Markets gain on robust Q3 earnings
Reliance Industries surge after upbaet Q3 results
Indian shares traded firm in morning session this Monday on hopes of growth recovery in Asia's third-biggest economy after better-than-expected results reported by key Sensex companies so far in the ongoing earnings season.
Of the 166 that have declared results so far, almost 80 per cent of the firms have reported growth in profits, with six reporting turnaround. Infosys, HCL Tech, Reliance Industries, YES Bank and Bajaj Auto among key ones.
At 10:05AM, the Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share index Sensex gained 76 points and traded at 20,116.04 while the National Stock Exchange's 50-share Nifty rose 15 points at 6,079.40.
Reliance Industries Ltd, owner of world's biggest refining complex in Gujarat, surged 4% after reporting its third straight quarterly net profit increase, at Rs 5,502 crore. Its gross refining margin-- at $9.6 per barrel--jumped 41 per cent as compared to the third quarter of financial year 2012.
In the results calendar, Asian Paints, HDFC, NTPC and SpiceJet will declare their third quarter performances later today.
Globally, Asian shares edged lower on Monday, ahead of the outcome of the Bank of Japan policy meeting this week amid expectations for bold monetary easing measures.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.11% to 23,627, Taiwan's Weighted index fell 0.2% to 7,718, Singapore's Straits Times was up 0.3% to 3,221 while China's Shanghai Composite added 0.4% to 2,327 and Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.85% to 10,820.
Back home, oil &gas, auto, power, capital goods, metals, PSU indexes gained while consumer durables, FMCG, bank indexes dropped on BSE.
Among key Sensex stocks, HUL and ITC dropped 1.3% and 0.2%, HDFC Bank fell 0.6%, TCS dropped 0.7%, Bajaj Auto declined 0.5% while Mahindra & Mahindra was down 0.2% on BSE.
Among gainers, ONGC, BHEL and GAIL up 0.6%, 2% and 1% respectively, Reliance Industries gained 4%, Wipro rose 1%, Sterlite Industries and Jindal Steel gained 0.8% and 0.6% , among autos, Maruti Suzuki gained 1.3% while Hero MotoCorp rose 0.6%, L&T was up 0.5% on BSE.
The other notable stock movers include, Kolte-Patil Developers that has soared 8% to Rs 136, its highest level since February 2008, after reporting almost five-fold jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 38.86 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 (Q3) on back of higher sales income.
UltraTech Cement, country's third-biggest cement maker, fell 1% as its third quarter net profit dipped marginally to Rs 601 crore from Rs 617 crore in the same quarter last year on higher raw material and logistics costs.
Oberoi Realty is trading higher by 2.3% at Rs 324 after reporting a 32% year-on-year growth in consolidated net profit to Rs 134 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2012 on back of higher sales.
Oil marketing companies extend gains after the government's decision to allow higher diesel prices: Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd is up 2.14 percent, Indian Oil Corp rises 2 percent, while Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd gains 2.8 percent higher.
State Bank of India, country's biggest lender, gained 0.7% after its (SBI) board approved a capital infusion of Rs 3,004 crore by the government through preferential allotment of shares.
The broader markets traded positive with mid-caps and small-caps up by 0.4% on BSE.
The market breadth was positive. Out of 1,763 stocks traded, 1,061 stocks advanced compared to 615 declines on BSE.