Share Market Highlights: Sensex ends 87 pts lower, Nifty at 14,736; IndusInd, ICICI Bank, RIL top losers

The Indian stock market ended on flat note, paring early losses, tracking mixed cues from Asian peers. The BSE Sensex ended 87 points or 0.17 per cent lower at 49,771, and the NSE Nifty settled 7.6 points or 0.05 per cent lower at 14,736. Sentiments were dented by rise in COVID-19 cases, especially in some economically significant cities like Maharashtra. Restricted economic activity in these regions may impact the optimistic growth projections for FY22. Bucking the trend, the broader markets ended higher, with Midcap and Smallcap indices rising by 0.99 per cent and 0.73 per cent, respectively. On the Sectoral front, losses in bank and consumer durables stocks were offset by gains in realty and IT indices. Among the individual stocks, IndusInd Bank, Power Grid Corporation of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries were among top losers. On the flip side, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Infosys were among notable gainers.

Also read: Top losers today: 5 shares fall up to 5%; IndusInd Bank, Power Grid, ICICI, HDFC, Axis Bank

On the global front, Asian markets ended mostly lower as sentiment was shaken by the US Federal Reserve's announcement that it would end some emergency measures put in place last year to help the financial industry deal with the pandemic.

Also read: Stock in news: Future Retail, RIL, TCS, Airtel, Adani Green, Power Grid, Tata Power

Check highlights of Sensex and Nifty here:

3:45 pm: Market view by S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities.

"Markets opened weak on fears of the recent spike in coronavirus infections in a few states. Afternoon Trade however witnessed a recovery led by Cement stocks ( both large and midcap) with support from Technology stocks."

3:30 pm: Sensex, Nifty end flat

Paring early losses, the BSE Sensex ended 87 points or 0.17 per cent lower at 49,771, and the NSE Nifty settled 7.6 points or 0.05 per cent lower at 14,736.

3:15 pm: Asian markets end on mixed note

On the global front, Asian stocks ended on mixed note as markets in Japan and Hong Kong ended lower. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 2.07 per cent Hang Seng lower dropped by 0.27 per cent. The China's Shanghai Composite closed 1.14 per cent higher.

3:00 pm: The BSE Sensex was at 49592.33,  down by 265.91 points or by 0.53 per cent, and the NSE Nifty was at 14693.35, down by 50.65 points or by 0.34 per cent. The BSE Sensex touched intraday high of 49,878.77 and intraday low of 49,281.02  and the NSE Nifty touched intraday high of 14,763.9 and intraday low of 14,597.85.

2:20 pm: Market view by Gaurav Garg, Head of Research at CapitalVia Global Research.

"Market opened on a flatter note after the gains in the markets before the closing on Friday. On the global front, Asian markets were trading mostly lower as sentiment was shaken by the U.S. Federal Reserve's announcement that it would end some emergency measures put in place last year to help the financial industry deal with the pandemic. Nifty could not maintain the Friday gains and traded with slight negativity.  Sentiments were dented as there is a major dampener in the form of fast-rising COVID-19 cases, especially in some economically significant cities like Maharashtra. Restricted economic activity in these regions may impact the optimistic growth projections for FY22. In the medium term the market may see some volatility due to the rising cases globally as well as lockdown in some regions may also hamper the market sentiments. Adani Ports and Sun Pharma are the top gainers on Nifty on the flip side Indusind bank and Power Grid are the top losers."

1:55 pm: Gold price today: Yellow metal fall, Silver futures down 1%

Gold futures continued their bearish trend on Monday with April contract on the MCX slipping below the Rs 45,000 per 10 gram. May silver futures were trading lower by 1 per cent at Rs 66,571 a kilogram.

1:45 pm: Vidhi Specialty Food share hits new record high

Shares of Vidhi Specialty Food were trading 10.2 per cent higher at Rs 207.95 on surge in buying amid hopes of strong demand for its products. The company is a leading manufacturer of superior synthetic food grade colours.

