Business Live: Sensex, Nifty start on cautious note
amid tepid global cues; Amazon, Verizon may invest over $4 billion in
Vodafone Idea
The benchmark stock indices have opened the day on a flat note with rising economic uncertainty as virus cases mount.
The government's hopes of a V-shaped economic recovery could be
dashed as the services sector continues to face troubles in August.
Join us as we follow the top business news through the day.
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4:30 PM
The gap between growth and value stocks
4:15 PM
Diesel price cut for first time in close to 6 months; petrol unchanged
A pleasant surprise for fuel consumers.
PTI reports: "Diesel price on Thursday was cut for the first time in
close to six months after state-owned fuel retailers reduced retail
selling rate by 16 paise per litre.
Diesel now costs Rs 73.40 per litre in the national capital, as
against Rs 73.56 a litre previously, according to a price notification
of state-owned fuel retailers.
Petrol, which witnessed the second rally in rates beginning mid-August, was unchanged at Rs 82.08 a litre.
This is the first reduction in diesel price since mid-March when
Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan
Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) froze rates for 82 days to adjust a record
hike in excise duty on auto fuels against falling benchmark cost.
Diesel rates had gone up by Rs 12.55 a litre between June 7, when oil
firms resumed revising prices in line with cost, and July 25. Diesel
price has remained unchanged in the country since July 25, except in
Delhi where a reduction in VAT lowered the rate by Rs 8.38 per litre.
Petrol price went up by Rs 9.17 per litre between June 7 and June 29
before hitting a pause. The revision cycle again started on August 16
and rates have gone up by Rs 1.51 since then. In all, the petrol price
has risen by Rs 10.68 since June 7.
In Mumbai, petrol comes for Rs 88.73 per litre while diesel is priced
at Rs 79.94, as against Rs 80.11 previously, according to the price
notification.
In Kolkata, petrol is priced at Rs 83.57, while diesel now costs Rs 76.90 a litre, down from Rs 77.06 previously.
In Chennai, petrol comes for Rs 85.04 a litre and diesel for Rs 78.71, as against Rs 78.86 previously.
State-owned fuel retailers revise rates of petrol and diesel daily
based on average price of benchmark fuel in the preceding 15 days."
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4:00 PM
Sensex ends 95 points lower; banking stocks drag
Stocks that opened the day flat ended the day marginally low after a day of choppy trading.
PTI reports: "Domestic equity benchmark Sensex ended 95 points lower
on Thursday as losses mainly in baking counters offset gains in shares
of IT and consumer durables.
Despite opening on a positive note, the BSE Sensex ended 95.09 points
or 0.24 per cent lower at 38,990.94; while the NSE Nifty closed 7.55
points or 0.07 per cent down at 11,527.45.
ICICI Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding around 2
per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank, Kotak Bank and
PowerGrid.
On the other hand, Titan, Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Maruti, Sun Pharma and Asian Paints were among the gainers.
Narendra Solanki, Head- Equity Research (Fundamental), Anand Rathi
said, Indian market opened marginally positive owing to mixed global
cues as investors in Asian markets react to a slew of economic data
releases for China and European markets.
The market, however, turned negative after the latest IHS Markit
Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) contracted for the sixth
successive month in August.
The seasonally adjusted India Services Business Activity Index rose
sharply from 34.2 in July to 41.8 in August, the highest since March,
before the escalation of the pandemic.
The downturn in India’s services sector activity eased in August but
remained in the contraction zone as COVID-19 pandemic-induced
restrictions continued to adversely impact client demand and business
operations.
Bourses in Shanghai and Hong Kong ended in the red, while Tokyo and Seoul closed with gains.
Stock exchanges on in Europe were trading on a positive note in early deals.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 1.40 per cent lower at USD 43.81 per barrel.
In the forex market, the rupee depreciated 44 paise and closed at 73.47 against the US dollar."
3:30 PM
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Rupee settles 44 paise lower at 73.47 against US dollar
The rupee depreciated 44 paise and closed at 73.47 (provisional)
against the US dollar on Thursday tracking muted domestic equities and
strengthening American currency.
