Samie Modak &Amp; Krishna Kant

Stories by Samie Modak &Amp; Krishna Kant

RIL lags as markets near new highs; investors fret over rising debt

RIL lags as markets near new highs; investors fret over rising debt

Rediff.com   6 Jun 2023

Reliance Industries (RIL) was the top-performing index stock on Friday (May 26) and closed the day with gains of 2.8 per cent, against a 1 per cent rise in the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex during the day. RIL's performance on the bourses on Friday was, however, an exception, and the stock has struggled to beat the broader market for nearly two years now. The company's share price is currently at the same level as in September 2021, while the benchmark index is up 6 per cent in the period.

Govt to earn record dividend of Rs 13,800 crore from PSBs for FY23

Govt to earn record dividend of Rs 13,800 crore from PSBs for FY23

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2023

The government is set to earn an equity dividend of nearly Rs 13,800 crore from the listed public-sector banks (PSBs), all 12 of them, for FY23, up 50 per cent from Rs 9,210 crore in FY22. This will be the highest ever dividend for the government from PSBs. The 12 PSBs in our sample are paying an equity dividend of nearly Rs 21,000 crore for FY23, up 53 per cent from Rs 13,710 crore for FY22.

Banks shine brightest in otherwise pale FY23 for India Inc

Banks shine brightest in otherwise pale FY23 for India Inc

Rediff.com   2 Jun 2023

The banking sector emerged as an outlier when the rest of India Inc witnessed a slowdown in earnings in FY23. The combined net profit of listed public and private sector banks was up 39.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) last financial year and their share in India's gross value added (GVA) or gross domestic product (GDP) at factor cost rose to a record high of nearly 1 per cent up, from 0.8 per cent a year ago. Listed banks' combined net profit grew to Rs 2.36 trillion in FY23, from Rs 1.69 trillion a year ago. In comparison, India GVA at current prices was up 15.2 per cent YoY at Rs 247 trillion in FY23; it was around Rs 214 trillion a year ago.

Bourses push Sebi to allow longer F&O hours amid Gift Nifty launch

Bourses push Sebi to allow longer F&O hours amid Gift Nifty launch

Rediff.com   1 Jun 2023

Close on heels of the launch of Gift Nifty (earlier SGX Nifty), domestic exchanges are pushing for extension of trading hours for the onshore derivatives market, said sources. Bourses are waiting for a final approval from market regulator Sebi on the proposal to keep the derivatives market open for longer hours, they said. The move is aimed at attracting more trading members for onshore futures and options (F&O) contracts amid risk that global investors could prefer trading at Gift City given the tax benefits.

Combined revenue of listed Tata group's firms tops Rs 10 trillion

Combined revenue of listed Tata group's firms tops Rs 10 trillion

Rediff.com   29 May 2023

Led by Tata Motors and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the combined revenue of the Tata group's listed firms crossed the Rs 10-trillion mark for the first time, in 2022-23. The group's 14 key listed companies in which Tata Sons holds a direct equity stake reported a combined revenue of Rs 10.07 trillion in FY23, up 15.3 per cent from Rs 8.73 trillion in FY22. The combined net profit of these companies was, however, down 10.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) at Rs 66,670 crore in FY23, from a record high of Rs 74,540 crore in the previous financial year, when the profit had jumped 156 per cent YoY, aided by Tata Steel's strong showing.

US recession 'imminent', time to book profits, says BofA Securities

US recession 'imminent', time to book profits, says BofA Securities

Rediff.com   29 May 2023

Boom, bust or a bit of both: as the jury bides time before ruling on the US 'recession', the economy's vital signs at a perplexing time of high-interest rates, still-punishing inflation, and surprisingly strong economic gains are a study of a growing debate over whether the world's largest economy is barrelling into a new downturn. With the US Federal Reserve's (Fed's) inflation fighters attempting the risky pursuit of 'pillow-soft landings' and its economy sending out mixed signals, if there is indeed a recession, it could spell trouble for domestic equities and corporate earnings growth.

Colocation case: NSE receives Rs 300 crore from Sebi

Colocation case: NSE receives Rs 300 crore from Sebi

Rediff.com   24 May 2023

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has received Rs 300 crore from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) following relief from the Supreme Court (SC), which is hearing an appeal by the market regulator in the colocation case. The court on March 20 asked Sebi to return Rs 300 crore to the NSE from the Rs 1,107 crore the exchange had deposited as part of the disgorgement in the case. The NSE had given an undertaking that it will return the entire amount to Sebi if the latter wins its appeal before the SC.

A year after listing, LIC scorecard lacks lustre

A year after listing, LIC scorecard lacks lustre

Rediff.com   24 May 2023

State-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which completes one year of its listing on Tuesday, presents a sorry scorecard as far as its stock market performance goes. Shares of the insurance behemoth are down 40 per cent over their issue price of Rs 949 to Rs 567 apiece. The Sensex, on the other hand, has risen 14 per cent in the past one year.

Tata Sons set to earn record dividend worth nearly Rs 33,350 cr in FY23

Tata Sons set to earn record dividend worth nearly Rs 33,350 cr in FY23

Rediff.com   24 May 2023

Thanks to a big payout by the group's cash cow, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Sons is set to earn a record-high equity dividend worth nearly Rs 33,350 crore from the group's listed companies for FY23, up 130 per cent from Rs 14,529 crore in FY22. Nearly 90 per cent of this, or around Rs 30,500 crore, is estimated to accrue to Tata Sons while the rest will show up in its profit & loss account for FY24. This is because nearly 80 per cent of the dividend payout by TCS for FY23 was done before the end of the financial year through three quarterly interim instalments and a special one in January this year.

