Markets trim gains on renewed geopolitical tensions in Middle East; Sensex rises 150 pts
Mumbai, Jun 24 (PTI): Equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty on Tuesday gave up most of their sharp intra-day gains due to the emergence of profit-taking as investors turned cautious amid reports of a ceasefire violation between Iran and Israel.
In the morning trade, markets bounced back sharply, mirroring a rally in global peers and a steep decline in crude oil prices amid hopes of a potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict.
After surging 1,121.37 points or 1.36 per cent to 83,018.16 in intra-day trade, the 30-share Sensex later trimmed most of its gains as reports surfaced of the ceasefire plan faltering. But, the benchmark still managed to settle in the green, climbing 158.32 points or 0.19 per cent to 82,055.11.
As many as 2,662 stocks advanced and 1,339 declined while 143 remained unchanged on the BSE.
On similar lines, the 50-share Nifty rose 72.45 points or 0.29 per cent to end at 25,044.35. The index fell from an intra-day high of 25,317.70.
"Initial gains in the domestic market, driven by the ceasefire announcement and sharp drop in crude prices, were short-lived as renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East unsettled investor sentiment.
"Adding to the uncertainty was heightened volatility due to expiry day dynamics. Although the market attempted to break out of its recent consolidation range, persistent global risks continue to impede momentum," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.
From the Sensex constituents, Adani Ports, Tata Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finserv and Titan were among the biggest gainers.
In contrast, Power Grid, Trent, NTPC, Maruti, HCL Tech and Bharat Electronics were among the laggards.
Shares of crude oil sensitive sectors -- oil marketing companies, aviation, paints and adhesives -- jumped on Tuesday after a sharp correction in Brent crude oil prices.
The stock of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd jumped 3.24 per cent, Indian Oil Corporation rallied 2.04 per cent and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd went up by 1.92 per cent on the BSE.
Shares of InterGlobe Aviation edged higher by 2.55 per cent and SpiceJet rallied 2.15 per cent.
Kansai Nerolac Paints advanced by 1.82 per cent, Shalimar Paints rallied by 1.80 per cent, Asian Paints went up by 0.48 per cent and Indigo Paints (0.38 per cent).
"It turned out to be an eventful day for market participants, as the benchmark index witnessed sharp swings in both directions before finally closing with marginal gains. Initially, sentiment was buoyed by reports of a potential ceasefire between Iran and Israel, along with a sharp decline in crude oil prices.
"However, concerns resurfaced in the latter half following reports of a possible ceasefire violation by Iran, which led to a pullback and erased most of the early gains. Eventually, the Nifty ended with marginal gains," Ajit Mishra - SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, said.
The BSE smallcap gauge climbed 0.71 per cent and the midcap index rose 0.54 per cent.
Among BSE sectoral indices, services jumped 2.13 per cent, telecommunication (1.13 per cent), commodities (1.12 per cent), metal (0.96 per cent), financial services (0.81 per cent), bankex (0.72 per cent) and auto (0.62 per cent).
On the other hand, IT, oil & gas, teck and BSE Focused IT were the laggards.
"Indian equity benchmarks pared early gains on Tuesday after fresh geopolitical tensions emerged. Investors are now watching oil prices and geopolitical cues closely. A sustained spike in crude could cap any near-term upside in equities despite otherwise supportive domestic fundamentals," Gaurav Garg, Analyst, Lemonn Markets Desk, said.
All of the 10 listed Adani group stocks ended higher on Tuesday, with Ambuja Cements surging 4 per cent, on a day when the group conducted its annual general meeting.
The Adani Group also plans to invest a record USD 15-20 billion across businesses over the next five years to chart out the next phase of growth, Chairman Gautam Adani said on Tuesday as he touted the conglomerate's strong balance sheet and robust business to shrug off relentless scrutiny it faces.
Meanwhile, Adani Group has raised USD 1 billion from global investors led by New York-based Apollo Global Management to refinance existing debt for its Mumbai airport.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), a unit which operates India's second largest airport, will use the proceeds to refinance debt raised in 2022, it said in a statement.
In another development, London-based Vedanta Resources Limited (VRL), the parent firm of Mumbai-listed mining conglomerate Vedanta Ltd, has secured a term loan facility of up to USD 600 million that will be used to refinance a high-cost private credit facility, according to a communication sent to bondholders.
Shares of Vodafone Idea on Tuesday jumped 4.89 per cent to close at 6.87 apiece after reports of the government mulling multiple options to provide relief to the telco on its Rs 84,000 crore outstanding AGR dues.
Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said duopoly is not good and there must be competition in every sector.
