Samie Modak, Ishita Ayan Dutt

Stories by Samie Modak, Ishita Ayan Dutt

Market structure to face shorter IPO timeline test: Industry players

Market structure to face shorter IPO timeline test: Industry players

Rediff.com   18 Aug 2023

The shift to a shorter T+3 settlement cycle for initial public offerings (IPOs) will be a big test of the domestic market structure, requiring players in the ecosystem to work harder to meet the squeezed timelines, according to industry insiders. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), has announced that the transition to the T+3 cycle will be voluntary starting next month and mandatory from December 1. The new mechanism will necessitate quicker confirmations from banks and speedy verification of permanent account numbers (PANs) for all applicants.

Tata Steel to bid for iron ore mines ahead of expiry of leases in 2030

Tata Steel to bid for iron ore mines ahead of expiry of leases in 2030

Rediff.com   15 Aug 2023

Tata Steel has built an iron ore chest of nearly 600 million tonnes (mt) and will look for more as it prepares for life beyond 2030 when its legacy captive mines come up for auction. The lease for four of its existing iron ore mines -- Joda East, Noamundi, Katamati, and Khondbond -- that feed the domestic operation with low-cost iron ore is going to expire in 2030, following changes in mining regulations. The year will also coincide with Tata Steel's ambitious target of doubling steelmaking capacity in India to 40 mt, increasing the need for iron ore. The company is pushing the pedal to ensure that it has enough resources to meet enhanced needs.

After missing 1st shot at listing, firms re-file DRHPs with lower size

After missing 1st shot at listing, firms re-file DRHPs with lower size

Rediff.com   9 Aug 2023

Companies, which missed out on listing earlier, are giving it another shot but with significantly-reduced issue sizes. In the recent past, companies such as TVS Supply Chain Solutions, Suraj Estate Developers, and ESAF Small Finance Bank have re-filed their draft red herring prospectuses (DRHPs) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). This came after they slashed their issue sizes by 20-60 per cent.

'Pace of engagement with UK has picked up'

'Pace of engagement with UK has picked up'

Rediff.com   4 Aug 2023

'As Tata Steel we will obviously use group-level leverage to make progress where we want.'

'Steel prices have already bottomed out'

'Steel prices have already bottomed out'

Rediff.com   4 Aug 2023

'While lower steel prices may impact a part of the quarter, this will be offset by softer raw material prices.'

Jio Financial Services becomes India's most valued NBFC behind Bajaj twins

Jio Financial Services becomes India's most valued NBFC behind Bajaj twins

Rediff.com   28 Jul 2023

Jio Financial Services, a unit of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries (RIL), got valued at Rs 1.66 trillion ($20 billion) following an hour-long special trading session conducted by stock exchanges on Thursday. Shares of RIL's unit got priced at Rs 261.85 apiece - higher than analysts' expectations of Rs 134-224 per share. The price was arrived at after calculating the difference between RIL's Wednesday (July 19) close of Rs 2,840 and Rs 2,580, the price discovered during the first-of-its-kind pre-trade session.

Mind the gap as G-sec and Nifty earnings yield enters danger zone

Mind the gap as G-sec and Nifty earnings yield enters danger zone

Rediff.com   24 Jul 2023

Following a more than 15 per cent surge in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty 50 from this year's lows, the spread between the 10-year government security (G-sec) and the Nifty earnings has approached the danger zone of 2 percentage points (ppt). At present, the G-sec yield is roughly 7.09 per cent, while the Nifty earnings are 5.12 per cent. As a result, the spread works out to 1.98 ppt, ever so slightly below the danger mark of 2 ppt.

Stricter disclosure regime: FPIs to get breather for passive breaches

Stricter disclosure regime: FPIs to get breather for passive breaches

Rediff.com   19 Jul 2023

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) are likely to get a reprieve from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in case of a passive or unintended breach of the thresholds that trigger additional disclosure norms. According to sources, FPIs whose single group exposure exceeds 50 per cent of their corpus will get 10 trading days to bring down their exposure below the prescribed level, without triggering the stricter disclosure norms. If total equity exposure of an overseas fund exceeds Rs 25,000 crore and it doesn't wish to provide additional disclosures, it will have three months to pare its exposure.

Betting on India's growth, top steel firms in midst of big expansion plans

Betting on India's growth, top steel firms in midst of big expansion plans

Rediff.com   18 Jul 2023

On June 30, mining and metals giant Vedanta, announced that it had decided to initiate a strategic review of its steel and steel-making raw material businesses. The review would begin immediately and evaluate a broad range of options, including but not limited to a potential strategic sale of some or all of the steel businesses, the company said in its stock exchange filing. The signs have been there - approaches had been made to steel players over the past year. Last December, Anil Agarwal, chairman Vedanta group, told Business Standard that the steel plant capacity was about 3 million tonnes (mt).

