So, what does 2016 have in store for the Indian markets? Will they be able to take a giant leap forward in the leap year, and what are the key risks?
'Somebody was using somebody to make statements that will stir the stock market and lead to a surge.' 'A sudden surge and a sudden crash is always an ideal situation for people to make illicit gains and then siphoning off the money.'
After a sharp sell-off in the past two months, overseas investors were once again seen turning bullish on Indian equities. FIIs bought shares worth Rs 63.5 billion in the past five sessions, their highest weekly investment tally in many months.
Trading in Samvat 2074 on Thursday got off to a rocky start, with the benchmark indices ending more than half a percent lower and the gauge for banking stocks dropping 1.25%.
Investors shunned shares of oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Friday as they feared that the government's decision to cut retail prices of petrol and diesel could hurt the companies' profit margins in the near term. On Thursday, the government announced that OMCs will reduce pump prices of petrol and diesel after a record 22 months, making them cheaper by Rs 2 per litre in the national capital. The changes were effective from Friday.
Except RIL and CIL, the remaining eight companies among the top 10 witnessed slump in their m-cap
Bajaj Finserv was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 4.57 per cent, followed by Infosys, TCS, Sun Pharma, HCL Tech, HUL, Dr Reddy's, HDFC and Reliance Industries. NSE Nifty plunged 181.40 points to 17,757.00.
The 30-share BSE benchmark jumped 533.74 points or 0.91 per cent to 59,299.32. During the day, it zoomed 783.24 points to 59,548.82.
Yes Bank led the laggard's list on the Sensex with a nearly 10 per cent drop after Moody's Investors Service downgraded the private sector lender's ratings. Other top losers were SBI, IndusInd Bank, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra and HDFC.
SBI was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding around 3 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finserv, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance and Axis Bank. Nifty fell 143.60 points to 17,873.60.
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
Seven consecutive sessions of decline in the equity market has eroded the wealth of investors by a whopping Rs 10.42 lakh crore and the benchmark Sensex has tumbled more than 2,000 points during this period. Concerns over more rate hikes by developed economies, weak global equity markets and fresh foreign fund outflows from the domestic market have dented investor sentiments. On Monday, the BSE Sensex dropped 175.58 points or 0.30 per cent to end at 59,288.35 points, marking a decline for seven straight trading sessions.
Nearly 400 stocks hit their 52-week low on BSE on Thursday.
No let-up in selling by foreign investors amid profit-booking at higher levels.
FMCG major ITC and private banking major ICICI Bank were the top Sensex losers
The rupee on Monday plunged to a two-week low of 66.61 by falling 47 paise against the US dollar on heavy demand for the American currency from importers.
On the Sensex chart, Reliance Industries fell 5.36 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, HCL Tech, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement and PowerGrid - dropping as much as 4.72 per cent. Among the gainers were Axis Bank, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Auto, Bajaj FinServ, HDFC Bank and Dr Reddy's.
Asia's falling stocks have triggered an exodus of funds from the region.
Stock markets crashed over 1,000 points or nearly 4 per cent on Monday, making it the biggest fall since 2008.
'The Fed rate will peak in the range of 5.1-5.3 per cent during the second quarter of CY23 and will most likely stay there for a while before rate cuts start in CY24.'
IndusInd Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 3 per cent, followed by Tata Steel, Bajaj Auto, HCL Tech, Sun Pharma and Tech Mahindra. On the other hand, HDFC twins and Bajaj Finance were the gainers.
Investors' wealth on Tuesday jumped by over Rs 2.51 lakh crore, in tandem with a sharp recovery in equities after four days of heavy declines. The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a weak note and tumbled 581.93 points or 1.10 per cent to 52,260.82 during the day amid firming oil prices and relentless selling by foreign institutional investors. Amid bouts of volatility, the benchmark touched a high of 53,484.26 and a low of 52,260.82 during the trade. It finally settled at 53,424.09, higher by 581.34 points or 1.10 per cent.
Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty cut short their four-day gaining streak to close lower by half a per cent on Wednesday due to profit-taking in banking oil and metal stocks amid weak trends in global markets.
