Indices provisionally end on flat note

Key benchmark indices provisionally ended on a flat note after gyrating in positive and negative zone in intraday trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 2.72 points or 0.01% at 37,754.89, as per the provisional closing data. The Nifty 50 index rose 1.55 points or 0.01% at 11,343.25, as per the provisional closing data

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.26%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.09%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On the BSE, 1236 shares rose and 1480 shares fell. A total of 145 shares were unchanged.

Index heavyweight Reliance Industries (RIL) fell 0.41% at Rs 1,341.20. The stock hit a record high of Rs 1,361.45 in intraday today, 14 March 2019.

TCS shed 0.63%. TCS announced that it is developing solutions to drive scaled adoption of blockchain across industries, using technologies from Microsoft and R3, a leading enterprise blockchain software firm. The announcement was made during market hours today, 14 March 2019.

Wipro shed 0.37%. Azim Premji, chairman of Azim Premji Foundation, announced after market hours yesterday, 13 March 2019, that he has increased his commitment to philanthropy, by irrevocably renouncing more of his personal assets and earmarking them to the endowment, which supports the foundation's philanthropic activities. He has done this by additionally earmarking all economic benefits for philanthropic purposes, in approximately 34% of the shares in Wipro (current market value Rs 52,750 crore/$7.5 billion), held by certain entities controlled by him. This action is in addition to his earlier donations to philanthropy, which included Wipro's shares, as well as other assets owned by him. With this action, the total value of the philanthropic endowment corpus contributed by Premji is Rs 1,45,000 crore ($21 billion), which includes 67% of economic ownership of Wipro.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries gained 2.41%. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said that its wholly owned subsidiary has increased its shareholding in PJSC Biosintez, Russia, by purchasing 33,958 shares (30221 ordinary shares and 3737 preferred shares) equivalent to 11.86% of PJSC Biosintez under mandatory tender offer. Post completion of this purchase of shares, the total holding of wholly owned subsidiary company increased from 85.10% to 96.96% in PJSC Biosintez. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 13 March 2019.

On the macro front, the annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 2.93% (provisional) for the month of February 2019 (over February 2018) as compared to 2.76% (provisional) for the previous month and 2.74% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 2.75% compared to a build up rate of 2.56% in the corresponding period of the previous year. The data was released during market hours today, 14 March 2019.

Overseas, European shares rose Thursday after the British parliament voted to reject a disorderly Brexit. The UK Parliament on Wednesday voted against a no-deal Brexit, a day after lawmakers rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's revised Brexit deal in a 242-391 vote. On Thursday, they will decide on whether to request an extension to the March 29 deadline to reach a trade agreement with the European Union.

Most Asian stocks were trading higher after the European Commission agreed to changes in a Brexit deal ahead of a vote in the British parliament on a divorce agreement. U.S. stocks closed higher Wednesday, as investors parsed economic data that included stronger-than-expected durable goods orders and further signs that inflation remains subdued.

The Commerce Department report also showed core capital orders, a key measure of business investment, rising 0.8% in January after falling sharply the two months previous.

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