NMDC hits 52-week high after reporting FY 2014 production, dispatches data

Key benchmark indices trimmed losses in afternoon trade. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, took a U-turn after hitting fresh intraday low. The Sensex, was down 100.34 points or 0.44%, off close to 31 points from the day's high and up about 88 points from the day's low. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market was positive.

Shares of UPL hit a record high. Mining and metal stocks were in demand. Shares of state-run iron ore miner NMDC hit a 52-week high after the company unveiled provisional production and dispatches data for the year ended 31 March 2014 (FY 2014).

The Sensex edged lower in early trade as Asian stocks fell after overnight steep slide in US stocks. The Sensex languished in negative terrain in morning trade. Weakness continued on the bourses in mid-morning trade. The Sensex extended losses and hit fresh intraday low in early afternoon trade. Key benchmark indices trimmed losses in afternoon trade.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 342.75 crore on Thursday, 10 April 2014, as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.

The stock market remains closed on Monday, 14 April 2014, on account of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti.

At 13:15 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 100.34 points or 0.44% to 22,614.99. The index declined 188.44 points at the day's low of 22,526.89 early afternoon trade, its lowest level since 9 April 2014. The index fell 69.48 points at the day's high of 22645.85 in afternoon trade.

The CNX Nifty was down 30.30 points or 0.45% to 6,766.10. The index hit a low of 6,743.15 in intraday trade, its lowest level since 9 April 2014. The index hit a high of 6,779.35 in intraday trade.

The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 26.76 points or 0.37% at 7,358.04. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 54.62 points or 0.73% at 7,528.50. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market was positive. On BSE, 1,342 shares rose and 1,195 shares fell. A total of 124 shares were unchanged.

Among the 30 Sensex shares, 22 fell and the remaining shares rose. HDFC (down 1.95%), Hero MotoCorp (down 1.85%), Maruti Suzuki India (down 1.49%), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) (down 1.46%), GAIL (India) (down 1.36%), Wipro (down 1.22%), Bajaj Auto (down 1.2%), Reliance Industries (down 1.15%) and Larsen & Toubro (down 1.13%), edged lower from the Sensex pack.

Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries (up 2.24%), Tata Steel (up 1.27%), Cipla (up 1.2%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 1.02%), Bharti Airtel (up 0.74%), NTPC (up 0.61%) and HDFC Bank (up 0.6%), edged higher from the Sensex pack.

UPL jumped 4.61% to Rs 221.35. The stock hit a record high of Rs 223.50 in intraday trade.

Mining and metal stocks were in demand. Tata Steel (up 1.25%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 0.16%), Steel Authority of India (SAIL) (up 0.07%) and Bhushan Steel (up 0.02%), edged higher. JSW Steel (down 1.41%) and Hindalco Industries (down 0.46%), edged lower.

NMDC rose 1.57% to Rs 152. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 153.65 in intraday trade. The company today, 11 April 2014, said that total iron ore production rose 3% to 30.18 million tonnes in the year ended 31 March 2014 (FY 2014) over year ended 31 March 2013 (FY 2013). Despatches rose 4.39% to 30.87 million tonnes in FY 2014 over FY 2013.

NMDC said that it has rolled over the March 2014 prices of lump ore (lumps - Rs 4,500 a wet metric tonne) and fines (Rs 2,910 a wet metric tonne) to the month of April 2014.

Vedanta group firm Hindustan Zinc rose 1.48%. The company on Thursday, 10 April 2014, said its mined metal production dropped 23% to 200,000 tonnes in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013. Mined metal production rose 1% to 880,000 tonnes in the year ended 31 March 2014 (FY 2014) over the year ended 31 March 2013 (FY 2013). Production in the second half of FY 2014 was lower than what the company had planned initially due to slower than expected ramp up of underground mining projects and changes in mining sequence, wherein preference was given to primary mine development.

Integrated production of refined metal during the year was highest ever due to operational efficiencies and higher availability of smelters. Full year integrated production of zinc, lead and sliver were higher by 13%, 10% and 4% respectively, the company said.

Hindustan Zinc is a subsidiary of Sesa Sterlite.