1:30 pm: NMDC rises 2% as stock turns ex-dividend today

NMDC share price rose over 2 per cent to Rs 129.30 on the BSE in intraday trade after the company raised price of iron ore with effect from March 21, 2021. The stock also turned ex-date for interim dividend of Rs 7.76 per share. NMDC has fixed 23rd March 2021, as the record date for the purpose of payment of interim dividend.

1:05 pm: Sensex, Nifty extend loss; Reliance, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank top losers

At 1:03 PM, the BSE Sensex was at 49310.93, down by 547.31 points or by 1.1 per cent, and the NSE Nifty was at 14618.6, down by 125.4 points or by 0.85 per cent. The BSE and BSE SMLCAP were up 0.28 per cent each. IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, Power Grid Corporation of India, HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries were among top losers.

12:50 pm: Experts comment on realty sector

Prateek Mittal, Executive Director, Sushma Group says, "Punjab's real estate market is on the cusp of expansion, with newer trends among homebuyers and investors. Demand for bigger spaces with better living standard, packed with all necessary amenities, is likely to see a further upward movement. The lockdown has made people rethink their future investments; buyers are open to stretch themselves for the extra space and world-class amenities. The similar trend is also observed in commercial spaces for Tier II cities, as there was lack of organized spaces in these cities. One more trend catching up with people of Punjab is the staycation concept, where they are searching for residential properties in nearby hills to spend healthy & quality time away from city life. As we reach the first quarter of 2021, buyer and investor inquiries have increased significantly; the business scenario is favorable, as banks have decreased home loan interest rates, encouraging the fence-sitters to invest in real estate properties."

12:35 pm: Realty sector was top gainer on BSE

The BSE Realty index was trading higher by 1.44 per cent at 2,658, led by gains in Godrej Industries Ltd. (Rs. 1372.85, 4.26%), Prestige Estates Projects Ltd. (Rs. 292.45, 3.16%), Phoenix Mills Ltd. (Rs. 758.15, 1.69%), Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. (Rs. 528.80, 0.80%), Brigade Enterprises Ltd. (Rs. 251.45, 0.76%), among others.

12:30 pm: Sensex, Nifty stay under stress

Indian equity markets extended loss in afternoon session of day's trade, tracking weak cues from Asian peers. The BSE Sensex was trading lower by 490 points or by 0.98 per cent at 49,367, and the NSE Nifty was at 14,635, down by 108 points or by 0.74 per cent. Bucking the trend, the BSE Midcap was up by 0.71 per cent and the BSE Smlcap was trading higher by 0.52 per cent. On the Sectoral front, bank and consumer durables  stocks were among top losers, while pharma and realty indices were among top gainers. Among the individual stocks, Power Grid Corporation, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries, Larsen & Toubro and Titan Company were among top losers, while Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Sun Pharma, HDFC, Asian Paints and Infosys were among top gainers.

12:25 pm: Power Grid share price falls 2%

Shares of Power Grid Corporation of India fell over 2 per cent on Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, in line with BSE Sensex which was down 0.53 per cent. The state-owned in an exchange filing on Friday announced that it will acquire 74 per cent stake in Jaypee Powergrid for Rs 351 crore.

Power Grid to buy 74% stake in Jaypee Powergrid, stock drops 2%

12:00 pm: Intellect Design Arena shares hit 52-week high

Intellect Design Arena share price surged nearly 9 per cent in opening trade to hit fresh 52-week high on Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday, in an otherwise weak broader market.

11: 40 am : Market cap of BSE-listed firms fell to Rs 203.81 lakh crore.

11: 20 am: Bharat Dynamics share rises 6%

Bharat Dynamics share rose over 6% today after the firm won a Rs 1,188-cr order to make anti-tank missiles. Bharat Dynamics share has gained 4.99% in the last 2 days. The stock opened with a gain of 5.23% at Rs 364 on BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 366.9, rising 6.07% against previous close of Rs 345.90 on BSE.