TCS, HZL, CIL boost India Inc's dividend payout to record Rs 2.3 trillion

TCS, HZL, CIL boost India Inc's dividend payout to record Rs 2.3 trillion

Rediff.com   18 May 2023

Corporate India continues to be generous in rewarding its shareholders with big dividend payouts. This is especially true for shareholders of companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Hindustan Zinc (HZL), and Coal India (CIL) which are seen as cash cows of large business groups and the government. Boosted by a big payout by these three companies, the combined equity dividend payout by listed companies was up 38 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to a record high of Rs 2.27 trillion in 2022-23 (FY23), compared with Rs 1.65 trillion in 2021-22 (FY22).

Vedanta's record dividend to parent strains company's balance sheet

Vedanta's record dividend to parent strains company's balance sheet

Rediff.com   15 May 2023

Vedanta Limited (Vedanta) helping its parent and group holding company Vedanta Resources to deleverage its balance sheet has started to strain its balance sheet. Vedanta's gross debt (consolidated) was up 24.3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in FY23 and reached a six-year high of Rs 66,628 crore by the end of March. Similarly, its net debt went up 20.3 per cent YoY to Rs 45,706 crore at the end of FY23, up from Rs 38,228 crore a year ago; it was the highest since FY20.

Warring sibling promoters put Hikal's future at stake, says InGovern

Warring sibling promoters put Hikal's future at stake, says InGovern

Rediff.com   15 May 2023

The infighting between the two promoters of Hikal-Baba Kalyani and sister Sugandha Hiremath-has put the company's growth at stake, InGovern has said in a note. The corporate governance firm has called for a change in the management and an overhaul of its board to protect the interest of minority shareholders, who own almost a third of the specialty chemicals company. The Kalyani and Hiremath families are mired in a legal dispute, with the latter seeking transfer of ownership of shares held by the Kalyani group, citing nearly three-decade old family arrangement.

Go First Losses Hurt Wadia Group

Go First Losses Hurt Wadia Group

Rediff.com   12 May 2023

The growing mismatch between Go First's losses and other group companies' profits was making it tough for the group to fund the losses of the airline venture.

Small- and mid-cap shares raced ahead of large caps in April

Small- and mid-cap shares raced ahead of large caps in April

Rediff.com   8 May 2023

With markets getting back their mojo after four months, small- and mid-cap shares raced ahead of large caps in April. The Nifty Smallcap 100 index surged 7.5 per cent - its biggest monthly advance in 10 months - and outperformed the benchmark Nifty 50 index by 350 basis points. The Nifty Midcap 100 index soared 5.9 per cent, most since August.

IFSC relaxation may boost trade in foreign stocks at the GIFT City

IFSC relaxation may boost trade in foreign stocks at the GIFT City

Rediff.com   8 May 2023

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) decision on Wednesday to relax restrictions on banks operating in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) related to the repatriation of idle funds in foreign currency accounts (FCA) could give a fillip to trading in foreign stocks at the GIFT City.

Low exposure to Adani stocks tilts active vs passive debate

Low exposure to Adani stocks tilts active vs passive debate

Rediff.com   2 May 2023

Actively managed mutual fund (MF) schemes had been at the receiving end over the past few years for their inability to beat their benchmarks. However, the slump in shares of Adani Group companies - two of which are part of the benchmark National Stock Exchange Nifty50 index - have helped them improve their performance vis--vis exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or index funds.

Earnings boost lifts early bird results; profit up 15.2% in March quarter

Earnings boost lifts early bird results; profit up 15.2% in March quarter

Rediff.com   1 May 2023

The early bird results for the January-March quarter of 2022-23 (Q4FY23) show a pick-up in earnings growth, despite a slowdown in revenue growth, thanks to a decline in input costs and lower provisioning for bad loans by banks. The combined net profit of 66 companies that have, so far, declared their quarterly results was up 15.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in Q4FY23, an improvement from 4.3 per cent YoY growth in Q3. Net sales growth of these companies, however, slowed down to 11.5 per cent YoY in January-March 2023, the slowest rate in eight quarters.

Mutual fund investors show bias towards riskier small-cap-oriented schemes

Mutual fund investors show bias towards riskier small-cap-oriented schemes

Rediff.com   28 Apr 2023

Notwithstanding sharp volatility in March, mutual fund (MF) investors didn't fight shy of investing in riskier small-cap-oriented schemes. Inflows into small-cap funds were not just the highest in absolute terms, they were also the maximum as a proportion of assets under management (AUM) among all market capitalisation (m-cap)-oriented categories. Investors funnelled Rs 2,430 crore down small-cap funds - 1.8 per cent of their AUM of Rs 1.33 trillion.

NSE Indices tweaks methodology before RIL-Jio financial demerger

NSE Indices tweaks methodology before RIL-Jio financial demerger

Rediff.com   27 Apr 2023

NSE Indices on Wednesday changed the methodology for handling schemes of demerger involving index constituents. The index provider said a company undergoing demerger would now be retained in its indices. The move comes ahead of the proposed demerger of Reliance Industries' (RIL's) financial services arm. Under the rules prevailing thus far, RIL -- which has the highest weighting among the 50 Nifty components -- would have been required to be removed from the index, resulting in a churn by funds tracking the Nifty index.

IT sector weighting in Nifty50 at 5-year low of 12.2%

IT sector weighting in Nifty50 at 5-year low of 12.2%

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2023

The recent sell-off in IT stocks such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has resulted in a sharp decline in the IT sector weighting in the Nifty50 index. The sector's weighting in the index has slipped to a five-year low of 12.2 per cent, down from the 17.7 per cent at the end of March 2022. The top IT companies - TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Tech Mahindra - accounted for 13.6 per cent of the index at the end of March this year.