Markets gain on the back of strong HUL numbers

FMCG shares lead rally, IT, realty, power follow

Markets continued to trade in the positive zone, albeit on a volatile note with the Sensex gaining 50 points to 19,337. Nifty added 21 points at 5,892. Buying inteerst was visible on the FMCG sector after FMCG major, HUL came out with its annual results.

Broader markets were also in the green. The BSE mid-cap index added 0.6% at 6,315. Small-cap index added 0.2% at 6,038.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 224.75 crore on Friday as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.

Back home, there was a breakthrough in Govt-Opposition deadlock in Parliament, government sources said today, adding that the Finance Bill will likely be passed tomorrow.

BSE FMCG index surged 2% to 6,245 after Hindustan Unilever reported the annual results earlier in the day. BSE consumer durables, realty, power and IT indices added 1-2% each.

On the other hand, BSE metal index shed 1% to 8,553. Capital goods and healthcare indices also traded on a subdued note.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) moved higher by 6% to Rs 488, bouncing back 7.4% from its intra-day low, after reporting a better-than-expected 18% year-on-year (yoy) jump in standalone net profit at Rs 787 crore for the quarter ended March (Q4), on back of strong volume growth. Income from operations grew 12% at Rs 6,466 crore on yoy basis. Analysts on an average had expected sales of Rs 6,360 crore and profit of Rs 770 crore from fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) major.

Power generation firm Lanco Infratech jumped 10.09% after the firm said the litigation for a claim of AUD 3.5 billion by Perdaman Chemicals against Griffin Coal and Lanco Group in the Supreme Court of Western Australia is now at an end.

The National Green Tribunal Southern Region shifts the Sterlite case to New Delhi stating that "circumstances and intervention has not allowed the copperTribunal to proceed with the case further". Sterlite was up 1.6% at Rs 91.20.