Bharat Dynamics share rises 6% after firm inks deal to make anti-tank missiles

11:00 am: Reliance Industries share price down 2%

Share of Reliance Industries were trading down by 2.06 per cent at Rs 2,039 apiece on the BSE, in line with BSE Sensex which was trading lower by 0.78 per cent. Last week, the company had sold three-fourth of the gas from coal seams in Madhya Pradesh to an affiliate of the company at a price of just over $6 at current oil prices. India Gas Solutions Private Limited, a 50: 50 joint venture of RIL and UK's bp, bought 0.62 million standard cubic meters per day out of 0.82 mms cmd gas bid out in an auction last week, as per PTI report.

10:40 am:Bank, Consumer Durables top losers

The bank and consumer durables sectors were among top laggards, falling 0.75 per cent and 0.62 per cent, respectively, on the BSE. IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and City Union Bank were among top losers in banking space. Dixon Technologies (India), Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, Rajesh Exports, Titan Company, VIP Industries were among notable losers in consumer durables sector.

10: 25 am: Adani Green share price hits 5% upper circuit

Adani Green Energy (AGEL) surged 5 per cent to hit 52-week high of Rs 1,251.05 on BSE in opening trade on Monday, in an otherwise weak market, after its subsidiary secured order for 300 MW wind project. Adani Renewable Energy Holding Fifteen Limited (AREHFL), a subsidiary of the company, has received letter of award (LOA) for 300 MW wind project.

Adani Green share hits 52-week high on bagging 300 MW wind power project

10:10 am: Finance Institution Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha today

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill in Lok Sabha today. The institution, which will be 100% government owned, proposed development of finance institution, which is expected to give impetus to the infrastructure sector by raising long-term funding.

10:00 am: Oil prices decline

Crude oil prices resumed fall on Monday, dropping nearly 1 per cent as concerns about slump in demand for fuel products in view of lockdown in Europe dented market sentiment. Brent crude fell by 0.9 per cent at $63.93 a barrel.

9:50 am: Market insight from Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services

"Market is in an excessively volatile zone. Support comes from sustained FII buying which has crossed Rs 7000 cr during the last four trading days. Resumption of buying by DIIs also is an important support to the market. The recent comment by the CEA that the economy is resilient and the revenue targets may be exceeded is another positive news. But there is a major dampener in the form of fast-rising Covid cases, especially in some economically significant cities. Restricted economic activity in these regions might impact the optimistic growth projections for FY 22. Prepare for high volatility. Sharp dips may be used to buy high-quality stocks in financials, IT, cement, chemicals & FMCG."

9:40 am: Top gainers on Sensex and Nifty

The top gainers of the BSE Sensex pack were Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. (Rs. 4305.00,+0.71%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Rs. 581.20,+0.45%), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (Rs. 853.80,+0.44%), Bajaj Auto Ltd. (Rs. 3660.90,+0.40%), ITC Ltd. (Rs. 223.65,+0.25%), among others.

On the other hand, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (Rs. 226.90,-1.50%), Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (Rs. 2500.40,-1.25%), Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (Rs. 1396.65,-1.03%), HDFC Bank Ltd. (Rs. 1481.85,-1.02%), ICICI Bank Ltd. (Rs. 580.65,-1.00%), were among top losers.

9:18 am: Sensex, Nifty open lower on weak global cues

Sensex and Nifty opened lower on Monday, tracking mixed cues from Asian peers and firm trading at Singapore Nifty Futures. At 9:18 AM, the BSE Sensex was at 49578.96, down by 279.28 points or by 0.56 per cent, and the NSE Nifty was at 14,736.3, down by 7.7 points or by 0.05 per cent. Bucking the trend, the BSE Midcap was up by 0.05 per cent and the BSE Smlcap was trading higher by 0.09 per cent.