S&P Global Ratings on Tuesday upped India's GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.5 per cent, citing lower crude prices, monetary easing and normal monsoon, and said the ongoing geopolitical tensions are unlikely to put a "significant pressure" on the rupee or inflation.
In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled significantly higher.
European markets were trading with gains in mid-session trade.
US markets ended in positive territory on Monday.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude dropped 3.20 per cent to USD 69.13 a barrel.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,874.38 crore on Monday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DII) bought stocks worth Rs 5,591.77 crore, according to exchange data.
On Monday, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended with a loss of 511.38 points or 0.62 per cent at 81,896.79. The Nifty dropped 140.50 points or 0.56 per cent to 24,971.90.
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Russian President Putin says India, Russia collaboration not directed against anyone
New Delhi (PTI): The India-Russia collaboration is not directed against any country and it is solely aimed at safeguarding the national interests of the two sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said against the backdrop of Washington's aggressive approach towards New Delhi and Moscow.
In the context of India's energy ties with Russia, Putin said certain "actors" dislike New Delhi's growing role in international markets in view of its close relations with Moscow and these elements are aiming to constrain India's influence for political reasons by imposing "artificial obstacles".
In an interview to India Today news channel that was released on Thursday evening, the Russian president, referring to Western sanctions against Moscow, said his country's energy cooperation with New Delhi largely "remains unaffected".
Putin landed in New Delhi this evening on a two-day visit to hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ALSO READ: PM Modi presents copy of Gita in Russian to Putin
His trip comes at a time India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades after Washington imposed a whopping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including 25 per cent levies for New Delhi's procurement of Russian crude oil.
"Neither me nor Prime Minister Modi, despite certain external pressure we face, have never approached our collaboration to work against someone," the Russian president said in response to a question on Washington's aggressive approach.
"President Trump has his own agenda, his own goals, whereas we focus on ours -- not against anyone, but rather aimed at safeguarding our respective interests, India's and Russia's interests," he said.
Rejecting Washington's objection to India procuring crude oil from Russia, Putin said if the US has the right to buy Russian fuel, why "shouldn't India have the same privilege".
"As for India's purchase of energy resources from Russia, I would like to note and have already mentioned this once, the US itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants," Putin said.
The Russian president also responded to a question on India lowering procurement of crude oil from Russia in view of Western sanctions on Moscow.
ALSO READ: Russian president Putin arrives in Delhi on 2-day visit
"Well, there is a certain decline in overall trade turnover during the first nine months of this year. This is just a minor adjustment. Overall, our trade turnover stands almost at the same level as before," he said.
"I can't give you exact monthly figures right now, but trade in petroleum products and crude oil, as well as the production of petroleum products for consumers of oil, Russian oil, is running smoothly in India," he said.
Putin also said that India cannot be treated the way it was several decades back.
"Prime Minister Modi is not someone who succumbs to pressure easily. The Indian people can certainly take pride in their leader. This is absolutely obvious," he said.
"His stance is unwavering and straightforward, without being confrontational. Our goal is not to provoke conflict; rather, we aim to protect our lawful rights. India does the same," he said.
On the Ukraine conflict, Putin said he believed the US is actively seeking a solution to this problem. "I am absolutely certain, with no doubt at all, he (Trump) sincerely aims for a peaceful resolution."
Putin said Trump genuinely wants to end the hostilities and prevent further loss of lives. "But there could also be political interests tied to ending the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, or economic motives too."
On bilateral trade, Putin said over 90 per cent of "our transactions are already conducted in national currencies".
"While some complications arise due to the presence of numerous intermediaries, there are also solutions," he said.
The Russian president also complimented PM Modi's leadership.
"Our collaborative endeavours with Prime Minister Modi carry significant weight because they transcend our mutual ties," he said.
"Given its direct relevance to both nations, ensuring stability in key areas of engagement is crucial, as it helps secure the fulfilment of our objectives. Prime Minister Modi sets very challenging tasks for the country --and for himself in the first place, then for the administration, and eventually for the nation," he said.
The Russian president did not give a direct reply to a question on if India was looking at procuring additional batches of S-400 missile systems.
"India stands out as one of our reliable and privileged partners in this area. We are not merely selling something to India and India isn't merely buying something from us in the sphere of defence and security.
"It is a different level, a different quality of relations we have with India, and we value this. We see how India values this relationship too," he said.
Putin said Russia is not simply selling defence technology to India but it is sharing it with the country.
"It is a very rare thing to see in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. It speaks to the level of trust between the two countries and the level of trust between the two peoples.
"We have a broad portfolio indeed, including naval construction, rocket and missile engineering, and aircraft engineering," he added.
