Nifty above 17850; Metal shares shine.

The key equity indices traded with modest gains in mid-afternoon trade. The Nifty traded above the 17,850 mark after hitting intraday low of 17,797.90 in early trade. metal stocks witnessed buying demand.

The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 208.6 points or 0.35% to 60,509.18. The Nifty 50 index added 60.90 points or 0.34% to 17,874.50.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index gained 0.39% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 0.50%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,974 shares rose and 1,451 shares fell. A total of 136 shares were unchanged.

Trading was volatile as traders roll over positions in the F&O segment from the near month April series to May series. The April 2023 F&O contracts will expire today, 27 April 2023.

Numbers to track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper declined to 7.108 from 7.116 in previous trading session.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 81.7075 compared with its close of 81.74 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 5 June 2023 settlement advanced 0.37% to Rs 60,114.

The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was down 0.10% to 101.37.

The United States 10-year bond yield rose 1.15% to 3.469.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for June 2023 settlement gained 46 cents or 0.59% to $78.15 a barrel.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index advanced 0.80% to 5,759.10. The index declined 0.44% in past trading session.

Jindal Steel & Power (up 1.56%), Hindalco Industries (up 1.48%), JSW Steel (up 1.32%), Jindal Stainless (up 1.27%) and Hindustan Copper (up 1.06%), Tata Steel (up 0.8%), Adani Enterprises (up 0.56%), Steel Authority of India (up 0.49%), Ratnamani Metals & Tubes (up 0.4%) and Vedanta (up 0.4%) advanced.

On the other hand, Hindustan Zinc (down 0.88%), Welspun Corp (down 0.41%) and National Aluminium Company (down 0.24%) declined.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Hindustan Unilever declined 1.35%. The FMCG major reported 9.67% rise in standalone net profit to Rs 2,552 crore on 10.98% increase in turnover to Rs 14,638 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q4 FY22.

Coforge rose 1.52%. The company reported 49.69% decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 114.80 crore in Q4 FY23 as compared with Rs 228.20 crore in Q3 FY23.

Suzlon Energy fell 0.49%. The company said that it has received a 39 megawatt (MW) order for their 3 MW product series from a thermax group company, First Energy 5.

Wipro (up 0.15%), Bajaj Finserv (up 2.10%), Axis Bank (down 0.67%), Tech Mahindra (up 0.67%), ACC (up 0.22%) will announce their quarterly earnings today.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) fell 1.51%. The FMCG major reported 9.67% rise in standalone net profit to Rs 2,552 crore on 10.98% increase in turnover to Rs 14,638 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q4 FY22. HUL delivered underlying volume growth of 4%. Growth was competitive with more than 75% of the business winning market shares, said the company.

Bajaj Finance rose 2.79%. The NBFC major reported consolidated net profit of Rs 3157.79 crore in Q4 March 2023 from net profit of Rs 2419.51 crore in Q4 March 2022. Total income rose to Rs 11363.14 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 8629.35 crore in Q4 March 2022.

Coforge gained 1.36%. The company reported 49.69% decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 114.80 crore in Q4 FY23 as compared with Rs 228.20 crore in Q3 FY23. Revenue from operations increased by 5.56% to Rs 2,170 crore in Q4 FY23 as against Rs 2,055.80 crore posted in corresponding quarter last year.

L&T Technology Services (LTTS) rallied 7.93%. The IT major reported 2% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 309.6 crore in Q4 March 2023 from net profit of Rs 303.6 crore in Q3 December 2022. Revenue rose 2.3% to Rs 2096.2 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 2048.6 crore in Q3 December 2022.

HCL Technologies added 0.21%. Heubach Group, a leading global pigment manufacturer, has selected HCL Technologies to drive its digital transformation agenda. HCLTech will deliver an IT system for Heubach Group across 11 countries to include deployment of hybrid cloud, cybersecurity solutions, end-user services and secure networks.