At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened on a weak note at
73.23, lost further ground during the session and finally settled for
the day at 73.47 against the greenback, registering a fall of 44 paise
over its last close.
The rupee had closed at 73.03 against the US dollar on Wednesday.
During the session, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day high of 73.23 and a low of 73.48 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.04% to 92.88.
2:30 PM
Isha, Akash Ambani, Byju Raveendran debut on Fortune’s ‘40 Under 40’ influencer list
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s twin children Isha and Akash, and edtech
startup Byju’s founder Byju Raveendran are among the Indians who have
debuted on Fortune’s ‘40 Under 40’ list of influential people around the
globe.
Stating that the coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally altered the
way people work and socialise, Fortune magazine said executives have
moved quickly to support and empower employees while grappling with
daunting challenges to the way their businesses operate.
“To reflect this wave of transformation, we decided that we needed to
embrace change in this year’s 40 Under 40. We needed to go bigger — and
search more widely,” it said.
This year’s list includes 40 influential people under 40 years of age
in five categories — finance, technology, healthcare, government and
politics, and media and entertainment.
2:00 PM
Tencent shares fall over 2% after India bans PUBG game, other mobile apps
Investors expect the Centre's ban on Chinese apps to affect the profits of these companies.
Reuters reports: "Shares of Chinese gaming and social media
powerhouse Tencent fell more than 2% on Thursday after India banned 118
mobile apps, including the firm's popular videogame PUBG.
The stock traded 2.2% lower at HK$533 in the afternoon, on track to snap two straight sessions of gain.
The list of 118 mostly Chinese apps also includes those from Baidu
and Xiaomi's ShareSave, as India stepped up pressure on Chinese
technology firms following a standoff with Beijing at the border."
1:30 PM
China strongly opposes India banning Chinese mobile apps - commerce ministry
China's reaction to the Centre's decision to ban Chinese apps including PUBG.
Reuters reports: "China's commerce ministry said on Thursday it strongly opposed India banning Chinese mobile apps.
Indian actions violate the legal interests of Chinese investors and
services providers and China asks India to correct its mistakes,
commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told a briefing.
India has banned another 118 mostly Chinese mobile apps including
Tencent Holdings Ltd's popular videogame PUBG, citing data security
concerns."
1:00 PM
Tata Motors reports 13% increase in sales in August
Even as most auto firms report a slide in sales, there are signs of greenshoots in pockets of the industry.
PTI reports: "Tata Motors on Thursday reported a 13.38 per cent increase in total sales at 36,472 units in August.
The company had sold a total of 32,166 units in same period last year, the home-grown auto major said in a statement.
Total domestic sales were up 21.6 per cent to 35,420 units, from 29,140 units in August last year, it added.
Passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market during the last month
rose by over two-fold to 18,583 units, as against 7,316 units in the
same month last year.
However, the company reported 28 per cent decline in total commercial
vehicle sales last month at 17,889 units, as against 24,850 units in
the year-ago period."
12:30 PM
Investors go long on Asian currencies, Indian rupee bets at 3-year high
The Indian rupee may benefit as investors go long Asian currencies amid a weakening dollar.
Reuters reports: "Long positions on India's rupee were sharply raised
to a three-year high, a Reuters poll found, as the central bank cut
back on dollar-buying, while a weaker greenback and encouraging economic
recovery signs propped up bullish bets on other Asian currencies.
The fortnightly poll of 13 respondents showed investors held long
positions on all nine Asian currencies for the first time since late
January, before the COVID-19 pandemic dealt its devastating economic
blow. The rupee has appreciated close to 3% over the past two weeks
after the central bank cut back on aggressive dollar-buying it has been
undertaking in recent months to build reserves and keep the currency in
check to help exports and its virus-hit economy.
India's economy shrank 23.9% in the three months to June, much more
than forecast, pointing to a longer than previously expected recovery,
with analysts calling for further stimulus.
“A sustained rally in the rupee is unlikely,” BofA Global Research
said in a note this week, as domestic demand and movement increase and
the government pushes local production.
