Share Market Highlights 28 December 2023: Sensex climbs 371 pts, settles all-time high at 72,410; Nifty ends below 21,800

India’s benchmark indexes hit fresh all-time highs on Thursday as strong domestic data lifted heavyweight financial stocks amid a global rally.

The Nifty 50 index rose 0.57% to 21,778.70 points, while the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 0.52% to 72,410.38 points.

The 50-member Nifty index has now hit a record high in 13 of 19 sessions in December. It gained over 8% so far in the month, on track for its best month since July 2022.

The Indian rupee strengthened on Thursday while far forward premiums rose to their highest in more than two months on rising expectations of the U.S. Federal Reserve easing monetary policy cycle.

The rupee closed at 83.1650 to the U.S. dollar, up from 83.3450 in the previous session. The currency posted its biggest rise in a single rise in nearly two weeks. The dollar index was at its lowest since July, and Asian currencies rose.

Kajaria Ceramics Limited announced decisions following its Board Meeting today. The Board approved an increase in the investment limits for wholly-owned subsidiary Kajaria Plywood Private Limited (KPPL) from ₹80 crore to ₹115 crore. 

However, the shares fell 0.34 per cent to ₹1,342.60 at 2.13 pm on the BSE.

Lupin Limited’s shares rose 3.25 per cent after the company secured an approval from the USFDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Application, allowing the marketing of Loteprednol Etabonate Ophthalmic Suspension-0.2%. 

The shares rose 3.25 per cent to ₹1,330.90 at 2.48 pm on the BSE.

The Central Bank of India Ltd’s shares rose 3.26 per cent after the company established a Co-Lending Partnership with Kisetsu Saison Finance (India) Private Limited, focusing on providing competitive MSME Loans. This collaboration aims to foster the expansion of portfolios for both entities. 

The shares rose 3.26 per cent to ₹50.65 at 2.20 pm on the BSE.

A subsidiary of Adani Enterprises and a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company have agreed to form a joint venture Sirius Digitech International that will focus on the digitalisation of the Indian economy.

Adani Enterprises’ subsidiary Adani Global will hold 49 per cent in the JV and the remaining will be held by IHC’s subsidiary Sirius International Holding.

Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited’s shares surged 17.62 per cent after the company formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Government of Gujarat. The MoU outlines an investment commitment of up to ₹14,500 crore to finance various Housing and Urban Infrastructure projects within the state.

The shares jumped 17.62 per cent to ₹134.57 at 1.43 pm on the BSE.

Yes Bank has reached a notable milestone in its commitment to sustainability by achieving the highest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) score amongst Indian banks in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) 2023. The bank scored 73 (out of 100) in the 2023 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, reflecting a marked improvement of 5 points over its score of 68 in 2022. This achievement reflects Yes Bank’s consistent efforts to enhance its ESG practices year after year.

In a captivating economic narrative, India’s gold market finds itself at a pivotal juncture, delicately manoeuvring through age-old traditions and modern financial evolution.

An in-depth econometric analysis sheds light on the intricate web of factors influencing the dynamics of one of the world’s largest gold-consuming nations.

India, now crowned as the most populous nation globally, holds a trump card in its youthful demographic structure. With a median age of 27, the country anticipates significant economic benefits, driven by a working-age population set to grow by approximately 7 million annually until 2041.This demographic dividend lays the foundation for robust economic expansion, rising incomes, and a burgeoning middle class, all serving as catalysts for increased gold demand.

Aluminium prices have been rising well since the middle of December. Although there was a correction in prices last week, the strong rise on Friday last week had ended that. The aluminium futures contract (January) on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) is currently trading at ₹212 per kg. The contract has surged about 8 per cent over the last couple of weeks.

Copper prices in London hovered around a five-month high on Thursday, supported by a softer dollar on bets of interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was almost unchanged at $8,693.50 per metric ton by 0702 GMT. The contract hit its highest since Aug. 1 at $8,715 in the previous session.

The most-traded February copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged up 0.2% at 69,340 yuan ($9,753.70) a ton. It hit the highest since Aug. 1 earlier in the session at 69,870 yuan. - Reuters

Tech Mahindra is set to convene its Board of Directors on January 23rd and 24th, 2024, to discuss and approve the audited standalone and consolidated financial results for the quarter and nine months ending December 31, 2023. The financial outcomes will be officially disclosed on January 24, 2024.

CRISIL Ratings: Vehicle loan AUM to vroom past Rs 8 lakh crore next fiscal

Improved asset quality to support profitability amid NIM compression

The vehicle financing assets under management (AUM) for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are poised to surge to Rs 8.1 lakh crore by March 31, 2025, from Rs 5.9 lakh crore as on March 31, 2023, marking a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~17% (see chart in annexure for details).

Asset quality will continue to improve, too, amidst sustained macroeconomic activity. Consequently, profitability will remain stable, buoyed by declining credit costs, even as higher borrowing costs over the past few quarters could compress net interest margin (NIM).

Growth will be driven by rising demand for commercial vehicles (CVs), cars, utility vehicles (UVs), and two-/three-wheelers, accompanied by bigger ticket financing and the government’s focus on infra spending.

CVs hold the lion’s share in vehicle financing AUM, constituting around 50% as on March 31, 2023, followed by cars/UVs at 29%, two-/three-wheelers at 11% and tractors at 10%.