SBI Life Insurance Company rose 1.50%. The life insurer's net profit increased 15.6% to Rs 776.85 crore on 6.43% rise in total income to Rs 22,805.40 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q4 FY22.

Global Markets:

European stock markets opened lower on Thursday, as concerns over the U.S. banking sector and recessionary risks still cast shadow over investor sentiment.

Meanwhile, most of the Asian stocks edged higher on Thursday as investors focus on the Bank of Japan's first policy meeting led by new BOJ governor Kazuo Ueda.

Ueda is expected to maintain the ultra loose monetary policy of predecessor Haruhiko Kuroda for now, but expectations are that he will plot a path out of this policy in the future, as per reports.

US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as banking fears eclipsed Big Tech earnings on Wall Street. Ongoing congressional wrangling over raising the federal debt ceiling also added to investor anxieties.

Sensex rises 118 pts, Bajaj twins climb.

The benchmark indices traded with decent gains in morning trade. The Nifty hovered above the 17,800 level. Realty stocks extended gains for the fourth consecutive trading session.

The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 117.9 points or 0.20% to 60,418.48. The Nifty 50 index rose 20.85 points or 0.12% to 17,834.45.

The broader market outperformed the headline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.36% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.57%.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 1,994 shares rose and 1,126 shares fell. A total of 127 shares were unchanged.

Trading could be volatile as traders roll over positions in the F&O segment from the near month April series to May series. The April 2023 F&O contracts will expire today, 27 April 2023.

Earnings Today:

Wipro (down 0.13%), Bajaj Finserv (up 2%), Hindustan Unilever (HUL) (down 0.55%), Axis Bank (down 0.50%), Tech Mahindra (down 0.20%), ACC (down 0.07%), Aarti Surfactants (up 1.92%), Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC (up 0.38%), Chennai Petroleum Corporation (up 1.38%), Dwarikesh Sugar Industries (down 0.40%), Gateway Distriparks (down 0.09%), Glenmark Life Sciences (up 1.55%), Indian Hotels (up 0.44%), Laurus Labs (down 0.48%), LTIMindtree (up 1.50%), Motilal Oswal Financial Services (down 1.68%), Mphasis (up 0.18%), Shriram Finance (down 0.79%), Tinplate Company of India (down 0.53%), Trent (up 0.35%), and Welspun India (dwon 0.61%) will announced their quarterly earnings later today.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Realty index gained 1.32% to 441.70, extending gains for the fourth straight session. The index rallied 4.3% in four trading sessions.

Macrotech Developers (up 2.84%), Godrej Properties (up 1.88%), Prestige Estates Projects (up 1.59%), Sobha (up 1.07%), Oberoi Realty (up 0.89%), Brigade Enterprises (up 0.65%), Phoenix Mills (up 0.58%), DLF (up 0.28%), Mahindra Lifespace Developers (up 0.18%) advanced.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Bajaj Finance gained 2.40% after the company reported 30% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 3,158 crore on a 32% increase in total income to Rs 11,363 crore in Q4 FY23 as compared with Q4 FY22. Loan losses and provisions amounted to Rs 859 crore (up 22% YoY). The company stated that it holds a management and macro-economic overlay of Rs 960 crore as of 31 March 2023.

The company booked 7.56 million new loans during Q4 FY23, which is higher by 20% as compared with 6.28 million in Q4 FY22.Assets under management (AUM) grew by 29% Rs 2,47,379 crore as of 31 March 2023 from core AUM (i.e. AUM excluding short term IPO financing receivable) of Rs 1,92,087 crore as of 31 March 2022. AUM growth in Q4 FY23 was highest ever at Rs 16,537 crore.

SBI Life Insurance Company rose 1.62% after the life insurer's net profit increased 15.6% to Rs 776.85 crore on 6.43% rise in total income to Rs 22,805.40 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q4 FY22.

