five years.
"We need to do much more in the field of infrastructure and improve its all-round availability and quality," he told industrialists at the India-EU Business Summit.
Singh specifically identified areas like infrastructure, manufacturing, knowledge services and retail as opportunities for foreign investors.
"The present level of bilateral economic engagement is far below potential," he told the European business community in the presence of Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen whose country is the current chair of EU.
Though EU remains India's largest trading partner with bilateral engagement of about 40 billion dollars, FDI inflows from the 25-nation bloc was meagre at 375 million dollars in 2005 compared to 451 million dollars a year before.
Singh noted his government was giving thrust on increased private sector participation in public works, including highways, ports, and power sector, besides telecommunications.
"I invite European firms to participate actively in the infrastructure boom in India, a sector in which about 320 billion USD will be required over the next five years," he said.
http://www.financialexpress.com/late...tent_id=143239
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Regular
India to be a leader in innovation, IT
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 12: Most Americans recognise the rising influence of India and China and believe New Delhi would gain on Washington in terms of influence in the world in the next ten years, a study by a US-based think-tank has said.
According to a survey released by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Indians view their influence in the world and in Asia as ahead of China and second only to United States.
Indians view themselves as a leader in developing new products and technologies, behind only the United States, a Chicago Council release said.
In ten years, Indians see themselves as gaining on the United States in terms of influence in the world and as an innovation leader, but do not believe they would equal or surpass the United States, it said.
The release, however, did not mention the sample size of the survey or the time period during which it was conducted.
"The survey findings couldn't be clearer--Americans do not want to retreat to an isolationist foreign policy," Marshall Bouton, President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, was quoted as saying in the release.
The survey claimed that 56 per cent of Indians who responded would like to see their country play a greater role in world affairs than it does currently compared to 87 per cent Chinese.
Similarly, more than 60 per cent of Indians see the prospect of becoming more powerful economically and militarily as mainly positive, the release said.
http://www.financialexpress.com/late...tent_id=143237
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Regular
Montek revises 11th Plan growth target to 9%
NEW DELHI, OCT 13: With core areas like infrastructure and agriculture expected to grow at 4% each in the next five years, The Planning Commission has revised the economic growth target for the 11th Plan upwards to 9%. Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had earlier talked about a growth target between 9-10%, depending on the performance of the agriculture sector and the growth of infrastructure and the social sector.
The draft approach paper had earlier mentioned that additional policy initiatives would be imperative to raise the average growth rate in the 11th Plan to somewhere between 8-9%.
To accelerate growth rate to 9% during the next Plan, India will need to increase the total investment rate from the present 29.1% to 35.1% of the GDP. This, however, is much lower than the investment rates in China, which saves 45% of its GDP compared with India’s 30%, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told FE.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to fill the critical gap in infrastructure and agriculture. Growth in these two sectors should help us achieve 9% growth in the next Plan period,” Ahluwalia told FE.
The focus of the government in the 11th Plan would continue to be on infrastructure, agriculture, and social sectors like education and health, Ahluwalia said, adding not much change had been made in the draft approach paper to the 11th Plan but for the upward revision of the growth target. The full Planning Commission will meet on October 18 to discuss the draft approach paper, which will then be sent to the Cabinet. After that the paper has to be presented before the National Development Council for final approval and adoption.
Ahluwalia said the National Development Council meeting could be held in November. But the exact date for the NDC meeting will be subject to the winter session of Parliament that begins some time in November.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too had emphasized upon increasing investment for infrastructure development and said removing deficit in infrastructure was imperative to achieve GDP growth of 9-10% at a meeting on infrastructure development.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_f...tent_id=143365
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Senior Contributor