Tracking
positive cues from India's retail inflation data, Indian benchmark indices
finished the productive day of trade with gains of over half a percent. Banking
sectors' stock led the position in the markets. Despite making cautious start,
key gauges soon gained traction to trade higher, as traders got support with a
report that retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to a
three-month low of 5.1 per cent in January 2024. Inflation was at 5.69 per cent
in December 2023. It was 6.52 per cent in January 2023. Investors overlooked
report that India's industrial production growth slowed to 3.8 per cent in
December 2023, mainly due to poor performance of mining and power generation
segments. The factory output growth measured in terms of the Index of
Industrial Production (IIP) was at 5.1 per cent in December 2022. Sentiments
also got some support after a survey conducted by Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has revealed sustained and continued growth
for India's manufacturing sector in the last two quarters of 2023-24
(October-March). Compared to the previous quarter, October-December, when 73
per cent of respondents had reported higher production levels, in the current
January-March quarter, around 87 per cent of respondents expected either higher
or the same level of production. Despite some profit booking in noon deals,
markets regained momentum and continued trading in green. Some support came in
with Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das' statement that lower government
borrowings than the market estimates will free more capital for the private
sector resulting in easing of inflation and bolstering growth. Markets added
gains end near day's high levels, as investors continued to hunt for
fundamentally strong stocks. Meanwhile, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
data, released by the National Statistical Office showed that the jobless rate
in urban India marginally declined further in Q3 (October-December) of FY24 to
6.5 per cent from 6.6 per cent in the preceding quarter, thus reflecting
continued improvement in the labour markets. Investors now turn their attention
towards U.S. inflation data due later in the day. Finally, the BSE Sensex rose
482.70 points or 0.68% to 71,555.19 and the CNX Nifty was up by 127.20 points
or 0.59% to 21,743.25.
The US markets ended deeply in
red on Tuesday with Dow Jones Industrial Average settling cut of over 500
points following the release of a highly anticipated Labor Department report
showing consumer prices in the U.S. increased by slightly more than expected in
the month of January. The Labor Department said its consumer price index (CPI)
rose by 0.3 percent in January after inching up by 0.2 percent in December.
Street had expected consumer prices to edge up by 0.2 percent. While the report
also showed the annual rate of consumer price growth slowed to 3.1 percent in
January from 3.4 percent in December, street had expected the pace of growth to
slow to 2.9 percent. Excluding food and energy prices, core consumer prices
climbed by 0.4 percent in January after rising by 0.3 percent in December. Core
prices were expected to increase by 0.3 percent. The annual rate of core
consumer price in January came in unchanged from the previous month at 3.9
percent. The pace of core price growth was expected to decelerate to 3.7
percent. Treasuries yields surged in response to the data, with the yield on
the benchmark ten-year note reaching its highest levels in two months. On the
sectoral front, Gold stocks saw substantial weakness on the day, dragging the
NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index down by 6.5 percent to a four-month closing low. The
sell-off by gold stocks came amid a steep drop by the price of the precious
metal, with gold for April delivery tumbling $25.80 to $2,007.20 an ounce.
Significant weakness was also visible among networking stocks, which pulled
back sharply after surging in the previous session. After jumping by 2.5
percent during Monday's trading, the NYSE Arca Networking Index plunged by 4.4
percent.
Crude oil futures ended higher on
Tuesday amid concerns about supply due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle
East, where Houthi militants continue to attack commercial vessels in the Red
Sea. A drop in Russian crude oil exports also contributed to the increase in
oil prices. However, data showing consumer price inflation in the U.S. rose by
more than expected in the month of January has dashed hopes of an early rate
cut by the Federal Reserve and lifted the dollar higher. The dollar's rise
capped oil's advance. Benchmark crude oil futures for March delivery rose $0.95
or about 1.25% to settle at $77.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile
Exchange. Brent crude for April delivery surged $0.77 or about 0.94% to $82.77
per barrel on London's Intercontinental Exchange.
Indian rupee settled flat on
Tuesday as the support from a rally in domestic equities was negated by a strong
greenback overseas and rising crude oil prices. Meanwhile, retail inflation
based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to a three-month low of 5.1 per cent
in January 2024. Inflation was at 5.69 per cent in December 2023. It was 6.52
per cent in January 2023. Furthermore, India's industrial production growth
slowed to 3.8 per cent in December 2023, mainly due to poor performance of
mining and power generation segments. The factory output growth measured in
terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was at 5.1 per cent in
December 2022. On the global front, the dollar flirted with the psychological
threshold of 150 yen on Tuesday and held broadly steady ahead of a key reading
on U.S. inflation due later in the day. Finally, the rupee ended flat with its
previous close of 83.00 on Monday.