Voltas fell 1.67% after the company reported 21.2% decline in net profit to Rs 143.92 crore from Rs 182.70 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q4 FY22. Total income increased by 11% year on year to Rs 3,003.46 crore during the quarter.

Numbers to Watch:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper declined to 7.114 from 7.116 in previous trading session.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged higher against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 81.71 compared with its close of 81.74 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 5 June 2023 settlement advanced 0.43% to Rs 60,151.

The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was down 0.08% to 101.38.

The United States 10-year bond yield rose 0.48% to 3.447.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for June 2023 settlement gained 33 cents or 0.42% to $78.02 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Asian stocks were trading mixed on Thursday as investors focus on the Bank of Japan's first policy meeting led by new BOJ governor Kazuo Ueda. Ueda is expected to maintain the ultra loose monetary policy of predecessor Haruhiko Kuroda for now, but expectations are that he will plot a path out of this policy in the future, as per reports.

US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as banking fears eclipsed Big Tech earnings on Wall Street. Ongoing congressional wrangling over raising the federal debt ceiling also added to investor anxieties.

Key equity benchmarks end sideways; metal shares underperform.

The domestic equity benchmarks ended sideways after a volatile session on Friday. The Nifty ended below the 17,650 level. While metals, autos and realty stocks declined, FMCG, IT and pharma shares managed to in the green.

As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 22.71 points or 0.04% to 59,655.06. The Nifty 50 index lost 0.40 points to 17,624.05.

The broader market underperformed the frontline indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index declined 0.36% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.27%.

The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1,548 shares rose and 1,916 shares fell. A total of 135 shares were unchanged.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index fell 1.38% to 5,677.90. The index has 1.76% in two sessions.

Hindustan Copper (down 2.52%), Adani Enterprises (down 2.17%), NMDC (down 2.05%), Steel Authority of India (down 1.98%) and Jindal Steel & Power (down 1.92%) were the top index losers.

Among the other losers were Hindalco Industries (down 1.79%), Tata Steel (down 1.62%), National Aluminium Company (down 1.08%), Hindustan Zinc (down 0.98%) and Vedanta (down 0.91%).

On the other hand, Ratnamani Metals & Tubes (up 1.2%), Jindal Stainless (up 1.19%) and APL Apollo Tubes (up 0.56%) advanced.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Reliance Industries advanced 0.20%. The conglomerate will today announce its fourth quarter and full year earnings for the period ended 31 March 2023.

HCL Technologies rose 1.06%. The IT major reported 2.76% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 3,983 crore on 0.35% decline in revenue from operations to Rs 26,606 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q3 FY23. Compared with Q4 last year, the company's net profit and revenue were higher by 10.85% and 17.74%, respectively.

For FY24, the company's revenue guidance is 6%-8% YoY in constant currency. Services revenue is expected to grow 6.5%-8.5% YoY in constant currency. EBIT margin is expected to be between 18%-19%.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company fell 2.60%. The company reported consolidated net profit of Rs 235.26 crore in Q4 March 2023, higher than net profit of Rs 186.88 crore in Q4 March 2022. Total income rose to Rs 11499.84 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 13845.73 crore in Q4 March 2022.

Cyient jumped 5.64%. The company reported 4.6% rise in net profit to Rs 163.2 crore on an 8.2% increase in revenues to Rs 1,751.4 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q3 FY23.

Vodafone Idea zoomed 6.11%. The company has announced the appointment of Kumar Mangalam Birla as an additional director with immediate effect. This decision was made on the recommendation of the nomination and remuneration committee, and Birla will serve as a non-executive and non-independent director. Notably, Birla is returning to the board after stepping down as a non-executive director nearly two years ago in August 2021.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories rose 0.42%. The drug major on Friday announced the launch of Treprostinil Injection in the U.S. market, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The said drug is a therapeutic equivalent generic version to Remodulin (treprostinil) Injection. Treprostinil injection is used to treat the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy declined 2.66%. The company reported consolidated net loss of Rs 421 crore in Q4 March 2023, higher than net loss of Rs 127 crore in Q4 March 2022. Total income dropped to Rs 88 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 1071 crore in Q4 March 2022.