PFB the analyst comment on Azad Engineering listing by Mehta Equities Ltd

“Despite bullish sentiment prevailing in the market has pushed markets to fresh life-time highs, the Azad Engineering stock made a below street expectation listing. We believe conservative investors are willing to book profits post listing looking at the last few listed performances which have also underperformed against street expectations.

We believe Azad’s mission and life critical components product profile create a high entry barrier which requires a long and rigorous approval process for any competitor. In the long run we see a lot of growth opportunities come through expansion plans and gaining market share globally from 1% to multifold due to larger wallet share contributions from long standing clientele like Mitsubishi Heavy, General Electric, Honeywell International, Siemens Energy and many more. We think Azad is in the right space and product profile to tap GOI focus under Make in India and the trust Azad has built in its 15 years of business operations would help the company to grow healthy in coming years.

Given the niche product profile with mission and life critical components demand along with ~80% export revenue and superior margin profile, Azad would command a higher valuation multiple. Hence, considering all the parameters, we are recommending allotted long term investors to “HOLD”. For non-allotted investors one can wait and watch for any dips post listing to accumulate and look to hold for a long term like 3-5 years’ time horizon.”

One97 Communications Ltd (OCL), the parent company of Paytm, released its 2023 Recap, presenting the company’s performance throughout the year. In the second quarter of the fiscal year 2024, Paytm facilitated 912 crore merchant transactions. 

The company reported that Paytm’s range of payment options, including QR codes, Soundbox, and mobile payments, has contributed to its revenue in in-store transactions. Over 92 lakh Paytm-powered devices, such as Soundbox and Card Machines, were in use by merchants during the same quarter.

Bank credit is expected to grow at 12-13 per cent in FY25 led by the services and retail segments. However, this would be lower than the 15.4 per cent year-on-year growth registered in FY23 and 16.5 per cent as of December 1, 2023, according to ICRA Ratings.

“Incremental credit expansion has been robust so far, at Rs 15.5 lakh crore (for FY24 till December 1), against Rs 18.2 lakh crore in FY23. However, as we look beyond this year, tight liquidity conditions would eventually weigh down on growth,” said Aashay Choksey, Vice President, ICRA.

Coromandel International: Company Received Directions from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Company Shall Restart the Ammonium Phosphate Potash Sulphate Plant and Other Allied Units

DroneAcharya and TCS have entered a significant partnership aimed at co-developing 5G-driven Drone Solutions, emphasizing Telecom, Warehousing, and Energy sectors. This collaboration underscores the fusion of 5G technology with drones, enabling faster and more reliable data transmission. 

PTC India Ltd’s shares were up 1.91 per cent after the company entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Nasmyth (UK) to collaborate on providing solutions to defence and aerospace customers, both in India and on a global scale. The partnership aims to develop expertise in casting, machining, assembly, and thermal precision engineering.

Bank Nifty index has come down from the day’s high but is still in green for the day. The index made an intraday high of 48,636 and has come down from there. It is currently trading at 48,410, up 0.25 per cent. The advance/decline ratio is at 8:4. This is positive.

India’s largest private port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has moved one step closer to returning to the corporate bond market, as it has received ratings earlier this week for a planned debt issue.

Rating agency ICRA has assigned AA+ rating for 100 billion rupees ($1.20 billion) of bonds of the company, while India Ratings and Research has assigned AA+ rating to bonds worth 50 billion rupees, according to ratings notes.

While ICRA said its rating factors in the company’s strong business profile, India Ratings said it continues to take a consolidated view of the company and its subsidiaries. - Reuters

Ramky Infrastructure Ltd. corrects Board Meeting Outcome: Visakha Pharmacity sale at ₹165.24 crore.

A typo in the earlier announcement reported a purchase consideration of ₹288.36 crore for the sale of Visakha Pharmacity Limited. The corrected value stands at ₹165.24 crore, with “Brij Gopal Construction Company Private Limited” as the successful bidder. This decision, subject to shareholder approval, includes the sale of 100% shares and the appointment of Mr. P. Eshwar Reddy as an Independent Director. 

Sheetal Diamonds Ltd. plans a Rs. 49.95 Crore preferential issue to fund nationwide retail expansion. The company aims to boost retail presence through equity allotment at Rs. 60 per share. Proposed name change to ‘RAJNISH RETAIL LIMITED’ accompanies an authorized capital increase to Rs. 15,50,00,000. The visionary behind Rajnish Wellness Ltd., Mr. Rajnishkumar Singh, leads the change post-acquisition. With a robust background in retail and strategic leadership, Singh’s entry marks a significant shift in the company’s trajectory.

​Paisalo Digital Limited has​ disclosed the allotment details of their Secured Rated Listed Redeemable Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs). The Operations and Finance Committee, via resolution dated December 28, 2023, allotted 1800 NCDs with a face value of Rs. One Lakh Each. The debentures have a tenure of 15 and 18 months from the allotment date, offering an interest of 9.95% per annum. Secured by a first-ranking Pari-passu charge on loan receivables, these NCDs are scheduled for one-time payment on maturity, redeemable at par on March 28, 2025, for 1200 NCDs, and June 28, 2025, for the remaining 600 NCDs.

Shrey Jain, Founder and CEO SAS Online - India’s Deep Discount Broker*

Indian stocks are reaching new highs, buoyed by optimism surrounding the nation’s macroeconomic fundamentals and robust global market trends. Currently, Nifty is at 21,700, with Bank Nifty surpassing 48,400.