Vedanta group firm Sesa Sterlite rose 0.78%. The company unveiled production data for Q4 and year ended 31 March 2014 during trading hours on Thursday. 10 April 2014. In Karnataka, the company resumed iron ore mining on 28 December 2013 and optimized its approved annual capacity of 2.29mtpa, which resulted in a production of 1.5mt in FY 2014. However, only 27 kt was sold during the year. At Goa, the company participated in e-auctions of inventory and sold 0.3 million tonnes in Q4 March 2014 but these were not accounted for as sales since the dispatches did not take place during the quarter. These dispatches have commenced in April.

Regarding mining in Goa, the Expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court submitted its second interim report to the Court on 24 March 2014. The Expert committee, in its report, recommended that 27.5mtpa was a sustainable extraction level in the state, but suggested that the ideal permissible limit be 20mtpa until a scientific study is completed within 12 months. The decision of the Supreme Court is awaited on this matter, the company said.

The company said that production of pig iron rose 28% to 133,000 tonnes in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013. Production of met coke rose 27% to 119,000 tonnes in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013.

Prodcution of copper cathodes rose 14% to 98,000 tonnes in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013. The full year production was 17% lower due to the temporary closure in Q1 June 2013, the comapny said.

Total aluminum production rose 2% to 200,000 tonnes in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013. Total aluminum production rose 3% to 794,000 tonnes in FY 2014 over FY 2013.

Total power sales fell 21% to 2,093 million units in Q4 March 2014 over Q4 March 2013. Total power sales fell 7% to 9,374 million units in FY 2014 over FY 2013.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar on global risk-off sentiment. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 60.2325, compared with its close of 60.07/08 on Thursday, 10 April 2014.

On the macro front, industrial production growth is seen inching up to 0.9% in February 2014, from 0.1% in January 2014, as per the median estimate of a poll of economists carried out by Capital Market. The government unveils industrial production data for February 2014 at 17:30 IST today, 11 April 2014.

The rate of inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) is seen edging up to 5.3% in March 2014, from 4.7% in February 2014, as per the median estimate of a poll of economists carried out by Capital Market. The government is scheduled to announce WPI inflation data for March 2014 at 12 noon on Tuesday, 15 April 2014.

The rate of inflation based on the consumer price index (CPI) is seen inching up to 8.2% in March 2014, from 8.1% in February 2014, as per the median estimate of a poll of economists carried out by Capital Market. The government is scheduled to announce CPI inflation data for March 2014 at 17:00 IST on Tuesday, 15 April 2014.

Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan on Thursday, 10 April 2014, said in a media interview in Washington that India is prepared for potential financial fallout if the US Federal Reserve increases interest rates before April 2015. "Nobody is prepared for every eventuality, but for most eventualities, we are prepared. For us, the specific timing matters less than that it should happen when US growth is strong," Rajan said. The Fed is "mostly" right in how it is managing monetary policy, Rajan said during a panel discussion at George Washington University, adding the central bank needs to improve communications because measures it is taking now will affect what emerging markets do in the future. Still, he said he doesn't expect a US rate increase by April 2015.

Rajan, in Washington to attend the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, also said the IMF needs to play a larger role in promoting global stability and offering liquidity to emerging markets, which often face "substantial stigma" when they approach the lender. If emerging markets are again pushed to a sustained bout of exchange-rate intervention and reserve accumulation, that will be detrimental to global demand, said Rajan, a former chief economist of the IMF.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) next undertakes monetary policy review on 3 June 2014. The RBI left its main lending rate viz. the repo rate unchanged at 8% after a monetary policy review on 1 April 2014, as consumer-price inflation eased to a two-year low and as the rupee firmed up against the dollar.

The next major trigger for the stock market is Q4 March 2014 and year ended 31 March 2014 (FY 2014) corporate earnings. Investors and analysts will closely watch the management commentary that would accompany the results to see if there is any revision in their future earnings forecast of the company for the year ending 31 March 2015 (FY 2015) and/or for the year ending 31 March 2016 (FY 2016). Indian companies will start reporting their Q4 and full year results from mid-April 2014, with Infosys announcing its results on 15 April 2014. The results season will conclude in end-May 2014.

