Sensex sprints 1,736 pts, Nifty tops 17,350 amid Russia-Ukraine peace hope

CLOSING BELL

Benchmark indices recouped all the losses incurred yesterday, and were back in the green for the year, as reports of withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukranian border soothed investor nerves. Crude oil prices also dropped around 3 per cent in the later half of the session, providing further comfort to equity investors.

Against this backdrop, the BSE Sensex index climbed 1,736 points, or 3,08 per cent, to end at 58,142 levels, off mildly from the day's high level of 58,211.

On the NSE, the Nifty50 reclaimed the 17,350-mark and closed at 17,352, up 510 points or 30.03 per cent. The index had touched a high of 17,375.

The broader market, though up in tandem with benchmarks, underperformed at the bourses. The BSE MidCap index gained 2.7 per cent and the BSe SmallCap index advanced around 2 per cent.

All sectoral indices rejoiced today with the Nifty PSU Bank and Auto indices soaring 4 per cent each. The Nifty Bank, Financial Services, IT, and Realty indices, meanwhile, gained between 3 and 3.5 per cent. 

Russia withdraws some troops

Some troops in Russia's military districts adjacent to Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying on Tuesday, a move that could de-escalate frictions between Moscow and the West.

Russia's Interfax news agency cited the ministry as saying that while large-scale drills across the country continued, some units of the Southern and Western military districts have completed their exercises and started returning to base. READ MORE

ALSO READ: Here's why you should avoid these new-age stocks

Market newsmakers
All 30 constituents on the Sensex and 48 on the Nifty index ended in the positive territory today. Tata Motors, up 6.6 per cent, was the biggest gainer todaym followed by Bajaj Finance, Shree Cement, Eicher Motors, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Finserv, SBI, and Wipro.

On the downside, Cipla lost 3.5 per cent and ONGC fell 1 per cent.

Among individual stocks, the shares of food delivery company Zomato slipped below its issue price of Rs 76 per share after they declined 8 per cent in the intra-day trade. They hit a new low of Rs 75.75, dropping 20 per cent in the past 3 days. The shares, however, recovered and ended flat.

Shares of Manappuram Finance hit 52-week low of Rs 122 after they slipped 15 per cent on the BSE in Tuesday's intra-day trade after the financier reported 46 per cent year-on-year (YoY) drop in consolidated net profit at Rs 261 crore in Q3FY22.

On the upside, shares of SpiceJet zoomed 8 per cent after the company posted net profit of Rs 23.28 crore in Q3FY22 as against a loss of Rs 57 crore in the same quarter of last year. 

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Markets at 02:30 PM

LIVE market updates: Bulls came roaring in late noon deals amid reports that some Russian forces on the Ukraine border were returning back to the military bases. The BSE Sensex surged over 1,550 points to quote around 57,950 level, while the NSE Nifty zoomed over 300 points to 17,181. Both the indices were up nearly 3 per cent each.

In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap index was up 2 per cent and the BSE SmallCap index was up little over 1 per cent.

Russia-Ukraine peace hope

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted as saying military units from the southern and western districts of Russia had already begun returning to their garrisons, a move that could de-escalate the febrile geopolitical stand-off between Russia and the west over Ukraine. READ HERE

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are set to hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday as diplomatic efforts ramp up. Fears that Russia could invade Ukraine in the coming days, a claim the Kremlin has repeatedly denied, had gripped markets on Monday.

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Markets at Lunch (01:30 PM)

LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices bounced back from a steep fall in the previous trading sessions amid even as the Russia-Ukraine crisis mounted. Buying was clearly visible in IT, private financials, FMCG majors and index heavweight Reliance Industries.

Meanwhile, the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on the country's people to fly flags and sing the national anthem in unison on February 16, a date as sugggested by select Western media that Russian could invade. READ MORE

The BSE Sensex touched a high of 57,338, and was up 890 points at 57,296. The NSE Nifty rallied 256 points to 17,099.

FMCG majors - Nestle and Hindustan Unilever were the major gainers, up over 3 per cent each. Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro and Bharti Airtel gained around 2.5 per cent each. Titan, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Maruti, Reliance, Bajaj Finance and Kotak Bank were the other prominent gainers.

Tata Steel and PowerGrid Corporation were the only two stocks in the negaive zone among the Sensex 30 shares.

The broader indices were underperforming the benchmark index. The BSE Midcap index advanced 0.9 per cent, while the Smallcap was up merely 0.3 per cent as against a strong 1.6 per cent on the BSE Sensex.