Looking at the technical side, Nifty50 is expected to stay supported between 21,575 and 21,600. The 21,800 Call strike has a lot of interest with about 82 lakh shares. On the other hand, the 21,500 Put strike is also significant with around 135 lakh shares. For Bank Nifty, a strong support range is between 48,000 and 48,150. The 48,500 Call strike has meaningful interest with about 26 lakh shares. Meanwhile, on the Put side, the 48,000 strike has a considerable interest of around 36 lakh shares. 

Overall market sentiments are positive, FIIs have made substantial purchases, once again, adopting a “buy on dip” strategy is advisable.

Hindustan Zinc received an order from the Deputy Commissioner, State Tax, pertaining to GST demands for the fiscal year 2017-18. The demand, totaling Rs. 28,82,60,754, was raised due to interpretational issues under the relevant provisions of the Rajasthan Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (RGST Act, 2017).

KEC International Ltd., an RPG Group Company, announced new orders worth Rs. 1,566 crore across diverse sectors. This includes Transmission & Distribution projects in India and the Americas, encompassing 400/220 kV transmission lines and 220/132 kV GIS & AIS Substation orders in India, alongside the supply of Towers, Hardware, and Poles in the Americas. Additionally, the company secured orders in the civil segment for a commercial building project in India and an order for composite works for an oil terminal station in India in the Oil & Gas Pipelines sector. Moreover, KEC secured orders for various cable supplies in both India and overseas in the cables segment.

Azad Engineering Limited has been listed on the BSE. Rakesh Chopdar, Chairman & CEO of Azad Engineering, along with Subhash Kelkar, Chief Information Officer of BSE, rang the BSE Bell to commemorate the listing.

Nifty 50 continues to move higher. The index touched a new high of 21,759 and has come down from there. It is currently trading at 21,720, up 0.3 per cent.

The price action today is going to be very important. The region between 21,700 and 21,750 is an important resistance zone. Nifty has to breach 21,750 decisively in order to move further higher.

After a series of rate hikes that have taken the repo rate up by 250 basis points until April 2023, interest rates in India seem to be on a long pause. From here, government bond yields look unlikely to rise significantly, but can decline in future. 

This makes it a good time to buy debt funds which invest in medium to long duration bonds. Should interest rates fall from current levels, investors can benefit both from interest receipts and capital gains from rising bond prices.

NSE Nifty was up by 0.44 per cent or 95.80 to 21,750.55 points, while the BSE Sensex was at 72,391.30 up by 0.49 per cent or 356.61 points.

A total of 3,141 stocks were actively traded, 1,949 advanced, while 1,092 declined and 100 stocks remained unchanged where 193 stocks hit a 52 week high and 12 stocks hit a 52 week low at 10 am on Thursday. 

Suzlon Group, a leading renewable energy solutions provider in India, secured an order to develop a 300 MW wind power project for Apraava Energy Private Limited. The project in Karnataka involves installing 100 wind turbine generators (WTGs) with a rated capacity of 3 MW each, utilizing the larger rated 3 MW, S144‐140m turbines from Suzlon’s product series. The agreement includes equipment supply, project supervision, commissioning, and comprehensive post-commissioning operations and maintenance services by Suzlon.

Route – Tender 

Buyback Price: 850/- 

Current Market Price: 719.00 /- 

Market Cap: Rs 3,054crores 

Buyback Size: ₹125 Crs (Representing 15.18 % and 15.17 % of the aggregate of the Company’s fully paid-up equity capital and free reserves) 

Buyback Size: 14,70,588 shares (Representing 3.46 % of O/s. shares) 

Retail Quota: 2,20,588 Shares 

Entitlement: 

General Category - 8 Equity Share for every 265 Equity Shares held on the Record Date 

Retail Category - 5 Equity Share for every 29 Equity Shares held on the Record Date 

Buyback Record Date: 15 December 2023 

Tender Period: 

Start Date - 21 December 2023 

Close Date - 28 December 2023 (Today) 

Obligation Date - 03 January 2023 

Settlement Date - 04 January 2023

Azad Engineering, the manufacturer of forged components, made a solid debut on the stock market, listing at Rs 720 per share, a substantial 37% premium over its IPO price of Rs 524. While this performance demonstrates strong investor interest, it falls short of the pre-listing excitement that anticipated a potentially higher rise. Azad Engineering’s successful listing signifies its strong fundamentals and growth potential. For investors seeking exposure to the manufacturing sector with high growth potential, Azad Engineering offers a compelling opportunity, and existing investors in the IPO may consider holding their shares. However, a cautious approach is advised due to the full valuation and potential risks, and thus a stop loss of around 650 is recommended.

The Board of Directors of the Shree Digvijay Cement will convene on January 19, 2024, to review and sanction the unaudited standalone & consolidated financial results for the quarter & nine months ending December 31, 2023, as per Regulation 29(1)(a) of the SEBI Listing Regulations, 2015. Additionally, the trading window for dealing in the company’s securities will remain closed from January 1, 2024, to January 21, 2024, in accordance with the Company’s Code of Conduct on Prevention of Insider Trading and SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015, affecting all Directors/Connected Persons/Designated Persons.