A major near term trigger for the stock market is the outcome of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Voting for the lone Lok Sabha constituency and an Assembly by-poll in Mizoram began today, 11 April 2014. The 36 days long voting process began on 7 April 2014 and will conclude on 12 May 2014. The results will be declared on 16 May 2014 after which India will get a new government. The term of the current Lok Sabha expires on 1 June and the new House has to be constituted by 31 May.

European indices edged lower in early trade Friday, 11 April 2014, as investors fled global stocks on valuation concerns and slowdown worries about China. Key benchmark indices in UK, France and Germany were off 0.67% to 0.76%.

The Bank of England kept its key interest rate at a record low after a monetary policy review on Thursday, 10 April 2014, as policy makers try to gauge the amount of spare capacity in the economy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) also kept its asset-purchase program on hold at 375 billion pounds ($629 billion), according to a statement released in London by the central bank.

Fitch Ratings today, 11 April 2014, raised its outlook for Portugal to 'positive' from 'negative,' citing the bailed-out euro-zone nation's strong economic recovery and falling budget deficit. Fitch affirmed the country's BB+ rating and said its fiscal financing conditions have improved substantially since October 2013, the date of its last Portugal ratings review. The ratings agency raised its economic forecasts and now sees gross domestic product growth of 1.3% this year and 1.5% in 2015, sharply up from 0.2% and 1% previously. It noted that the economy grew on an annual basis for the first time in three years in the last quarter of 2013, by 1.6%.

Fitch Ratings said if Portugal's deficit reduction remained on track, with "continued economic recovery and evidence that private debt peaks and starts to gradually decline," the nation could see an upgrade to investment grade.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned leaders in Europe on Thursday, 10 April 2014, that Russia could cut supplies of natural gas to Ukraine if its unpaid bill isn't addressed, potentially disrupting deliveries to the rest of the continent. In a letter sent to leaders in countries reliant on Russian gas, Mr. Putin ramped up pressure on the fledgling government in Kiev, repeating his threat that Russia may have to take the extreme measure of making Ukraine pays in advance for the gas it uses. He called for emergency talks with Europe to resolve the matter. The bulk of Russian gas flows to Europe transit through Ukraine and disruptions there have caused continentwide problems in the past.

Asian stocks edged lower on Friday, 11 April 2014, as a selloff in US biotech, Internet and other high-growth stocks on Thursday, 10 April 2014, cut demand for riskier assets. Key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan were off 0.18% to 2.38%. In Indonesia, the Jakarta Composite index was up 0.63%.

A report today, 11 April 2014, showed Chinese consumer prices rose 2.4% in March from a year earlier, after gaining 2% in February. The nation's producer price index retreated 2.3% following the previous month's 2% drop.

China will ease restrictions on overseas investments by local firms and deals below $1 billion will no longer need approval, the country's economic planner said in another step to cut red-tape and facilitate the growth of private investment. Starting from May 8, Chinese firms planning to invest less than $1 billion will only need to register with authorities rather than seek approvals from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the commission said in a statement late on Thursday. 10 April 2014.

The NDRC said the new rules do not apply to investment projects in "sensitive countries, regions or sectors."

Currently, overseas resource-related investments above $300 million are subject to approvals by the NDRC, while the threshold for deals in other sectors is capped at $100 million.

Deals of above $1 billion will still need the approval by the NDRC, while those valued at $2 billion and above will need the approval of the State Council, China's cabinet, according to the new regulations.

Trading in US index futures indicated that the Dow could advance 20 points at the opening bell on Friday, 11 April 2014. US stocks tumbled on Thursday, 10 April 2014, with the Nasdaq Composite Index falling the most since 2011, as a technology selloff resumed amid concern valuations may be too high at the start of earnings season.

A government report on Thursday showed the fewest number of Americans since before the last recession filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, pointing to more progress in the labor market.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) next undertakes monetary policy review at a two-day meeting on 29-30 April 2014. The Federal Reserve on 19 March 2014 decided after the conclusion of a monetary policy review to trim its monthly bond purchases by $10 billion to $55 billion.

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