In the broader markets, Keynote Financial Services was locked at the 20 per cent upper limit. Excel Industries, sree Rayalaseema, Capital Trust, Armaan Financial Services, Mehai Technology, Manaksia, California Software, Coffee Day,l Alpa Labs,Dredging Corporation, Chemfab Alkalis, TCPL Packaging, Rushil Decor, Shemaroo, Tanla Solutions, Anant Raj, Responsive Industries, Techno Electric Engineering, Triveni Engineering, Zee Entertainment, Eicher Motors and Deepak Fertilisers were the other major gainers.

Wheras, Jindal Poly Films tumbled over 18 per cent. Repco Home Finance, Rossari Biotech, Manappuram Finance, NLC India, Polyplex Corporation, Metropolis Healthcare, Reliance Power, Artemis Electricals, Meera Industries, Weizmann, Reliance Infrastructure, Arrow Greentech, NDTV, Salona Cotspin, NRB Bearing, PC Jeweller and BPL were some of the significant losers.
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Markets at 12 noon

LIVE market updates: The headline indices strongly firmed up in noon deals and jumped 1.4 per cent. The BSE Sensex was now up 777 points at 57,183, while the NSE Nifty50 was at 17065, up 222 points. 

The up move came as Infosys, Reliance, HDFC Bank, L&T and HUL rose 1-2.6 per cent supporting the Sensex's gains. 

In line with this, the broader markets were also in the positive zone now. The BSE MidCap index was up 0.67 per cent, while the smallcap index was up 0.09 per cent.

From midcaps, Zee Entertainment, Sona Precison, LIC Housing Finance, Jubilant Food, SRF, Oracle Financial Services, Apollo Hospital, Page Industries, Aditya Birla Fashion, Ashok Leyland and Glaxosmithkline Pharma were the leading gainers, up between 2.4-5 per cent. 

All broader Nifty indices were also in green, led by gains in Nifty 100, up 1 per cent. The volatility index had cooled off by 6 per cent. 

Sector-wise, the Nifty Auto, FMCG indices were prominent gainers, up 1.7 per cent each, while IT index was the top performer, up 2 per cent. Nifty PSU Bank and Consumer Durables were the next top gainers. Nifty Metal, down 0.5 per cent, meanwhile, was the sole loser.  

Among stocks, shares of Rossari Biotech tanked 20 per cent to hit a 52-week low of Rs 915 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) after the company reported weak operational performance in December quarter (Q3FY22). The stock of the speciality chemicals has fallen below its previous low of Rs 906.65 touched on February 15, 2021. READ ABOUT IT HERE.

In Asia, shares were mixed in Tuesday trade as investors in the region continued to monitor tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Japanese stocks were unable to return to positive territory, with the Nikkei 225 down 0.8 per cent, while South Korea's Kospi index declined 1.05 per cent. Hang Seng index also shed 1.1 per cent, while Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Component were up 0.25 and 1.4 per cent. 
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Markets at 11 AM

LIVE market updates: The benchmark indices were extending gains in morning trades after paring early gains and were up to 0.7 per cent higher. The BSE Sensex was up 416 points at 56,817, while the NSE Nifty was 111 points higher at 16,954.

The gains in Sensex were being led by Infosys, Reliance, HDFC Bank, HUL and L&T, up 0.6-1.7 per cent. On the Nifty, HeroMoto Corp and Eicher Motors were the top gainers now, higher by over 2 per cent. Eicher Motors had staged a smart recovery and was up by Rs 131 on the BSE from its day's low. 

The broader markets were underperforming the benchmarks with the BSE midcap and smallcap indices trading 0.08 and 0.88 per cent lower. On the NSE, the Nifty 100 index was the top gainer, up 0.44 per cent , while Nifty midcap and Smallcap 100 indices were down 0.3 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively. 

Sectorally, the Nifty Auto, IT and FMCG indices were the leading gainers, up 1-1.3 per cent. Nifty Bank was largely flat, while Pharma, Realty, Metals and Oil & Gas indices were the top losers, down 0.12-0.8 per cent. 

Among stocks, shares of Manappuram Finance hit 52-week low of Rs 128.70 after they slipped 10 per cent on the BSE as the financier reported a 46 per cent year-on-year (YoY) drop in consolidated net profit at Rs 261 crore in December quarter (Q3FY22), due to weak operational performance. Net interest income (NII) fell 12 per cent YoY to Rs 915 crore driven by a sharp compression in spreads. READ MORE.

Further, shares of food delivery company Zomato declined 6 per cent and hit a new low of Rs 77.50 in the intra-day trade on the BSE. The stock was trading close to its issue price of Rs 76, and has dropped 18 per cent in the past 3 days after the company reported sequentially flat revenue growth at Rs 1,112 crore for October-December quarter. READ MORE.

