Broader market outperforms; FMCG shares edge lower

The domestic equity barometers continued to trade with small losses in mid-morning trade. The Nifty was trading below the 17,200 mark. FMCG shares were under pressure.

At 11:22 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 145.51 points or 0.25% to 57,450.17. The Nifty 50 index lost 41.20 points or 0.24% to 17,181.55.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.15% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.26%.

Buyers outnumbered sellers. On the BSE, 1647 shares rose and 1539 shares fell. A total of 137 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty FMCG index shed 0.77% to 35,521.20. The index has advanced 0.02% to end at 35,797.15 yesterday.

Tata Consumer Products (down1.70%), ITC (down 1.24%), Nestle India (down 1.20%), Marico (down 0.91%), Godrej Consumer (down 0.65%), United Spirits (down 0.56%) and Hindustan Unilever (down 0.53%) declined.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) rose 2.12% to Rs 1452.25 after the market regulator SEBI allowed exchanges having a commodity derivative segment to facilitate trading in options on commodity indices.

Bharti Airtel advanced 0.47% to Rs 709.55. The telecom company on Friday announced that it has paid Rs 8,815 crore to the Department of Telecom (Government of India) towards part prepayment of deferred liabilities pertaining to spectrum acquired in auction of year 2015. The prepayment is for instalments due in FY 2027 and FY 2028.

In the past four months, Bharti Airtel has settled Rs 24,334 crore of its deferred spectrum liabilities much ahead of scheduled maturities. These liabilities carried an interest rate of 10% and have been paid off through a combination of strong free cash generated by business, equity proceeds and significantly lower cost debt of similar tenor.

Global Markets:

Most Asian stocks traded lower on Friday. US stocks rose following choppy trading on Thursday, as investors watched western leaders present a unified front against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Technology companies lifted US stock indices after a sharp fall in the previous session.

Investors are continuing to monitor the war in Ukraine and weigh the Federal Reserve's rate hikes amid persistent inflation. NATO leaders met in Brussels Thursday to discuss increasing pressure on Russia, as Ukraine appears to be retaking ground in the war.

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that NATO would respond in kind if Russia uses weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine. The president spoke after a marathon of summit meetings with the European Union, G-7 partners and NATO allies. Biden also said he would support an effort to expel Russia from the G-20 group of economies.

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