Benchmark indices nudge up, foreign investors pump in $1.41 bn (Weekly market review)

MUMBAI - Benchmark indices at Indian equities markets ended the week with modest gains, with foreign funds making some serious buys worth over $1.41 billion amid tardy global cues.

The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) moved up 0.69 percent or 122.28 points to end at 17,955.82 points Friday. The Sensex the week before had closed at 17,833.54 points.

The broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) too ended the week in the green at 5,262.6 points, up 41.45 points or 0.77 percent, from its previous weekend close at 5,352.45 points.

Broader indices performed better with the BSE midcap index gaining 1.1 percent and the BSE smallcap index gaining 1.86 percent.

The top weekly gainers on the Sensex were DLF (up 8 percent), Tata Motors (up 8 percent), TCS (up 7.6 percent), Reliance Capital (up 6 percent) and SBI (up 3.4 percent).

Among top losers were Maruti Suzuki (down 3.5 percent), Infosys (down 3.4 percent), Bharti Airtel (down 3.3 percent), Ranbaxy Labs (down 3.1 percent) and Grasim (down 3 percent).

Realty and banking sectors were among top performing sectors.

Lower than expected industrial output data, which rose 10.55 percent in June coupled with fears of an inconsistent monsoon, dampened traders’ interest.

Among other Asian markets sentiments were sombre with a downbeat US manufacturing and inflation data coupled with the US Federal Reserve saying that economic recovery could be softening.

The Japanes Nikkei lost about 1.85 percent to end the week at 9,408.36 points after investor interest returned in that market.

The uncertainty rose with China’s economy growing at a slower 10.3 percent in the second quarter, compared to a 11.1 percent rise in the previous three months.

The Chinese Shanghai composite index ended in the red at 2,424.27 points, down 1.89 percent from its previous weekly close, while the Hang Seng of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange closed at 20,250.16 points, 0.63 percent lower.

Key European indices closed with losses tracking negative global peers, poor US economic data, and below par earnings results by some top US companies.

While London’s FTSE managed to end the week with a 0.5 percent gain at 5,158.85 points, its French peer CAC ended 1.53 percent lower at 3,500.16 points. The German DAX too closed in the red, 0.41 percent down at 6,040.27 points.

Things were no different at US markets following data that showed consumer prices fell for a third straight month in June while an indicator of consumer sentiment tumbled to an 11-month low in July.

The benchmark indices such as the Nasdaq fell 0.79 percent to close the week at 2,179.309.8 points, and the S&P 500 shed 1.21 percent at 1,064.88 points.

The Dow Jones industrial average also closed 0.98 percent down at 10,097.9 points.