L&T Construction’s Power Transmission & Distribution segment secures significant contracts in the Middle East. In the UAE, it clinched a project encompassing the design, supply, construction, and testing of a 400/132kV Substation with Transformer, Reactor, and Substation Control Systems. Meanwhile, in Kuwait, the company obtained an order for 400kV Overhead Transmission Lines along with Underground Cable interconnections, spanning over 100KM to aid power generation and evacuation. Additionally, the business secured further contracts for ongoing substation projects in the region.

Top gainers on the NSE at 10 am include- Hero Motocorp Ltd (1.01%), Bajaj Finserv Ltd (1.31%), SBI life insurance company ltd (1.61%), NTPC limited (1.18%), Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (1.10%)

Top losers on the NSE at 10 am include - Dr. Reddy laboratories Ltd (-0.44%), Asian paints Ltd. (-0.40%), Larsen and Toubro Ltd (-0.06%)

The rupee appreciated 8 paise to 83.26 against the US dollar on Thursday, tracking a weak American currency against major overseas rivals and positive cues from domestic equity markets.

According to forex traders, the Indian currency strengthened on the back of massive equity buying by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs). However, volatility in crude oil prices resisted a sharp gain in the Indian currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 83.33 and gained further to 83.26 against the greenback, registering a rise of 8 paise from its previous close.

Swan Energy on Wednesday said it has made a ₹40-crore repayment of debt towards its entire fund-based facilities of the textile unit to the consortium of banks led by Union Bank of India

FIIS F & O : RS. CRS. : 

TOTAL NET BUY : +22414 😃😃

INDEX FUT. : -488 

INDEX OPT. : +19812

STOCK FUT. : +2903

STOCK OPT. +187

🔹SEC. IN F&O BAN FOR, 28-DEC-23 :

\u0009

1.\u0009NATIONALUM 2.\u0009RBLBANK

ADDITION : NIL

DELETION : BALRAMCHIN, DELTACORP, HINDCOPPER

🔹INSTL. INVEST. EQUITY CASH PROV. TRADES AS ON : 27-DEC-2023 : 

FIIS : BUY +2926 (10,654-7,728) 😃

DIIS : SELL -192 (9,136-9,328) ☺️

BSE SENSEX : +701 (72,038)🔼 

NSE NIFTY : +213 (21,655)🔼

BSE MIDCAP. : +147 (36,287)🔼

BSE SMLCAP. : +84 (42,287)🔼

B. CRUDE : $ 80.52 ↔️ 😳

GOLD: $ 2,080=INR 65,500(10gr)🔼 😊

SILVER : RS. 79,500 (kg)(5pm)🔽☺️ 

FOREX : RS. $ 83.35 🔽 ☺️

7.18%NEW ‘33: 7.2074%(99.80)🔼☺️

7.18%GOI ‘37: 7.32% (98.80)🔼☺️

NLC India, the public sector mining and power generation company, is putting up a ₹4,350 crore lignite-to-methanol plant. When the plant starts methanol production, it will save ₹1,000 crore worth of crude imports annually, NLC India’s Chairman and Managing Director, M Prasanna Kumar, told businessline today. 

The plant will produce 400,000 tonnes of methanol using 2.5 million tonnes of lignite. 

NLC has been assured that it would get ₹600 crore viability gap funding from the government, but Kumar expects the funding to go up to ₹1,000 crore, given that certain conditions for the additional funding have been met. 

Gold prices surged to a three-week high as the U.S. dollar and bond yields reached multi-month lows, driven by increasing speculation that the U.S. central bank will initiate interest rate cuts as early as March next year. Bullion appeared poised to secure its best year in three, with a 14% gain, fueled by safe-haven inflows amid the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and growing expectations of U.S. rate cuts. Traders are now pricing in an 88% chance of monetary policy easing in March, according to the CME FedWatch tool, following cooler inflation data.

Although most listed Indian chemical companies talk about completion of inventory destocking and normalization of demand, our channel checks suggest that we are almost a year away. Further, our research shows that China is amassing capacities across chemicals, resulting in what one may call China 2.0 instead of China+1. In pyroxasulfone, where Indian players like PI Industries, Crop Science, Best Agro are present, China appears to have announced new capacities of 4k mtpa in 2023 alone (Global demand itself is 3,500mtpa). Similarly, for L-glufosinate (UPL, Insecticides India and several others), a total of 30k mtpa of capacity has been announced in 2023. Additionally, 20k mtpa is already under construction. Global demand is ~120k mtpa. Similar story plays out in other chemicals too. We remain cautious on the chemical space & industry revival could take longer than expected. 

Metals & Mining Price Trends: Indian benchmark HRC prices (ex-Mumbai) remained flat WoW at Rs 55,000/t. The spot spreads have reduced to Rs 18,925/t from Rs 19,658/t a week ago. The domestic steel prices continue to trade a discount compared to global peers on import parity basis. Input prices increased sharply this week as 62% iron ore fines stood at USD 140/t (+3.4% WoW) while coking coal stood at USD 327/t (+3.3% WoW). China has imposed 3% import tariff on coking coal coming from countries other than Australia and ASEAN, which could provide support to the commodity’s price. As we enter the construction season, prices are expected to firm up in the domestic market. India is expected to benefit from pricing benefits given the Govt. is looking to curb imports. Top picks: JDSL, JSP and HNDL. 