Long bets on the Chinese yuan, South Korea's won , Singapore's dollar
and the Malaysian ringgit were all raised to their highest since early
2018. Data showing the Chinese services sector expanded again last month
has added to hopes that the world's second-largest economy was
rebounding strongly, and returning to pre-COVID-19 levels of growth.
Long bets on the yuan have been hiked in five consecutive polls, and
global investment banks now bet the currency's recent rally will be
sustained due to persistent dollar softness and continued capital
inflows.
The biggest risk to the yuan and the Chinese recovery comes from
worsening relations with the United States. Goldman Sachs said this week
that despite tensions, the trade deal the two signed in January looks
unlikely to break down this year.
Improving risk sentiment across Asia has been supported by the four
months of declines in the dollar, and with the new Federal Reserve
approach of achieving maximum employment and not worrying too much about
its impact on inflation.
This suggests interest rates will likely remain at near-zero for
years to come. Meanwhile, investors turned bullish on the Indonesian
rupiah for the first time since June, latching on to improving appetite
for risk and interest rate differentials, all in spite of worries about
the central bank's independence. The rupiah is an interest rate carry
trade favourite.
The Asian currency positioning poll is focused on what analysts and
fund managers believe are the current market positions in nine Asian
emerging market currencies: the Chinese yuan, South Korean won,
Singapore dollar, Indonesian rupiah, Taiwan dollar, Indian rupee,
Philippine peso, Malaysian ringgit and the Thai baht."
12:00 AM
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Unacademy gets $150 million in SoftBank-led round
Education technology firm Unacademy has raised $150 million in a
round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2i, valuing the company at $1.45
billion.
Existing investors General Atlantic, Sequoia Capital, Nexus Venture
Partners, Facebook, and Blume Ventures also participated in the round,
it added.
All documents related to the investment had been signed and the final closing was expected in the next few weeks, it said.
“We’re delighted to welcome SoftBank as a partner. We started with
test preparation and with this partnership, we will launch other
[offerings] on our platform,” said Gaurav Munjal, co-founder and CEO,
Unacademy.
11:30 AM
The rise of zombie firms
11:00 AM
India's services activity shrinks for sixth month in Aug, job losses mount
A serious setback to the government's hopes of a V-shaped economic recovery.
Reuters reports: "Activity in India's crippled services industry fell
for a sixth straight month in August as coronavirus restrictions
continued to hurt business operations and demand, causing the longest
streak of job losses on record, an industry survey showed.
Thursday's survey adds to the gloom in the service sector, an engine
of economic growth and jobs, suggesting a long and painful road to
recovery after the economy shrank nearly a quarter in April-June.
Although the Nikkei/IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers' Index
increased to 41.8 in August from July's 34.2, it remained well below the
50-mark separating growth from contraction.
August was the sixth straight month the index was sub-50, the longest such stretch since a 10-month run to April 2014.
“August highlights another month of challenging operating conditions
in the Indian services sector,” Shreeya Patel, an economist at IHS
Markit, said in a release. “Sustained periods of closure and ongoing
lockdown restrictions in both domestic and foreign markets have weighed
heavily on the health of the industry.”
Hoping to avert more serious economic damage, the government has said
it planned to reopen underground train networks and allow sports and
religious events in a limited manner despite coronavirus cases growing
at the fastest rate in the world's second-most populous country.
Amid the raging pandemic, even if restrictions are eased, economic
activity is unlikely to quickly return to pre-COVID-19 levels as fear of
getting infected will keep millions of people indoors, avoiding
shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants and hotels.
A Reuters poll showed the Indian economy is likely to suffer its
worst 12-month performance since 1979 for the fiscal year that ends
March 2021, contracting 6.0%, pushing millions more into poverty.
Although improved from July, sub-indexes tracking domestic and
foreign demand remained firmly in contraction territory, leading firms
to reduce their workforce for the sixth straight month, the longest
streak on record.
Expectations for future business activity gave little hope for an
imminent turnaround as service firms gave a neutral outlook for the next
12 months.
