Omkeshwar Singh, head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Divestment in major state-run firms is set to perk up the IPO space, with about six PSUs including Air India, BSNL, Oil India and NHPC, gearing up to sell equity sale in the primary market.
Today, banks are being asked to discover niche strengths and focus on them
Delhi International Airport Ltd, the five-company consortium led by Bangalore-based infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group that is upgrading Delhi airport, has managed to raise over Rs 1,000 crore (10 billion) to meet its financial obligations for the Rs 8,890-crore (80 billion) project.
India's equity markets are on a roller-coaster ride, after delivering spectacular returns for two consecutive years - in 2020 and 2021. The benchmark National Stock Exchange's (NSE's) Nifty50 is down 1.5 per cent in the first nine months of the current calendar year 2022 (CY22) as foreign portfolio investors sold Indian stocks due to rising bond yields in the US and across global markets, including India. The sell-off in the Indian equity markets has, however, not been broad-based and largely limited to sectors facing earnings headwinds from rising interest rates, lower commodity and energy prices, and likely economic recession in advanced economies.
In a move that is likely to attract political controversy, the committee on financial sector assessment has recommended that the banking sector should be gradually opened to foreign players and that the government lower its shareholding in public sector banks below 51 per cent and allow state-owned players to merge if the Centre's stake cannot go below the prescribed lower limit.
The government may delay Rs 14,000 crore (Rs 140 billion) fund infusion in the public sector banks in view of volatile market conditions.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Public banks face slowdown heat.
This apart, to further increase capacities, Bharat Biotech has partnered with Indian Immunologicals (IIL) to manufacture the drug substance for Covaxin. The technology transfer process is underway and IIL has the 'capabilities and expertise' to manufacture the inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday made a double pitch for public sector companies. First he urged private sector companies to enter into joint venture partnership with PSUs
The government has approved a Rs 517 crore (Rs 5.17 billion) package to clear the pending salaries and statutory dues of 4,500 employees of 24 ailing PSUs, Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Deb said on Thursday.
Nearly 55,000 officers of 14 public sector oil companies have decided to strike work indefinitely from January 7 to seek higher wages, Association of Scientific & Technical Officer's vice president P K Sharma said in New Delhi on Tuesday
The minister said RBI maintains a list of non-suit filed borrowers of banks and financial institutions, while CIBIL had a database on suit-filed accounts of Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) and above.
Hiring demand for the month of October 2021, witnessed a dip of 3 per cent, as compared to September 2021. However, job demand grew 9 per cent sequentially in the past six months showing an optimistic outlook to recovery, said the Monster Employment Index. There has also been a strong year-on-year recovery with a 9 per cent uptick in October 2021 (Oct 2021 vs Oct 2020).
International oil prices retreated from an over seven-year high but was still above $100 a barrel and continue to pose threat to India's inflation rate and current account deficit. While there are no supply concerns as the oil route remained open, consumers will feel the pinch when PSU oil firms start passing on the increase in international rates through a revision in petrol and diesel prices, which have been on a pause for over three-and-a-half-months in view of elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states. The government is "closely monitoring the situation" and will "take appropriate steps as and when required", a top official said. Brent crude oil surged past $105 per barrel on Thursday for the first time since August 2014, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Amid stiff competition from private and foreign players, the country's 27 public sector banks logged 35 per cent growth in profit at Rs 16,546 crore (Rs 165.46 billion) while their bad assets fell below 3 per cent during 2003-04.
Unwilling to compromise autonomy for a hefty pay hike announced on Thursday, several PSUs chiefs on Friday conveyed displeasure to the government over a directive asking them not to create senior posts in their units without the approval of their administrative ministries.
HUL was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, spurting around 3 per cent, followed by Infosys, M&M, ITC, SBI, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, TCS and Bharti Airtel. On the other hand, Titan, PowerGrid and NTPC were among the laggards.
Offloading shares in ONGC, CIL, NHPC may fetch govt more than the year's target.
Public sector banks have suddenly developed cold feet on raising lending rates even if it means sacrificing on their bottom lines.
Top level public sector executives, including directors and chief executives, will not be able to join private firms after retirement or resignation unless they get go-ahead from the government.
The Centre on Monday said nationalised banks, which were provided equity as part of capital restructuring need not return it.
ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying around 6 per cent, followed by NTPC, Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, ITC, Titan and Bajaj Auto. On the other hand, Axis Bank, M&M, Tech Mahindra, Asian Paints and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards.
With the new financial year kicking in and the equity markets showing signs of stability, the government is expected to soon initiate its divestment programme with renewed vigour.
.jpg)
Under Indradhanush roadmap announced in 2015, the government will infuse Rs 70,000 crore in state banks over four years while they will have to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the markets to meet their capital requirement in line with global risk norms, known as Basel-III.
The move comes even as Bank of India on Wednesday said its corporate clients will suffer mark-to-market losses of around Rs 125 crore. It has 34 clients with 74 derivative transactions. Last week, State Bank of India said its clients may incur MTM losses of up to Rs 700 crore at the end of March 2008.
A host of public sector banks had cut interest rates in the earlier part of this year following an advisory from Finance Minister P Chidambaram in January. Private and smaller state-owned banks, however, did not cut rates.
As per the structure proposed, 99 per cent of government holding in the bank will be shifted to the Holding Company and the government will retain 1 per cent with itself so that it remains a state-owned bank.