L&T (CMP: Rs3545) Construction arm wins major contract (Rs50bn - 100bn) as turnkey EPC contractor to establish various systems related to renewable energy generation & utilities for the AMAALA project in Saudi Arabia. L&T has seen order inflows of Rs1.5trn in H1FY24 (up 65% YoY) & is confident of surpassing its earlier guidance of 10-12% order inflow growth for FY24. Stock is currently trading at a PE of 30.9x/26.6x FY25/26e, we have a Buy rating.

Upgrade to buy, TP Rs 1440

Underappreciated margin levers 

Domestic business – stability of in-licensed portfolio, MR productivity improvement to aid margins 

Formulations ex India & US – underappreciated scale up in recent years 

US biz– multiple offsets to gSuprep, gPrezista competition; gSpiriva Rx to ramp up materially 

Consensus est. imply 16% margins in 2HFY24 & continue to remain conservative even in FY25/FY26 at 18%/19%

Buy, TP Rs 430

Robust vol growth & strong demand to drive performance 

E-auctions to drive performance; prices to remain elevated 

Growing railway capacities & 1st Mile Connectivity Projects to assist higher vols 

Robust power demand provides long-term visibility

Buy Call, Target Rs 452

Uptick In Hospital Margins To Trigger Re-Rating 

Over FY23-26, Expect Co To Deliver Rev/EBITDA/PAT CAGR Of 10%/16%/16% 

Expect EBITDAM Expanding To 20% Over FY23-26 

EBITDAM Partially Aided By Divestment Of Underperforming Assets 

EBITDAM Partially Aided By RoCE/RoE Inching Up To 10%/13% 

See Sufficient Room For EBITDA Growth 

Trends To Sustain In Medium Term As Well 

Initiate Buy, Target Rs 1,000

With Robust Cap Adequacy Of 59.4%, See No Need Of Dilution Over the Next Five Yrs 

Co Has Clocked Approx 8.5% RoAs In H1FY24 

Current Leverage Stands At 2.0x Resulting In RoEs Of 17% 

With Strong Loan Growth, RoAs Could Possibly Come Down From Current Levels 

Stock Currently Trades At 2.7x On FY26 Book & 16x On FY26 EPS 

Buy Call, Target Rs 1,225

NIMs Can Be Under Pressure, There Have Been Structural Improvements Though 

In Current Rate Environment, NIM Should Settle At 4.2-4.3% 

Loan Demand & Growth Remains Strong Led By SME Followed By Retail & Corp 

From Cyclical Lows, Credit Cost To Inch-Up 

Normalization Is Still Some Distance Away 

As Of Now Bank Is Not Looking To Dip Into Excess Provisioning Buffers 

Investments Could Continue, On A High Base 

Cost Growth Could Provide Some Leeway In FY25 & Help Profitability 

Buy Call, Target Raised To Rs 150 From 93

Company Undergoing Radical Changes 

Co Is Setting Up 3 GW Of RE Generation Plants 

Re Plants Service Kolkata & Noida Circles 

Phase Wise Contribution Will Add `600 Cr/GW Of EBITDA By FY26 

Chandrapur–600 MW Can Add Yet Another Rs 600 Cr In FY26 EBITDA 

Two Months Back, APR Allowed Liquidation Of Rs 600 Cr For 2019 Regulatory Claims 

This Will See Further Liquidations In Days Ahead 

Sell Call, Target Rs 2,080

Demand Environment Hasn’t Changed Vs Start Of The Quarter; 

Deal TCV To Revenue Conversion Cycle Remains Elongated; 

Organic Growth In Q3 Will Likely Be Muted Given Higher Furloughs 

Rev Contribution From Acquisition Likely To Be Lower Than Annual Run Rate 

Margin Impact From Acquisition To Be Slightly Higher 

Confident Of Maintaining Margin (Ex-M&A) In the 15.25-16.25% Range For FY24

Overweight Call, Target Rs 575

Agrochemicals Makes Up One-third Of Co’s Revenue 

Start-up Of Supplies Under The Contract Will Steadily Improve Asset Turns 

Supplies Under The New Contract Could Be Earnings Accretive 

Contract Implies Annual Revenue Of $40 m 

Contract Implies 3-4% Accretion To EBITDA Over FY25-26 Assuming Margin Of 18% 

Contract Implies 6-7% Accretion To Earnings Over FY25-26 Assuming Margin Of 18%

On Thursday, India’s key indices, the Sensex and Nifty, sustained their upward trajectory, persisting at record levels. Positive global markets and robust domestic macro data are expected to bolster confidence. Nevertheless, experts cautioned about potential market volatility due to the monthly NSE derivative contract settlements. 

During early trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex ascended by 175.91 points, reaching 72,214.34, while the NSE Nifty saw an increase of 51.30 points, reaching 21,706.05.

Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said healthy macro data and rallies in global markets helped Nifty make new highs even during the holiday season. While the derivative’s monthly expiry on Thursday may infuse some volatility, the undertone remains bullish, with the market making steady gains in the last few weeks, said

Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities, said: strong global market undercurrent coupled with India’s robust macro performance in the past few quarters gave investors ample ammunition to go ballistic on India’s equities as Sensex reached a new milestone level of 72k mark led by gains in banking, auto and metal stocks.

“The rally came despite worries over the ongoing conflict at Gaza and attacks on ships at Red sea, while hopes of rate cuts in the US next year and receding worries of recession in developed economies going ahead dictated the optimistic mood,” he added.