Bajaj Auto was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, tumbling around 6 per cent, followed by M&M, Reliance Industries (RIL), Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, SBI, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank. NSE Nifty tumbled 162.60 points or 1.36 per cent to 11,767.75.
The automobile segment is our preferred area, and old favourites such as Tata Motors, Bajaj and Maruti Suzuki continue to entice us.
The rupee has been under immense pressure due to a host of reasons including soaring crude oil prices, sustained foreign fund outflows and widening current account deficit.
Equity benchmarks pared initial gains to end lower on Friday, recording their third day of decline, amid weak trend in IT counters. The 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 452.90 points or 0.75 per cent to settle at 59,900.37. During the day, it tanked 683.36 points or 1.13 per cent to 59,669.91.
Benchmark indices failed to hold on to early gains and closed in the red for the seventh straight session on Thursday, with participants remaining in wait-and-watch mode ahead of the RBI's interest rate decision. Unabated selling by foreign funds added to the pressure, though a modest recovery in the rupee cushioned the fall, traders said. After rallying in early trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex came under selling pressure in the afternoon session and closed 188.32 points or 0.33 per cent lower at 56,409.96.
From the 30-share pack, Sun Pharma, TCS, Tech Mahindra, NTPC, Wipro, UltraTech Cement, Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Infosys were the major gainers, jumping up to 3.99 per cent. In contrast, Tata Steel, Nestle, Titan Company, PowerGrid, Reliance Industries Limited and State Bank of India were among the laggards.
The India growth story is still intact, and fall in the Indian stock markets is an imported one and if the government succeeds in legislating the GST and Land Bill, India could yet emerge as a winner believe stock market experts
Reliance Industries was the only stock which defied the broader market trend
'Is the Agniveer scheme or their post-retirement re-employment in paramilitary forces or in the state governments the BJP's answer to the crying need on the job front?' 'Or, even Finance Minister Sitharaman's one-year internship scheme in the public and private sector, is it a permanent solution, either?', asks N Sathiya Moorthy.
BSE Mid-cap index ended lower by over 2.5% and BSE Small-cap index tumbled over 3%.
Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled over 273 points on Tuesday, tracking losses in index majors Reliance Industries, Dr Reddy's and Axis Bank amid a massive selloff in Chinese markets. Despite opening on a positive note, the 30-share BSE index turned red to end 273.51 points or 0.52 per cent lower at 52,578.76, while the broader NSE Nifty fell 78 points or 0.49 per cent to 15,746.45. Dr Reddy's was the top loser in the Sensex pack, plunging over 10 per cent, after the company reported s 36 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 380.4 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, on account of higher expenses.
Fresh dollar demand from banks and importers amidst volatile equities triggered the fall
The Adani group stocks continued to remain under pressure on Friday, falling up to 20 per cent in morning trade, after the US-based investment research firm Hindenburg Research made damaging allegations. Shares of Adani Total Gas plummeted 19.65 per cent, Adani Transmission tumbled 19 per cent, Adani Green Energy plunged 15.50 per cent and Adani Enterprises tanked 6.19 per cent on the BSE. Also, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone fell 5.31 per cent, Adani Wilmar dipped 5 per cent and Adani Power declined 4.99 per cent.
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty buckled under selling pressure after a nine-session rally on Monday, as massive sell-off in IT, tech and telecom counters unnerved investors.
The broader Nifty closed at 11,993.05, falling by 233.60 points, or 1.91 per cent. On the Sensex chart, Bajaj Finance was the top loser, dropping 4.63 per cent, followed by SBI, IndusInd Bank, Maruti, HDFC, Hero MotoCorp, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and RIL
Equity indices failed to hold on to their gains in see-saw trade on Tuesday, ending in the red for the third straight session despite a tentative recovery in global equities. The rupee too bounced back from historic lows, but the overall sentiment remained risk-averse amid concerns over economic recovery in a high interest rate scenario. The 30-share BSE Sensex had a choppy start but gained momentum in mid-session trade. However, it succumbed to selling pressure towards the fag end to close 105.82 points or 0.19 per cent lower at 54,364.85. On similar lines, the broader NSE Nifty declined 61.80 points or 0.38 per cent to finish at 16,240.05.