Markets continue losing streak

Heavyweights drag

Markets continued its losing streak for the fifth consecutive day on account of weak global cues and profit booking in heavyweights like ITC, Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank. For the day the Sensex closed down 91 points at 19,660 and the Nifty slipped 30 points at 5,957.

The broader markers were no different with both the midcap and the smallcap losing 0.6% and 1% respectively.

In Asia, shares fell on Tuesday as investors took profits from recent rallies, while the yen got a respite from broad-based selling. Japan's Nikkei share average fell snapping a five-day winning streak with the Nikkei down 1.9% to 11,047. The other major loser was Hang Seng down over 2%.

European shares were largely flat as renewed worries over political risks in the euro zone trimmed demand for riskier assets for a second day. Across Europe London's FTSE 100 and Paris's CAC-40 were up 0.2-0.5%, recovering from the previous day’s sharp falls. Meanwhile, Frankfurt's DAX slipped 0.2%.

Back home, apart from Health Care index up 0.9%, all the other indices ended the day in the negative. The major losers were Consumer Durables, FMCG, Power, Metal, Oil & Gas and Bankex which slid 0.6-1.5%.

The gains in Sun Pharma up 4% which was the top Sensex gainer followed by Biocon, Glaxosmithkl Pharma and Aurobindo Pharma helped the Health Care index remain in the positive zone.

The other notable gainers among the Sensex stocks were Gail India, Bajaj Auto,SBI and TCS up 0.5-1.6%

On the other hand, BHEL, Bharti Airtel,    Sterlite, Tata Motors, ITC, Tata Power, Hero MotoCorp, ICICI Bank, Jindal Steel, Reliance Industries and Dr Reddys Lab weighed on the benchmark index, down 1-3%

Among other stocks, Wadia group-run Bombay Dyeing's stock fell nearly 8%  to close at 106 following media report which said state government did not give permission for commercial development at company's central Mumbai property.

United Spirits today rose by 2% after global liquor major Diageo Plc received market regulator Sebi's clearance for an open offer to acquire 26% stake from public shareholders of the UB group firm.

UCO Bank slumped 5% after the bank posted a sharp drop in net profit for the third quarter ended December 31, 2012.

Escorts Limited was up nearly 5% to Rs 69.95 after its net profit more than tripled to Rs 28.13 crore for the first quarter ended December 31, 2012 (Q1) due to lower raw material cost. The commercial vehicles maker had made a profit of Rs 9.07 crore in the year ago quarter.  

Kingfisher Airlines dipped 2% to Rs 12.24 after reporting a net loss of Rs 755 crore for the December 2012 (Q3) quarter of the current fiscal mainly due to finance cost of Rs 401 crore and a one-time cost of Rs 275 crore due to re-delivery of aircraft.

Jubilant FoodWorks plunged over 8% to Rs 1,041 extending its previous day’s 5.2% fall on NSE after reporting a lowest 16.1% year-on-year (YoY) growth in same store sales (SSS) in last 13 quarters during the third quarter ended December 31, 2012 (Q3).

Jain Irrigation Systems lost over 5% to Rs 68 in opening deals after reporting a net loss of Rs 31 crore for the third quarter ended December, 2012 (Q3), mainly due to unrealized forex losses of Rs 57 crore. The company had clocked a net profit of Rs 1.24 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.

The market breadth was very negative as 1383 stocks declined while 809 stocks advanced on the BSE.