Asian stocks are mixed in early deals on Thursday, with Japan and Taiwan stocks declining even as equities across Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia traded in the green.

“Looking at the daily chart, Nifty had a volatile session but managed to make a new record high of 21,675.55 and closed above 21,600. It formed a strong bullish candle on the chart with good volume, indicating a strong bullish momentum in the index. Overall, Nifty is maintaining a strong bullish trend with support levels at 21,500 and 21,400. Positional traders are advised to hold Nifty with a stop loss at 21,350,” said Mandar Bhojane, Equity Research Analyst, Choice Broking.

According to Open Interest (OI) data, the highest OI on the call side is 22,000, followed by 21,800 strike prices. On the put side, the highest OI is at the 21,500 strike price. This indicates the levels where options traders have the highest exposure, said Bhojane.

Avdhut Bagkar of StoxBox anticipates a positive start for Indian shares following Wall Street’s near-record highs and Fed rate cut speculations. Zomato’s GST notice could impact the market. Nifty Futures show extreme bullishness but caution is advised with rising VIX. Support: 21590-21500-21440, Resistance: 21700-21800-21850.

US market eked out modest gains overnight as the yield on the ten-year note fell to its lowest level in five months after a strong auction, adding to optimism that the Fed will start cutting interest rates soon. Meanwhile, US Reports on weekly jobless claims and pending home sales may attract some attention on Thursday. Indian shares look set to open on a positive note Thursday after Wall Street stocks inched closer to record highs overnight on dovish Fed bets. On the stock-specific news, Zomato will be in focus as the food delivery giant has received a show cause notice from GST authorities amounting to a tax liability of Rs. 401.7 crores. However, Domestic market on Thursday, oil prices, foreign fund flow, and F&O expiry of the December derivatives series will guide the markets.

The 50 index trended strongly following a gap up opening and marked a new life-high of 21675. With this the January and February Nifty Future closed at premium of 200 and 340 points than spot indicating extreme bullish sentiments. The VIX made a new 180 day high after a 6% higher close in the previous trading session warranting a cautious approach going forward. 

Supp: 21590-21500-21440

Res: 21700-21800-21850

The gap in the remuneration between top executives and average employees is the widest in the case of Small Finance Banks (SFBs), according to RBI.

In the case of SFBs, the MD & CEO’s’ remuneration was 58.1 times the average employee pay in 2022, per RBI’s “Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2022-23”.

In the case of private sector banks (PVBs) and public sector banks (PSBs), the MD & CEOs’ remuneration was 26.1 times and 2.4 times, respectively, the average employee pay in 2022.

Inox Wind Energy: Company Receives ‘No Objection’ from BSE and NSE for Scheme of Arrangement with Inox Wind Limited

Bata India Ltd. (BIL) is the largest retailer and leading manufacturer of footwear in India, with 2,150 retail store presence in 725 cities (Dec 2023).

We upgrade our rating to BUY with a target price of Rs.1,870, considering the improvement in margins.

Revenue declined by a 1.3%YoY in Q2FY24, partially impacted by the shift in the festive season and lower demand in the mass segment. BIL expects growth in both mass and premium segments, with premium portfolio growing 1.5x of overall growth.

Gross margin improved by 300bps to 58% while EBITDA margin improved by 280bps to 22.2%, aided by improved channel mix, lower discount, and inventory management.

BIL focuses on an asset light expansion strategy and targets ~500 franchisees by 2024, already opened 476 stores across 412 towns.

BIL has recently signed comprehensive licensing & manufacturing agreement for globally renowned fashion brand ‘Nine West’ and has also forayed into apparel segment (Power brand), currently in 62 stores.

Given its strong brand recall & reach, we believe, BIL can revive its revenue growth trajectory. We value BIL at 44x on FY26 EPS.

IRDAI AR FY23: Return to normalcy/regulatory developments for LT growth

Emkay Global Financial

Insurance regulator IRDAI published its Annual Report for FY23 on 27-Dec-2023. Overall, the report provides a summary of events in the insurance sector and noteworthy developments both, locally and globally, during the year. FY23 marks the return of normalcy to claims in life and health post the havoc caused by the Covid-19 Delta wave in the life & health insurance sector in FY22, which was witness to a major spike in claims ratios. FY23 also marks the making of a number of significant regulatory developments by the IRDAI towards achieving its goal of ‘Insuring India by 2047’. The ‘Expense of Management and Payment of Commission Regulations 2023’ were enacted in FY23 and will come into force in FY24. Some notable works-in-progress are the concept of ‘Trinity of Bima Sugam, Bima Vahak and Bima Vistaar’ for expanding the insurance reach and plans for implementation of Risk-based Capital (Ind-RBC) and IFRS (Ind-AS)

Philip Cap on Godrej CP: Maintain Buy on Company, raise target price at Rs 1350/sh (Positive) 

Antique on CESC: Maintain Buy on Company, raise target price at Rs 150/sh (Positive) 

Spark on Lupin: Upgrade to Buy on Company, raise target price at Rs 1440/sh (Positive) 

DAM on Fortis: Maintain Buy on Company, target price at Rs 452/sh (Positive) 

DAM on Fine Star: Initiate Buy on Company, target price at Rs 1000/sh (Positive) 

DAM on ICICI Bank: Maintain Buy on Bank, target price at Rs 1225/sh (Positive) 

Citi on MPhasis: Maintain Sell on Company, target price at Rs 2080/sh (Neutral) 

MS on Aarti Ind: Maintain Overweight on Company, target price at Rs 575/sh (Neutral)

Swan Energy has has made a ₹40-crore repayment of debt towards its entire fund-based facilities of the textile unit to the consortium of banks led by Union Bank of India

Tata Power has signed a Share Purchase Agreement and acquired 100 percent equity stake in Bikaner III Neemrana II Transmission.