A composite index, which measures both services and factory activity,
improved to 46.0 in August from July's 37.2, cushioned by a better
manufacturing performance, but remained well below the neutral 50.0
level.
On the price front, both input costs and prices charged rose in
August, suggesting Asia's third-largest economy could enter a period of
stagflation - a phase with lofty inflation, high unemployment and
stagnant demand."
10:40 AM
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Rupee slumps 29 paise to 73.32 against U.S. dollar in early trade
The rupee depreciated 29 paise to 73.32 against the U.S. dollar in
opening trade on Thursday tracking muted domestic equities and
strengthening American currency.
At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened on a weak note at
73.23, then fell further to 73.32, registering a fall of 29 paise over
its last close.
The rupee depreciated 16 paise to close at 73.03 against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.07% to 92.91.
Forex traders said strong dollar and muted domestic equities weighed
on investor sentiment. However, sustained foreign fund inflows supported
the rupee and restricted the decline.
10:20 AM
Amazon, Verizon may invest over $4 billion in Vodafone Idea
Looks like things may begin to heat up again in the country's telecom sector.
Reuters reports: "U.S. wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc
and Amazon.com Inc may invest more than $4 billion for a stake in
India's Vodafone Idea Ltd , the Mint newspaper reported on Thursday,
sending shares in the struggling Indian telecom firm up 10%.
Vodafone Idea's stake-sale talks had been paused pending the outcome
of a court hearing in India, which created uncertainty and could have
threatened Vodafone Idea's survival, Mint reported, citing two unnamed
people aware of the negotiations.
But Amazon and Verizon are set to resume discussions following a
Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday which gave mobile carriers 10 years to
settle government dues.
Vodafone Idea did not immediately respond to Reuters request for
comment. Amazon and Verizon did not return emails seeking comment
outside regular U.S. business hours.
Heavily indebted Vodafone Idea - a joint venture between Britain's
Vodafone Group Plc and India's Idea Cellular - had previously said its
ability to continue as a going concern rested on a positive outcome of
the hearing.
It has paid the Indian government 78.5 billion rupees ($1.1 billion)
in telecoms dues, according to regulatory filings, but still owes
roughly 500 billion rupees ($6.8 billion) more.
Shares in Vodafone Idea, which ended 13% lower after Tuesday's court
ruling, were up 8% at 10.70 rupees on the NSE index by 0405 GMT."
10:00 AM
Sensex, Nifty start on cautious note amid tepid global cues
A slow start to the day for stocks.
PTI reports: "Domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty turned
cautious in early trade on Thursday amid lack of directional cues from
global markets.
After opening 150.33 points higher, the BSE Sensex pared most gains
to trade 12.69 points or 0.03 per cent higher at 39,098.72; while the
NSE Nifty was up 13.80 points or 0.12 per cent at 11,548.80.
M&M was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising around 2 per
cent, followed by Maruti, TCS, L&T, Titan, Bajaj Auto and Sun
Pharma.
On the other hand, Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and PowerGrid were among the laggards.
In the previous session, Sensex settled 185.23 points or 0.48 per
cent higher at 39,086.03, while Nifty climbed 64.75 points or 0.56 per
cent to close at 11,535.
Exchange data showed that foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 990.57 crore on a net basis on Wednesday.
According to traders, domestic equities turned choppy amid lack of directional cues from global markets.
Concerns of India-China border tensions too weighed on investor sentiment, they said.
Bourses in Shanghai and Hong Kong were in the red in mid-day deals, while Tokyo and Seoul was trading with gains.
Stock exchanges on Wall Street ended significantly higher in overnight session.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.09 per cent higher at USD 44.47 per barrel."
9:30 AM
FM to meet heads of banks, NBFCs
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a review meeting with
heads of banks and NBFCs on Thursday for the smooth and speedy
implementation of the one-time debt recast for resolution of
COVID-19-related stress in bank loans.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last month permitted a one-time
restructuring of both corporate and retail loans without getting
classified as a non-performing asset (NPA).
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