Sensex Ends 690 Points Lower; IT and Auto Stocks Witness Selling

Fri, 21 Dec Closing

   Previous Close   

   Pre-Open   

   09:30 am   

   12:30 pm   

   Podcast   

Indian share markets witnessed most of the selling pressure during closing hours and ended their trading session deep in red. All sectoral indices ended on a negative note with IT stocks, telecom stocks, and auto stocks losing the most.

At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex stood lower by 690 points (down 1.9%) and the NSE Nifty closed down by 198 points (down 1.8%). The BSE Mid Cap index ended the day down 1.8% and the BSE Small Cap index ended the day down by 1%.

Note that last Friday, the Sensex closed at 35,965, just a little shy of the 36,000 mark.

Incidentally, the Sensex closed at almost the same level - 35,963 to be precise - at the end of January 2018.

But are the broader markets also back to the levels they were in January 2018?

Ankit Shah answers this question in one of the recent editions of The 5 Minute WrapUp...

To find out, he looked at the total market capitalisation of all the listed companies on the BSE.

The 10-Trillion Rupee Gap Between the Sensex and the Broader Markets

Here's what he wrote...

• The total equity market capitalisation of the BSE-listed companies was Rs 153 trillion at the end of January 2018.
  
  The market capitalisation dropped over the next few months as the markets slid into correction mode. This was a time when small and mid-cap stocks were the worst hit.
  
  However, the total market capitalisation went on to hit an all-time high of Rs 159 trillion in August 2018. This was driven mainly by the index heavyweight stocks. The broader markets hadn't quite recovered.
  
  Eventually, the markets witnessed a major correction through September and October. The Indian markets closed the month of October with a total market capitalisation of Rs 138 trillion. In two months, the markets had lost Rs 21 trillion in market capitalisation.
  
  There has been some recovery since then. However, the total market capitalisation is still Rs 10 trillion lower than January 2018.
  
  So, while the Sensex is back to where it was at the end of January, the broader markets are yet to recover.

The rupee was trading at 70.24 against the US$.

Asian stock markets finished on a negative note. As of the most recent closing prices, the Hang Seng was up by 0.5% and the Shanghai Composite was down by 0.8%. The Nikkei 225 was down 1.1%.

In the news from the telecom sector, Bharti Airtel share price was in focus today. The stock of the company witnessed buying interest after the company on Thursday set up a committee to explore options to raise funds to strengthen its capital structure.

Apart from the above, the company decided to sell 32% stake in Bharti Infratel to its wholly-owned subsidiary Nettle Infrastructure Investments. This is done for potential monetization of the stake in future.

The telecom major also announced the appointment of Badal Bagri as the Chief Financial Officer, with effect from March 1, 2019.

Moving on to the news from the pharma space, Aurobindo Pharma share price was in focus today after the company said that it has received final approval from the USFDA to manufacture and market potassium chloride extended release tablets, 8 mEq (600 mg) and 10 mEq (750 mg).

The product will be launched in January 2019.

In another news, the company's wholly owned subsidiary - Helix Healthcare B.V, Netherlands, has entered into an agreement with Shandong Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group, China (Luoxin) to establish a joint venture (JV) company in China with manufacturing facilities to manufacture nebuliser inhaler and other products for China, US and EU markets.

Aurobindo Pharma share price ended the day down by 1%.

To know more about the company, you can access Aurobindo pharma Q2FY19 result analysis and Aurobindo pharma Annual report on our website.

Speaking of pharma sector, note that the BSE Healthcare Index has been on a roller coaster ride in the past few years. The period from 2012 to 2015 saw the index go up more than three times.

We believe that pharma companies that invest in creating a pipeline of complex generics or building competencies in alternative dosage forms are better equipped to tackle the changing dynamics in the US generics market as well as in the overall industry.

For information on how to pick stocks that have the potential to deliver big returns, download our special report now!