9:15 am: Sensex, Nifty open in red

Indian equity markets opened lower on Monday, tracking mixed cues from Asian peers and firm trading at Singapore Nifty Futures. The BSE Sensex opened 118 points or 0.24 per cent lower at 49,739, and the NSE Nifty belled 73.25 per cent or 0.5 per cent lower at 14,670.75. 

9:00 am: Stocks in news

Shares of Future Retail, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, TCS, Adani Green, Power Grid, Tata Power, Aarti Drugs, Manappuram Finance will be in focus in Monday's trading session.

8:45 am: SGX Nifty indicates higher opening for Sensex, Nifty

Indian benchmark indices are expected to open higher on Monday, tracking firm cues from Asian markets and positive trading at Singapore Nifty futures also indicated a positive start at Dalal Street. At 8:30 AM, the Nifty futures were trading 65.8 points or 0.45 per cent higher at 14,819.50 on the Singapore Stock Exchange.

On Friday, the Indian benchmark indices closed higher, snapping five session losing streak, as markets witnessed strong recovery in final hour of day's trade owing to strong buying seen in FMCG, Pharma and Energy stocks. The BSE Sensex surged 641 points or 1.3 per cent to close at 49,858, and the NSE Nifty ended at 14,736.80, up by 178.95 points or by 1.23 per cent. Among the individual stocks, NTPC was top gainers, rising 4.6 per cent, followed by HUL, Power Grid Corporation of India, ITC, Reliance Industries, Nestle India which rose up to 4 per cent. On the other hand, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Tech Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki India, Titan, Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra were among notable losers.

8:40 am: Sensex last week

The 30-share BSE benchmark declined 933.84 points or 1.83 per cent during the last week. From the top-10 pack, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Hindustan Unilever Limited managed to close the week with gains in their market valuation, while Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank, Infosys, State Bank of India were among notable losers.

8:40 am: FPI inflows into equities hit record high since FY13

Foreign portfolio investors have injected in a record $36 billion into equities so far this fiscal up to March 10, which is the highest since FY13, shows the latest data from the Reserve Bank. On the other hand, net foreign direct investment inflows jumped to $44 billion, till end January, up from $36.3 billion a year ago, driven by the massive inflows in November and December, with the last month of the year getting a record USD 6.3 billion. But the inflows moderated in January due to lower inflows into equities, shows the latest data from the March issue of RBI Bulletin released over the weekend.

8:35 am: Market cap of 8 of top 10 valued companies tanks over Rs 1.38 lakh crore

Eight of the 10 most valued companies witnessed a combined erosion of Rs 1,38,976.88 crore in their market valuation last week, with Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank taking the biggest hit. The market capitalisation of Reliance Industries tanked Rs 35,976.08 crore to Rs 13,19,808.41 crore. HDFC Bank's valuation plunged Rs 30,061.52 crore to reach Rs 8,25,024.73 crore and Kotak Mahindra Bank witnessed a decline of Rs 20,787.22 crore to Rs 3,62,953.84 crore.

8:30 am: Asian markets trade mixed on weak cues from US markets

Asian markets were trading mostly lower, tracking weak cues from the US stocks which closed sharply lower on Friday as rising bond yields and concerns about the coronavirus pandemic in Europe spooked investors sentiments. The China's Shanghai Composite was up 0.58 per cent, while the Hang Seng was trading 0.51 per cent lowerer. The Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 1.74 per cent.

8:25 am: US stocks ended lower on Friday

On Friday, Wall Street ended sharply lower as rising bond yields and concerns about the coronavirus pandemic in Europe spooked investors sentiments. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended lower by 0.71 per cent, while the S&P 500 fell 0.06 per cent. The Nasdaq Composite added 0.4 per cent to 13,525.

8:2o am: Stocks in focus

Shares of Future Retail, Adani Green, Bharti Airtel will be in focus on today's trade.

8:15 am: FII investment trends

The foreign institutional investors (FIIs) stood as net buyer in equity, but turned net seller in debt market on Friday. The net investment of equity and debt reported were Rs 1,314.19 crore and Rs -308.79 crore.