• NATIONALUM

• RBLBANK

RBI’s December policy language exhibited a less hawkish tone.

Liquidity remained in deficit for the fourth consecutive month. 

Government spending and FPI inflows may ease liquidity conditions. However, liquidity is likely to remain tight in accordance with RBI’s “withdrawal of accommodation” stance.

Combined central and state government borrowings (excluding T bills) increased 15% YoY in 8MFY24.

In 8MFY24, CD issuances rose ~10% YoY, CP issuances declined ~4% YoY and corporate bond issuances rose ~28% YoY.

Net FPI debt inflows reached ~USD 5.7 billion in 8MFY24, the highest level in five years – aided by low U.S. interest rates and debt purchases ahead of India’s inclusion in the bond index next year.

We expect RBI to start rate cuts after Q1 FY25.

10Y GSec yield is expected to trade between 7.00-7.25% in the near-term.

Shares of Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering will be listed at the bourses today. The company, whose IPO saw overwhelming response from all category of investors, has fixed the issue price at ₹524, at the upper end of the price band ₹499-525. The IPO was subscribed over 83 times.

The ₹740-crore from Hyderabad-based Azad saw the quota set aside for retail investors receiving bids for 24.51 times, while that for of non-institutions 90.24 times. QIBs portion was subscribed a whopping 179.64 times. The issue also has a reservation for employees and thier quota was subscribed 14.71 times.

Tejas Networks, country’s largest R&D-driven telecom equipment company, designs and manufactures wireline/wireless networking products.

We expect Tejas to execute orders worth at least ₹29,200 crore over FY24-28, and generate revenue/EBITDA above ₹30000 crore/₹6,000 crore, respectively, led by the BSNL and BharatNet projects. We see revenue peaking in FY25 and settling at about 5x FY24 levels.

Strides Pharma Science Ltd. (STAR) is an R&D focussed, vertically integrated pharmaceutical company with an experienced management team having presence across multiple therapeutic segments.

Strides reported its H1FY24 consolidated revenue at ₹1,929 crore (5 per cent y-o-y) with continued momentum in both the US and regulated markets. The US markets witnessed a 17.1 per cent y-o-y growth in H1-FY24.

As per the circular, investors must either choose a nominee/s or explicitly opt out of nomination by submitting a declaration before the new deadline.

As senior-level attrition skyrockets in the IT industry, driving talent shifts among peer companies, Indian giants Infosys and Wipro appear locked in an impasse with international rival Cognizant, squarely in each other’s crosshairs.

Bengaluru-based IT firm Wipro filed a lawsuit in Bengaluru Civil Court against Jatin Dalal, who quit as Chief Financial Officer (CF0) in September and went to assume the role of CFO at rival firm Cognizant.

The company has also filed a case against Mohd Haque, its former senior vice president (SVP) and head of healthcare and medical devices for the Americas, alleging that he violated non-compete agreements by taking a position as the SVP and head of the life sciences business unit at Cognizant, per reports.

Century Plyboards (India) Ltd, a leading manufacturer of wood panel and decorative products, said its ₹550-crore greenfield factory project is proceeding well and the company is hopeful of commissioning it by FY25.

“The pace of work is good and we are looking to start the plant within FY25 and we are bullish on the particle board capacity expansion project,” Keshav Bhajanka, Executive Director of the company, told businessline.

Lupin has received approval from the USFDA for its abbreviated new drug application for Loteprednol Etabonate Ophthalmic Suspension.

Dabur India said that the dissolution of the company’s subsidiary Dabur Tunisia is delayed till December 31, 2024, as the response from the Reserve Bank and authorities in Tunisia on the matter is still awaited.

One 97 Communications, owners of Paytm app, said merchant payments worth Rs 912 crore were made using Paytm in Q2 FY24.

Buzzing Stocks: Reliance Capital, IndusInd bank, IDFC, IDFC First Bank, LIC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Canara Bank, South Indian Bank, Vedanta, Zomato, Adani Total Gas, PCBL, CESC, Apollo Hospitals, Affle India, PTC Industries, Exide India, GE Power, Petronet LNG, Ucal, Confidence Petroleum, La Tim Metal

IRB Infrastructures Ltd said that Samakhiyali Tollway Private Limited has received the appointed date from competent authority and SPV has commenced toll collection and construction on the Project w.e.f. December 28, 2023.

The share price of the public sector mining and electricity generation company, NLC India, hit a historic high of ₹266 today, before closing at ₹253.15, on the NSE. 

As many as 2.27 crore shares worth ₹585 crore changed hands on the exchange today. 

Power generation companies are favoured today due to the growing demand for electricity and the government’s plan to build 89 GW of coal and lignite-fired projects by 2030. 

