Ahead of the Railway Budget, these stocks had seen a sharp run-up. The National Stock Exchange Nifty and the BSE Sensex closed one per cent lower at 8,684 and 28,747, respectively, on Thursday..
Read our full coverage on Union Budget “This is a good (Railway) Budget. No political constituency has been spoon-fed, as no new trains have been announced. The Railway Budget has steered clear of these populist measures and emphasised the fact that resources have to be used well. All these things are a break from the past and a step in the right direction. The central theme has been effective utilisation of resources to improve Indian Railways,” said U R Bhat, managing director, Dalton Capital Advisors.
Though the Railway Budget spared the common man from a rise in fares, it increased freight rates for commodities such as urea (10 per cent), coal (6.3 per cent), cement (2.7 per cent) and iron and steel (0.8 per cent).
“The rise in freight rates comes as a part of the package. The Railways has to generate resources to fund its plans. If passenger fares have been spared, the resource mobilisation has to happen through the freight route. Despite this, transporting goods through the Railways is much cheaper than road transport. If the turnaround time and services are improved, I think the Railways has the pricing power. People will not mind paying a bit more in terms of freight rates if there is an improvement in services,” Bhat added.
The Budget also unveiled a record investment plan of about Rs 1 lakh-crore for 2015-16, besides working on a five-year plan to transform the national carrier and invest Rs 8.5 lakh-crore during this period, the funds for which will be mobilised from multilateral development banks and pension funds.
Analysts feel if the initiatives are implemented, it will help attract private sector participation in the sector.
GOING OFF TRACK | ||||
Company | 26 Feb,2015 | % chg* | Day's high | Day's low |
Cimmco | 71.20 | -7.4 | 81.85 | 69.50 |
Stone India | 79.70 | -6.1 | 86.40 | 76.80 |
Siemens | 1280.90 | -4.3 | 1369.00 | 1275.70 |
Kalindee Rail Nirman | 135.10 | -4.0 | 143.00 | 126.70 |
Container Corporation | 1518.95 | -3.5 | 1619.00 | 1502.00 |
Texmaco Rail | 135.70 | -2.5 | 143.00 | 127.30 |
Kernex Microsystems | 46.55 | 0.0 | 48.85 | 44.30 |
Titagarh Wagons | 582.10 | 0.5 | 605.00 | 536.80 |
Hind Rectifiers | 89.30 | 14.5 | 92.00 | 77.50 |
Price on BSE in Rs | ||||
*Change over previous close | ||||
Data compiled by BS Research |
Given the sharp appreciation in these stocks ahead of the event, analysts expected some profit-booking.
Prakash Diwan, director, Altamount Capital Management, said select stocks were trading at 20-25 times the FY16 earnings. “Having said that, I feel the services part (concierge services, catering, cleaning services, sanitation, safety, etc) of the Indian Railways seems to be a greater beneficiary compared to the manufacturing segment. The joint ventures with foreign partners will also take time to fructify and the results of the proposals will not be visible immediately. Going ahead, companies that have a good track record, a good scale of operations and the capability to manage bureaucracy in the Railways will benefit. Investors will gain more from investing in the stocks of such services-related companies,” he added.
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU