Consumer stocks remain the biggest laggard on the bourses. The Nify50 weighting of FMCG stocks declined to a decade low of 9.9 per cent at the end of March this year, down 150 basis points from 11.4 per cent a year ago. At their peak in March 2013, major FMCG stocks, such as Hindustan Unilever, ITC, and Asian Paints, together accounted for 15 per cent of the Nifty50. But now together with automobile stocks, the consumer goods sector accounts for only 14.7 per cent of the index, down 200 basis points in the past 12 months and 37 per cent from the record high weighting of 23.4 per cent at the end of March 2014.
Three PSUs, three private firms join bid to acquire 40% stake in Haldia Petrochem.
ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 13 per cent, followed by HCL Tech, Hero MotoCorp, NTPC, TCS, M&M, Infosys and Maruti. NSE Nifty soared 306.55 points, or 3.21 per cent, to 9,859.90.
'The Fire and Fury Corps is the only formation of the Indian Army and also in the world to have actually deployed mechanised forces in such harsh terrain. The maintenance of the tanks, infantry combat vehicles and heavy guns is a challenge in this terrain. To ensure crew and equipment readiness, adequate arrangements are in place for both man and machine'
Other losers included Maruti, HDFC, Hero MotoCorp, Sun Pharma, HUL, Kotak Bank, Coal India, RIL, TCS and Bharti Airtel, shedding up to 3.39 per cent.
Nestle India was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.20 per cent, on its first day as part of the index.
After Air India, Britain's Cairn Energy PLC plans to target assets of state-owned firms and banks in countries from the US to Singapore as it looks to ramp up efforts to recover the amount due from the Indian government after winning an arbitration against levy of retrospective taxes. A lawyer representing the company said Cairn will bring lawsuits in several countries to make state-owned firms liable to pay the $1.2 billion plus interest and penalties that are due from the Indian government. Last month, Cairn brought a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York pleading that Air India is controlled by the Indian government so much that they are 'alter egos' and the airline should be held liable for the arbitration award.
All Sensex components ended on a positive note with IndusInd Bank surging over 22 per cent, followed by Axis Bank, Mahindra and Mahindra, ICICI Bank, HUL, Maruti, HCL Tech and Hero MotoCorp.
Top gainers in the Sensex pack included HCL Tech, Tata Motors, M&M, Bajaj Auto, RIL, Hero MotoCorp, Yes Bank, Maruti, HDFC Bank and Bajaj Finance, which surged up to 6.43 per cent.
The Vedanta group on Wednesday confirmed putting in a preliminary expression of interest (EoI) for buying the government's stake in Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL).
Adani is the fastest growing energy company in Asia-Pacific and the second fastest in the world
India-born billionaire Lakshmi N Mittal's proposed Rs 3,365 crore investment in Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd's Bhatinda refinery in Punjab will have to wait for government approval as the Cabinet did not take up the issue on May 24.
Britain's Cairn Energy has secured a French court order to seize 20 Indian govt properties to recover arbitration award, it is learnt.
Top losers in the Sensex pack included IndusInd Bank, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, Axis Bank, Kotak Bank, Bajaj Auto, Yes Bank, HCL Tech, HUL and Hero MotoCorp, falling up to 4.36 per cent.
The rally was mainly driven by financial, consumer durables, auto and oil and gas stocks.
Amazon's rivalry in India with oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries looks set to head to the cricket field, where they will likely battle media heavyweights for telecast rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) with its hundreds of millions of viewers.
Bajaj Finance was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, slumping over 10 per cent, followed by M&M, Titan, Hero MotoCorp, ICICI Bank and Tech Mahindra. On the other hand, L&T, Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, UltraTech Cements and NTPC were among the gainers.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, Research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp and GAIL (India) Ltd's equity in two gas rich offshore blocks in Myanmar have been cut following Myanmar's national oil company exercising its 'step-in' rights in the fields, gas from where will be sold to China.
Mahindra and Mahindra was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging over 16 per cent, followed by Maruti, Titan, Bajaj Finance, HDFC, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp. On the other hand, HUL, Tech Mahindra, IndusInd Bank and Nestle were the laggards.
The government is keen to close the sale before March 31, 2021, to help meet a record Rs 2.1 lakh crore target which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has set from divestment proceeds in the Budget for 2020-21.
UK's Cairn Energy Plc plans to bring lawsuits in the US and other countries to pierce the corporate veil between the Indian government and its owned companies such as in oil and gas, shipping, airline and banking sectors, to seize their overseas assets to recover $1.2 billion ordered by an international arbitration tribunal. The firm has moved courts in the US, UK, Canada, France, Singapore, the Netherlands and three other countries to register the December 2020 arbitration tribunal ruling that overturned the Indian government's Rs 10,247 crore demand in back taxes and ordered New Delhi to return $1.2 billion in value of shares it had sold, dividends seized and tax refunds withheld to recover the tax demand. With the government so far refusing to honour the arbitration award and instead choosing to challenge it, Cairn is looking to enforce it by seizing overseas Indian assets, Dennis Hranitzky, head of the sovereign litigation practice at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a law firm representing the company, told PTI.
Pharma major Lupin and mortgage lender HDFC were the top losers.
Among top losers that dragged down key indices were Infosys, TCS, Reliance, SBI, Tata Steel and ITC, falling up to 2.15 per cent.
In the Sensex kitty, Ultratech Cement was the top gainer, rising 2.10 per cent, followed by HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries Sun Pharma, NTPC and Asian Paints.
After selling brands like Pulsar, Boxer, Platina and RE in over 70 countries, Bajaj Auto plans to enter Thailand this year followed by Brazil next year.
Auto stocks will be in focus
Ajit Mishra, vice president, research, Religare Broking, answers your stockmarket queries.
Prices of all metals - from steel to copper, aluminium, zinc and lead - have shot up by about 5-11 per cent in the past month. Commodity inflation is raising its head, forcing companies to consider price hikes.
Bajaj Finance was the top loser in the Sensex pack, tanking over 10 per cent, followed by Axis Bank, Maruti, M&M, Tech Mahindra and ONGC. The gainers included ITC, Bharti Airtel, Kotak Bank and Hero MotoCorp.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, Research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
'The Chinese are only about 160-170 km behind.' 'It will not take much time for them to bring their troops back, considering that they have better infrastructure -- and the weather is now favourable.' 'They can move in much faster as the terrain favours them.'
Tech Mahindra was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, cracking over 5 per cent, followed by Infosys, HDFC, IndusInd Bank, Reliance Industries and NTPC. On the other hand, Hero MotoCorp, L&T, Maruti, UltraTech Cement and Sun Pharma led the gainers' chart.
HCL Tech and ONGC were the top gainers in the Sensex, rising up to 3.40 per cent.
Nestle India was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 3.23 per cent, followed by Kotak Bank, HUL, Bharti Airtel, RIL, TCS, PowerGrid and Titan.
Check out some of the stocks that will react on the basis of their numbers in the near term.
India is the world's fourth-biggest oil consumer, importing four-fifths of its needs as its own output shrinks.
Tech Mahindra was the top loser in the Sensex pack, crashing over 9 per cent, followed by Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, TCS, Infosys and HUL. On the other hand, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finance and Titan were the gainers.
Government is expected to rely more on divestment proceeds to keep the fiscal deficit in check
Ajit Mishra, vice president, Research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.