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Markets at 10 AM

LIVE market updates: The benchmark indices pared some of their opening gains in early morning deals. The BSE Sensex was now up 104 points at 56,510 and the NSE Nifty50 was 25 points higher at 16,868 points.

HUL, Titan, Wipro, Nestle India, Tech M, Infosys, Kotak Bank, L&T, TCS and HCL Tech were leading gains on the Sensex, up between 0.7-1.7 per cent. 

Tata Steel, NTPC, IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Cipla were the top losers on the Sensex and Nifty. 

Shares of Cipla slipped 5 per cent to Rs 910 on the BSE after more than 2 per cent of the total equity of pharmaceutical company changed hands via block deal. READ IN DETAIL HERE.

In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices had slipped into red now, trading 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent lower, respectively. 

Sectorally, Nifty Metals was the top loser now, dropping 1.6 per cent, Nifty Bank, Financials, Auto, Realty and Pharma also slipped into the negative zone, trading 0.3-0.9 per cent lower. Nifty IT, too, pared gains and was now up 0.6 per cent only. 

And  among stocks, Godrej Consumer Products was up 2.7 per cent after Honasa Consumer, the parent company of Mamaearth, The Derma Co, and Aqualogica has acquired Godrej Consumers' (GCPL's) 30 percent stake in BBLUNT for Rs 84.5 crore.
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Opening Bell

LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices started trade on a positive note providing some respite to investors after a day of heavy sell-off. The BSE Sensex was up 387 points at 56,793, while the NSE Nifty was at 16,963, higher by 121 points.

Among the Sensex-30 constituents, TCS, Wipro, Bajaj Finserv, Tech M, L&T, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, HCL Tech, Titan and HUL were the top gainers. Shree Cement, meanwhile, was the top gainer on Nifty. 

On the flip side, the top losers across the two indices were Cipla, Eicher Motors, BPCL, IOC, Tata Steel and ICICI Bank, down 0.3-3.7 per cent lower. 

In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap and SmallCap indices were also in the positive territory, up 1 per cent each. 

Sectorally, the Nifty IT index was leading gains trading 1.4 per cent higher, followed by Nifty Realty, up 0.7 per cent. Other top gainer was Nifty FMCG, higher by 0.86 per cent. Oil & Gas index was the sole loser. 

Among stocks, Cipla was the top loser on the Nifty and was down 3.5 per cent. The company's promoters are said to sell up to 2.5 per cent of their stake through a block deal. 
 

Eicher Motors, too, was down 2.5 per cent after the company's Q3 earnings disappointed investors. The company posted a 14.4 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 456.13 crore on account of lower sales due to semiconductor shortage.
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Pre-open session

LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices were seen holding gains in the pre-open trades. The BSE Sensex was 296 points up at 56,703, while the NSE Nifty was at 16,926 , up 83 points. 

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LIVE market updates: The key benchmark indices are expected to open on a positive note after a huge selloff the previous day. At 8 am, the SGX Nifty futures were quoting 16,961 levels, up 120 points than Nifty's Monday spot close.

The markets, however, may still see bouts of volatility amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising oil prices. The geo-politicial tensions led to the sharp broad-based sell off on Monday with the Sensex and Nifty benchmark indices closing 3 per cent lower each. 

Meanwhile, among stocks, Adani Group stocks are likely to be in limelight post Q3 earnings of Adani Enterprises and Adani Wilmar.

This apart, Reliance Ind may also remain in focus as its subsidiary Jio Platforms will invest $200 million in lock-screen platform Glance to accelerate Glance's launch in key international markets.

Further,  Vedanta may also be eyed as it has signed a pact with electronics manufacturing services giant Foxconn to form a joint venture (JV) for manufacturing semiconductors in India.

Grasim, Coal India, MTNL, Dish Tv, Eicher Motors, PC Jeweller and Rajesh Exports are some of the other stocks to be in focus post the announcement of their Q3 results.

Global Cues

Overnight the US markets ended with marginal losses amid a highly volatile trading session. The Dow Jones slipped 0.5 per cent. The S&P 500 declined 0.4 per cent, and the Nasdaq was down 0.2 per cent.

Oil prices scaled higher as the war threat loomed. Brent crude surged 2.5 per cent to $95.46 a barrel, and WTI crude futures jumped 2.2 per cent to $93.10, a barrel.

Major markets in Asia witnessed largely subdued action this morning. Nikkei was down 0.4 per cent. Hang Seng and Straits Times were down 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent, respectively. Whereas, Taiwan was up 0.2 per cent while Shanghai Composite and Kospi were flat.