Read the latest Market Commentary

Top Gainers TodayTop Gainers over 1-WeekTop Gainers over 1-MonthTop Gainers over 1-YearTop Gainers over 3-YrsTop Gainers over 5-YrsTop Losers TodayTop Losers over 1-WeekTop Losers over 1-MonthTop Losers over 1-YearTop Losers over 3-YrsTop Losers over 5-YrsOnly BuyersOnly SellersMost Active StocksMost Popular Stocks52 Week High Stocks52 Week Low Stocks

INDICESBSE (Rs 0 to 1)BSE (Rs 1 to 2)BSE (Rs 2 to 4)BSE (Rs 4 to 10)BSE (Rs 10 to 20)BSE (Above Rs 20)BSE - AllBSE-30BSE-100BSE-200BSE-500BSE AutoBSE BankexBSE Capital GoodsBSE Consumer DurablesBSE FMCGBSE HealthcareBSE ITBSE MetalBSE Oil & GasBSE PSUBSE TeckBSE RealtyBSE PowerBSE A GroupBSE B GroupBSE Mid-CapBSE Small-CapBSE Basic MaterialsBSE Consumer DiscretionaryBSE IndustrialsBSE UtilitiesBSE Sensex 50BSE Sensex Next 50BSE Bharat 22BSE 150 MidCapBSE 250 SmallCapBSE 250 LargeMidCapBSE 400 MidSmallCapBSE AllCapBSE LargeCapBSE SmallCap SelectBSE 100 LargeCap TMCBSE InfraBSE ManufacturingBSE CPSEBSE Private BankBSE Diversified FinancialsBSE MomentumBSE Low VolatilityBSE QualityBSE Enhanced ValueBSE Divident StabilityS&P BSE IPOBSE SMEIPOBSE 100 ESGBSE CarbonexBSE GreenexNSE (Rs 0 to 10)NSE (Rs 10 to 20)NSE (Above Rs 20)NSE - AllNSE-50NSE ITNSE Nifty Midcap 50NSE JR. NiftyNSE Bank NiftyNIFTY Next 50NIFTY 100NIFTY 200NIFTY 500NIFTY MidCap 100NIFTY SmallCap 250NIFTY SmallCap 50NIFTY SmallCap 100NIFTY LargeMidCap 250NIFTY MidSmallCap 400NIFTY AutoNIFTY Consumer DurablesNIFTY FinanceNIFTY FMCGNIFTY MediaNIFTY MetalNIFTY PharmaNIFTY Private BankNIFTY PSU BankNIFTY RealtyNIFTY Oil & GasNIFTY SME EmergeNIFTY CommoditiesNIFTY CPSENIFTY EnergyNIFTY India ConsumptionNIFTY InfraNIFTY MNCNIFTY PSENIFTY Serv SectorNIFTY100 Liquid 15NIFTY Midcap Liquid 15NIFTY Midcap 150 Quality 50NIFTY50 Equal WeightNIFTY100 Equal WeightNIFTY100 Low Volatility 30NIFTY100 Alpha 30NIFTY Alpha 50NIFTY Dividend Opportunities 50NIFTY High Beta 50NIFTY Low Volatility 50NIFTY200 Quality 30NIFTY 500 Value 50NIFTY 100 Quality 30SECTORSAgricultureAirlinesAluminiumAsset Management CompaniesAutomobilesAuto AncillariesBanks (Private)Banks (PSU)BankingCementChemicalsDefenceDiagnosticsDronesEngineeringElectric VehicleElectric Vehicle BatteryEnergy SourcesESGEthanolFertilizersFintechFMCGFoodGreen HydrogenHotelsInfrastructureInsuranceInvestment and FinanceInvITIT (Large)IT (Others)LogisticsMediaMetalMiningIndia's Big Tech StocksIndian PharmaMNC PharmaPSUPaintPaperPlasticPowerRating AgenciesReal EstateREITsRenewable EnergyRetailingSemiconductorShippingSteelSugarSupply ChainTelecomTextilesTravel Support Services

10 results 25 results 50 results 100 results All results

Indian Share Market Update: Top Gainers and Losers