Investors become poorer by Rs 9.51 lakh cr as markets crash
New Delhi (PTI): Investors' wealth eroded by Rs 9.51 lakh crore on Monday morning, following a crash in equity markets where the benchmark Sensex tanked over 2,400 points, mirroring a sharp plunge in global peers.
The 30-share BSE benchmark tanked 2,401.49 points to 78,580.46 in early trade.
Following the sharp decline in equities, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms dropped by Rs 9,51,771.37 crore to Rs 4,47,65,174.76 crore (USD 5.35 trillion) during the morning trade.
"The global market is reeling as bears enter with a cocktail of bad news. The fear of a reverse Yen carry trade, following an interest rate hike in Japan, was the initial catalyst. This was compounded by fears of a recession in the USA after extremely poor jobs data, which spooked market sentiment," said Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart Ltd.
Indian equity markets are witnessing signs of the first meaningful correction in global markets after an extended bull run, he added.
In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading sharply lower.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index plunged as much as 8.1 per cent early Monday, extending sell-offs that shook world markets last week as worries flared over the state of the US economy.
The US markets ended significantly lower on Friday.
"The rally in the global stock markets has been driven mainly by consensus expectations of a soft landing for the US economy. This expectation is now under threat with the fall in US job creation in July and the sharp rise in the US unemployment rate to 4.3 per cent.
"Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East also are a contributing factor," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.
From the Sensex pack, Tata Motors, Maruti, Tata Steel, Infosys, Tech Mahindra and JSW Steel were the biggest laggards.
On the contrary, Hindustan Unilever, Sun Pharma, Nestle and Asian Paints were trading in the positive territory.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 3,310 crore on Friday, according to exchange data
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Rupee falls 8 paise to hit all-time low of 84.50 against US dollar
Mumbai, Nov 21: The rupee depreciated 8 paise to settle at an all-time low of 84.50 against the US dollar on Thursday, dragged down by massive sell-off in domestic equity markets and surging crude oil prices amid a volatile geopolitical situation.
According to forex traders, the American currency strengthened due to safe-haven appeal amid escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine, while the continuous outflow of foreign funds also put pressure on the domestic unit.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 84.41 and touched the lowest-ever level of 84.51 against the greenback during intra-day. The unit ended the session at 84.50 against the dollar, surpassing its previous all-time low closing level of 84.46 recorded on November 14.
On Tuesday, the rupee had settled flat at 84.42 against the US dollar.
The foreign exchange market was closed on Wednesday on account of assembly elections in Maharashtra.
"We expect the rupee to trade around 84.5 against the dollar by end December. A strong dollar continues to create a depreciating bias for currencies globally and is likely to sustain FPI outflows from Indian markets in the near-term.
"However, interventions by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), supported by India's healthy foreign exchange reserves, should help keep rupee volatility in check," said Rajani Sinha, Chief Economist, CareEdge Ratings.
FPIs have withdrawn approximately USD 4 billion from Indian markets in November, following a record USD 11 billion in outflows in October. While high US Treasury yields and a strong dollar have contributed to these outflows, other domestic factors have also been at play, such as muted corporate earnings and high valuations.
"Over the medium-term, we expect the rupee to trade around 84 by the end of FY25, supported by India's strong fundamentals, including a manageable current account deficit, inclusion in global bond indices, fiscal consolidation and stronger growth relative to other emerging markets. These factors should help maintain India's attractiveness as an investment destination," Sinha added.
Sinha further said "going forward, it will be crucial to monitor the implementation of Trump's policies and China's response, as these will play a key role in shaping market dynamics."
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading lower by 0.02 per cent at 106.66.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, surged by 1.84 per cent to USD 74.15 per barrel in futures trade.
Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst - Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, said the rupee weakened as pressure mounted due to the dollar scaling higher above 106.65 amidst renewed global uncertainties with geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine adding to global risk aversion.
At the same time, sell-off in domestic equity markets was fuelled after the Adani Group faced bribery and fraud charges in the US. "This has further fuelled FII outflows, continuing the trend of capital flight from Indian markets," Trivedi said.
In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 422.59 points, or 0.54 per cent, to close at 77,155.79 points, while Nifty tanked 168.60 points, or 0.72 per cent, to settle at 23,349.90 points.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Thursday, as they offloaded shares worth Rs 5,320.68 crore, according to exchange data.