Here are the key intraday supports and resistances to watch out for Nifty Futures, RIL, ONGC, TCS, Infosys, HDFC Bank, SBI, and ITC

5paisa Capital’s stock has been on a rally since April. It bounced off the support at ₹275. Over the past few trading sessions, the stock has been stuck in a range. But the trend did not reverse. On Tuesday, the stock broke out of the upper band of the range at ₹530. Although there was not much change in price on Wednesday, the uptrend remains intact.

BSE Sensex-30 (P/E 25.44) + 702 (72,038) 🔼😊

BSEmidcap-150 (P/E 28.14) + 38 (12,500) 🔼🙂

BSE small cap-250 (P/E 26.78) + 19 (5,638) 🔼🙂

Nifty-50 (P/E 23.14) + 213 (21,655) 🔼😊

Bank Nifty (P/E 16.56) + 557 (48,282) ↗️😊

Fii Cash - 192 Crs 😑

Dii Cash + 2,926 Crs ☺️

10 Yrs G’Sec. Benchmark 7.18 GS-2033 (Rs. 99.80) YTM 7.2074 % 🔼☹️

Call 6.81 % (6.81 %) ↔️😶

TREP 6.78 % (6.79 %) 🔽😐

REPO 6.81 % (6.81 %) ↔️😶

3mth T- Bill 6.97 % 🔽🫤

Brent Crude 80.e5 $/brl ₹. 6,259 ↔️

Gold Comex 2,067 $/oz ₹/10 gms 63,315 🔼

Silver Comex 24.39 $/oz 74,934 ₹/kg 🔽

ForeX

$/₹ 83.34 🔽😕

€/₹ 92 17 🔽🙁

£/₹ 106.22 🔽☹️

Baltic Exchange Dry Index (2,094) Closed

DJIA Future + 5 (37,550) 🔼😐

US Tech 100 Future + 21 (16,99) 🔼🫤

Asian Granito: Mehul Shah, CFO

Expect To Scale Rs. 6000 Cr In Revenue By 2030,’ Mehul Shah, CFO, Asian Granito

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBCDF4r3g7M

Bikaji Foods: Rishabh Jain, CFO

We Are Targetting FY24 Volumes At Approx 18% Vs 10.5% In H1: Bikaji Foods International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz1dHxuD7og

Happy Forgings Ltd: Ashish Garg, Managing Director

Happy Forgings: Steady Growth, Expanding Exports & Sustainable Margins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRvdWviHzY8

RailTel Corp: Sanjai Kumar, CMD

Signalling Opportunity Is Of ?1 Lk Cr. We Will Focus On Govt Receivables In Coming Years: RailTel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HruwfPLVA6M

RBZ Jewellers: Harit Zaveri,, Joint Managing Director

RBZ Jeweller’s Growth Roadmap | Glittering Growth Ahead?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5I-eiJblhY

Wipro: Jatin Dalal, CFO

Wipro Files A Suit In Bangalore Civil Court Against Former CFO Jatin Dalal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RfNaNgBKJ0

BANDHAN BANK: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, MD&CEO

Bandhan Bank’s Future Strategy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKMjYr3s2UQ

JBM Auto: Nishant Arya, ED

Targetting To Deliver 2,000 e-Buses In FY24 & 3,000 Buses By H1 Next Year: JBM Auto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9n9aLksQDc

J Kumar Infra: Nalin Gupta, MD

J. Kumar Infraprojects: Eye On Demand Drivers;Project Completion Timeline & Vision 2027

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCdUqB_oLkc

Minda Inds: Sunil Bohra, ED&CFO

UNO Minda Commissions New Auto Seats Plant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E-JvtQ_jqE

Events today…

https://www.researchbytes.com/Default.aspx?cc=event

Results today…

https://www.researchbytes.com/Default.aspx?cc=result

Replays available at www.researchbytes.com

19:00 U.S. Unemployment Claims (Expected: 211k versus Previous: 205k) 

20.30 U.S. Pending Home Sales m/m (Expected: 0.8% versus Previous: -1.5%)

Equities across Asia are experiencing subdued trading early Thursday despite the US equity market edging closer to a record high fueled by expectations of Federal Reserve interest-rate easing.

In early trade, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index dropped by 0.59%, or 200.24 points, to 33,481, while the broader Topix index saw a 0.30% decline, shedding 7.011 points to reach 2,358.39. South Korea’s KOSPI showed a 0.24% gain, rising by 6.29 points to 2,619.79, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up by 0.48%, adding 36.20 points to reach 7,597.40.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.3% to 37,656.52 points, the S&P 500 increased by 0.14% to 4,781.58, and the Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.16% to 15,099.18 points.

Crude oil faced a decline following its largest drop in two weeks due to indications of a US stockpile build along with weak technical signals. West Texas Intermediate traded below $74 a barrel after a 1.9% decline on Wednesday, while Brent crude stood under $80.

U.S. stocks closed slightly higher in languid trading on Wednesday, with little market-moving news to fuel conviction as the S&P 500 hovered just below bull market confirmation.

The three major U.S. stock indexes oscillated between modest gains and losses throughout the session but finished up for the day. All are on course for monthly, quarterly, and annual gains.

The S&P 500 ended 0.3% below its record closing high of 4,796.56 reached on Jan. 3, 2022. The Dow notched a new record closing high.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 111.19 points, or 0.3%, to 37,656.52, the S&P 500 gained 6.83 points, or 0.14%, to 4,781.58 and the Nasdaq Composite added 24.60 points, or 0.16%, to 15,099.18. - Reuters