Jolt for IPOs of some small finance banks

Jolt for IPOs of some small finance banks

Rediff.com   17 Jul 2023

Investor confidence in unlisted shares was shaken after recent developments that saw online drugstore PharmEasy issuing new shares in a rights issue at a 90 per cent discount to its previous valuations and Reliance Retail's move to buy back and cancel shares held by public investors. Both stocks were, at one time, very popular in the unlisted market, with canny investors cornering them with the objective of benefiting from their listing. "Since investors have suffered losses on both counts, they will be careful when it comes to dealing in shares of unlisted companies," observes a broker dealing in unlisted shares, adding that there will be some rationality to the pricing.

Merged HDFC Bank set to push Reliance off its perch as top weight

Merged HDFC Bank set to push Reliance off its perch as top weight

Rediff.com   10 Jul 2023

With Housing Development Finance Corporation's (HDFC's) merger with HDFC Bank becoming effective on July 1, the merged entity is set to become the top weight in the benchmarks S&P BSE Sensex and the National Stock Exchange Nifty indices, dislodging the country's most valuable company, Reliance Industries (RIL), from its perch. HDFC will stop trading after July 13. At present, RIL has a weighting of close to 12 per cent in the Sensex and 10.3 per cent in the broad-based Nifty. Meanwhile, HDFC Bank and HDFC have weights of 9.9 per cent and 6.8 per cent in the Sensex and 8.8 per cent and 6 per cent in the Nifty, respectively.

Nifty 500 vs S&P 500: India catches its breadth, even as US outruns it

Nifty 500 vs S&P 500: India catches its breadth, even as US outruns it

Rediff.com   10 Jul 2023

The US market has been a standout performer this year, with the benchmark Standard and Poor's 500 (or simply the S&P 500) gaining over 16 per cent during the first half of calendar year 2023 (CY23) in what was its best first-half show since 2019. By comparison, India's National Stock Exchange Nifty 500 has gained 6.4 per cent. On the surface, it appears that the US markets have done exceedingly well. However, a deeper analysis reveals the gains in the domestic market to be more well-spread.

As EVs rise in India, a requiem for Kolkata's electric trams

As EVs rise in India, a requiem for Kolkata's electric trams

Rediff.com   4 Jul 2023

Kolkata trams -- now in their 150th year -- are the last to survive modernity in Indian cities, writes Ishita Ayan Dutt.

FPI flows this year ride the coat-tails of ETFs, block deals

FPI flows this year ride the coat-tails of ETFs, block deals

Rediff.com   3 Jul 2023

After pulling out $17 billion in calendar year 2022, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have pumped $7.3 billion back into equity markets so far this year. The turnaround in foreign flows has helped domestic markets exceed the all-time highs chalked up in December 2022 and bounced back more than 10 per cent from this year's lows. However, a big nugget of FPI inflows seen this year could be off the back of two factors: exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and block deals.

All You Wanted to Know About Gift Nifty Index

All You Wanted to Know About Gift Nifty Index

Rediff.com   30 Jun 2023

Gift Nifty will provide Indian investors cues on how domestic markets could react to global events.

'Next 10-20 years are going to be India's golden years'

'Next 10-20 years are going to be India's golden years'

Rediff.com   19 Jun 2023

'Even where we are now today, the growth rates are very good, but we need to get to 8-9 per cent growth in the years to come.'

Reading the tea leaves: Low production stirs chai industry's teapot

Reading the tea leaves: Low production stirs chai industry's teapot

Rediff.com   13 Jun 2023

The tea industry's cup of woes brimmeth - scanty rainfall and pest attacks have dragged down production in May, prices are lower than last year, and demand from some export markets is muted. Production in North Bengal - comprising the Dooars, Terai, and Darjeeling - is majorly affected; parts of Assam are also hit. Arijit Raha, secretary general, Indian Tea Association (ITA), said that the Tea Board numbers for April show a crop loss of about 9 per cent for North Bengal, compared to last year.

More than skin-deep: Nifty Next 50 complexion to get a shade of difference

More than skin-deep: Nifty Next 50 complexion to get a shade of difference

Rediff.com   12 Jun 2023

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty Next 50 Index could undergo large-scale changes if the proposed tweaks to its computation methodology get implemented. In a discussion paper floated recently, NSE Indices, which owns and manages a portfolio of over 350 indices under the Nifty brand, proposed that only stocks that are traded in the futures and options (F&O) segment can be part of the index. Currently, as many as 11 non-F&O stocks are part of the Nifty Next 50 Index, which, as the name suggests, represents the next rung of large and liquid securities after the Nifty50.

Howrah Bridge Heads For Health Check-up

Howrah Bridge Heads For Health Check-up

Rediff.com   2 Jun 2023

'We need to find out whether any structural element has got fatigue.' 'We want to increase the lifespan of the bridge.'

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.