The FIIs as per Tuesday's data
were net buyers in both equity and debt segments. In equity segment, the gross
buying was of Rs 9178.87 crore against gross selling of Rs 8958.50 crore, while
in the debt segment, the gross purchase was of Rs 906.87 crore with gross sales
of Rs 178.04 crore. Besides, in the hybrid segment, the gross buying was of Rs
40.96 crore against gross selling of Rs 27.17 crore.
The US markets ended
significantly lower on Tuesday after a higher-than-expected consumer inflation
reading pushed back market expectations of imminent interest rate cuts, driving
U.S. Treasury yields higher. Asian markets are trading in red on Wednesday
tracking overnight losses on Wall Street. Indian markets ended higher on
Tuesday amidst buying in heavyweights such as ICICI Bank and Reliance
Industries (RIL). The sentiment was boosted by easing of domestic inflation and
India's growing weightage in the MSCI global indices. Today, markets are likely
to get gap-down opening following sell-off on Wall Street after
hotter-than-expected US inflation data dampened hopes for quick interest rate
cuts by the Federal Reserve. Traders may take note of report that aided by
interest-free loans from the Centre, capital expenditure by states jumped by
40% on year in the first nine months of the current financial year compared
with a 7% rise in the year-ago period. However, some support will come as oil
prices fell in early Asian trade on Wednesday after a U.S. industry group
reported crude stocks rose more than expected last week and as investors reined
in expectations for interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Foreign
fund inflows likely to aid sentiments. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs)
net bought shares worth Rs 376.32 crore on February 13, provisional data from
the NSE showed. Some support may come as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted
that the country will emerge as the third largest economy in the world in
coming years. Besides, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of
India (Irdai) has said Bima Sugam - Insurance Electronic Marketplace formed
under the Companies Act, 2013 - will be a not-for-profit entity. As per the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Bima Sugam - Insurance
Electronic Marketplace) Regulations, 2024, consumers shall not be charged for
availing services of Bima Sugam. Auto components sector stocks will be in focus
as ICRA said auto components sector growth is likely to moderate to around 5-7
per cent in FY25 thanks to a possibility of moderation in domestic volume
growth and a weak outlook for exports. Credit rating agency ICRA projected that
its sample of 45 auto-ancillaries (with aggregate annual revenues of Rs 2.7
trillion in FY23) would grow by 9-11 per cent in FY24, driven by healthy
domestic demand. Meanwhile, Adani group stocks will be in limelight as Moody's
Investor Group said it has changed the outlook on debt papers of four Adani
Group companies to stable from negative, and maintained the stable outlook on
the other four companies. It affirmed the ratings of all eight companies.
Support and
Resistance: NSE (Nifty) and BSE (Sensex)
Index
|
Previous close
|
Support
|
Resistance
|
NSE
Nifty
|
21,743.25
|
21,602.14
|
21,825.59
|
BSE
Sensex
|
71,555.19
|
71,098.74
|
71,837.18
|
Nifty Top volumes
Stock
|
Volume
|
Previous close (Rs)
|
Support (Rs)
|
Resistance (Rs)
|
(in Lacs)
|
Hindalco
Industries
|
461.00
|
509.45
|
490.54
|
534.19
|
Tata
Steel
|
391.56
|
137.80
|
135.19
|
139.34
|
Coal
India
|
356.66
|
453.00
|
438.71
|
462.56
|
HDFC
Bank
|
287.90
|
1391.95
|
1382.75
|
1402.75
|
State
Bank of India
|
233.51
|
711.35
|
703.00
|
718.85
|
- Infosys has entered into
strategic collaboration with Pacific International Lines, a leading
Singapore-based shipping company with strong networks in Asia, Africa, Middle
East, Latin America and Oceania.
- JSW Steel has entered into 50:50
joint venture with JFE Steel Corporation, Japan for the production of Grain
Oriented Electrical Steel in India.
- Tata Motors has signed a MoU with
Bandhan Bank, one of India's fastest-growing private sector banks, to offer
convenient financing solutions to its commercial vehicle customers.
- Bharti Airtel has launched ten
new, next-gen Company owned stores in the city of Vadodara.