Markets Today

Sustained selling pressure in blue chips ever since the opening bell spooked the bourses today. Negative cues from global markets dampened sentiment. The sentiment was also hit by reports that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has asked companies to disclose losses on a mark-to-market basis incurred due to derivatives trades from the current financial year onwards (year ending March 2008), as a precursor to making a new accounting standard -- the AS-30 -- mandatory from 1 April 2011. This may hit Q4 March 2008 and FY 2008 (year ending March 2008) bottom line of Indian firms.
European markets, which opened after Indian markets, were weak in early trade. Asian markets, which opened before Indian market, were in red. US stocks dropped on Friday, 28 March 2008, as a profit warning from US department store chain J.C. Penney raised concerns about slowing consumer spending while persistent worries about credit-related problems throttled financial stocks. A prominent analyst warned that earnings will not support current dividend payouts in 2008 at Citigroup, Wachovia Corp and other US banks.
The BSE Sensex dipped below 16,000 mark. 28 stocks from the 30-member Sensex pack declined. Despite the sharp fall, the market breadth was positive.
As per provisional closing, the 30-share BSE Sensex plunged 808.14 points or 4.94% at 15,563.15, which was also its lowest level of the day. Sensex had opened with a downward gap of 144.63 points at 16,226.66.
The broader based S&P CNX Nifty plunged 233.95 points or 4.73% at 4,708.05 as per provisional closing.
The ICAI norm requires companies to provide for all losses, including those that may occur due to trading in derivatives. Indian companies are sitting on huge losses on account of the forex derivative transactions they undertook during the year. A steep decline in the value of the US dollar against the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc has hit Indian corporates which have used these two currencies (Yen and Franc) extensively to swap their rupee denominated debt.
There are many companies, which are not disclosing these losses, as it is not mandatory to show these numbers in the balance sheets. But with the new accounting norms they now have some compulsions. Companies, which thought that they could escape declaring the losses, will now have to come forward and show their numbers, which could hit their balance sheet, which, in turn, may impact their market capitalisation.
Earlier, robust corporate advance tax payments in Q4 March 2008 indicated that corporate profit growth will be strong in the quarter. Advance tax figures showed banks, hospitality and software firms were doing better than sectors like automobiles and cement.
Despite the market crash, the market breadth was positive: On BSE 1,356 shares advanced as compared to 1,302 that declined. 45 shares remained unchanged.
The BSE Mid-Cap index was down 1.93% to 6,397.21 while the BSE Small-Cap index slipped 1.02% to 7,821.04, as per provisional closing. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex
The total turnover amounted to Rs 5912 crore on BSE as compared to Rs 4376 crore by 14:30 IST.
Indias largest dedicated housing finance provider in terms of net profit Housing Development Finance Corporation slumped 9.10% to Rs 2376.20 on 2.74 lakh shares. It was the top loser from Sensex pack.
Banking shares slumped. HDFC Bank (down 6.87% to Rs 1304.85), ICICI Bank (down 8.03% to Rs 768.10), and State Bank of India (down 4.26% to Rs 1608.15), also slipped.
Indias largest private sector company in terms of market capitalisation and oil refiner Reliance Industries lost 4.11% to Rs 2251 on 11.24 lakh shares. The stock moved in a range of Rs 2251 and Rs 2340 during the day.
IT pivotals were hit on worries a recession in US may impact their revenues. Infosys Technologies (down 6.31% to Rs 1429), Satyam Computers (down 3.42% to Rs 394.50), Wipro (down 8.59% to Rs 415), and TCS (down 7.94% to Rs 801), declined. IT firms derive majority of their revenue from exports to US markers.
Reliance Energy, the countrys largest private sector power utility company in terms of net profit slipped 6.12% to Rs 1252. The company has bought back 6.50 lakh equity shares since the start of the offer on Tuesday, 25 March 2008 aggregating Rs 83.15 crore
Hindalco Industries (down 6.13% to Rs 164.70), DLF (down 7.14% to Rs 646) and ONGC (down 6.61% to Rs 982), edged lower from the Sensex pack.
Cipla, the countrys third largest pharma company in terms of sales, gained 0.96% to Rs 219.60 on 4.83 lakh shares. It was the lone gainer from Sensex pack.
European markets opened lower today, 31 March 2008. Key benchmark indices in United Kingdom (down 0.95% to 5,639.10), France (down 0.90% to 4,653.60), and Germany (down 1.46% to 6,464.63), edged lower.
Asian markets were trading lower today, 31 March 2008. Hang Seng (down 1.88% at 22,849.20), Japan's Nikkei (down 1.88% at 12,525.54), Taiwan's Taiwan Weighted (down 0.59% at 8,572.59), Singapore's Straits Times (down 0.81% at 3,007.26), Shanghai Composite (down 3% to 3,472.13), edged lower. However South Korea's Seoul Composite rose 0.13% to 1,703.99
US markets closed lower on Friday, 28 March 2008 after a profit warning from J.C. Penney renewed fears about slower consumer spending. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 86.06 points, or 0.70%, to 12,216.40. The S&P 500 index was down 10.54 points, or 0.80%, to 1,315.22, and the Nasdaq Composite index declined 19.65 points, or 0.86%, to 2,261.18.
Back home, the 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 355.73 points or 2.22% at 16,371.29 on Friday, 28 March 2008. The broader CNX S&P Nifty was up 111.75 points or 2.31% at 4942 on that day.
The Sensex surged 1,376.46 points or 9.18% to 16,371.29 in the week ended Friday, 28 March 2008 on buying by foreign institutional investors. The S&P CNX Nifty rose 368.05 points or 8.04% to 4,942 in the week.
As per provisional data, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased sold worth Rs 401.95 crore on Friday, 28 March 2008. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of shares worth Rs 729.50 crore on that day.
FIIs were net sellers of Rs 132.21 crore in the futures & options segment on Friday, 28 March 2008. They were net sellers of index futures to the tune of Rs 366.53 crore and bought index options worth Rs 406.38 crore. They were net sellers of stock futures to the tune of Rs 184.53 crore and bought stock options worth Rs 12.47 crore
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