Siemens shed 0.79% while Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) lost 0.63%. The Siemens-RVNL consortium has received two separate orders from Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRCL) for advanced rail electrification technologies.

Laxmi Organic Industries fell 2.88%. The chemical manufacturer announced that its board has approved borrowing funds up to Rs 2,000 crore. The company intends to raise additional funds through equity and/or debt as deemed fit and necessary by the board of directors.

Global Markets:

Shares in Europe and Asia markets declined across the board on Friday as investors reacted to a slew of corporate earnings announcements and economic data releases.

Flash purchasing managers' index figures from S&P Global and Hamburg Commercial Bank showed the fastest growth in France's private sector since May 2022, though this was powered by services and factory production fell. Germany's business upturn was also led by services, though manufacturing output increased modestly.

U.K. retail data showed a 0.9% fall in sales volumes for March, which retailers blamed in part on the unusually wet weather.

Japan's core inflation for March came in at 3.1%, unchanged from February, data from the Statistics Bureau showed. This is the second straight month of slowing inflation after Japan's headline inflation hit a 41-year high of 4.3% in January.

Overnight in the U.S., all three major indexes fell as investors assessed a mixed bag of corporate earnings, including disappointing results from Tesla.

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester indicated Thursday that interest rates could have a little further to rise this year and stay for for a while. Precisely how much higher the federal funds rate will need to go from here and for how long policy will need to remain restrictive will depend on economic and financial developments, Mester said.

Sensex, Nifty end with minor gains after volatile session; pharma shares decline.

The domesitc equity benchmarks managed to end with some gains, after a volatile session on Thursday. The Nifty managed to close above the 17,600 level after hitting the low at 17,584.35 in mid-afternoon trade. Pharma, FMCG and oil & gas stocks declined while banks, financials and auto edged higher. Trading was volatile on account of weekly index options expiry on the NSE.

As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, gained 64.55 points or 0.11% to 59,632.35. The Nifty 50 index added 5.70 points or 0.03% to 17,624.45.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.03% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 0.10%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,906 shares rose and 1,589 shares fell. A total of 136 shares were unchanged.

Cautiousness among investors was on the rise after strong inflation readings from the UK and Euro Zone cemented expectations of continued rate hikes by the Bank of England and the European Central Bank going forward. Hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials exacerbated the likelihood that the American central bank will pause its rate hike cycle as soon as June.

Quarterly Earnings Today:

HCL Technologies (down 0.10%), ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company (up 2.77%), Cyient (up 2.54%), Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy (down 0.02%) and Rajnish Wellness (down 6.61%) are some of the companies that will announce their quarterly earnings today.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Pharma index fell 1.08% to 12,488.75. The index had advanced 1.79% in the past two sessions.

Divis Laboratories (down 4.18%), Gland Pharma (down 3.93%), Laurus Labs (down 1.91%), Aurobindo Pharma (down 1.06%) and Dr Reddys Laboratories (down 1.05%) were the top losers.

Among the other losers were Cipla (down 0.89%), Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals (down 0.87%), Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries (down 0.79%), Natco Pharma (down 0.73%) and Abbott India (down 0.72%).

On the other hand, Alkem Laboratories (up 0.51%), Pfizer (up 0.37%) and Ipca Laboratories (up 0.16%) moved up.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Tata Motors rose 1.31%. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the luxury vehicle maker and a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, has announced plans to invest 15 billion pounds over the next five years.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone gained 1.38%. The firm said its board is scheduled to meet on Saturday, 22 April 2023, to consider first and partial buyback of certain of its debt securities, either denominated in INR or USD.

UltraTech Cement shed 0.63%. The company announced an increase in the capacity of its grinding unit at Patliputra, Bihar to 4.7 mtpa with the successful commissioning of its 2.2 mtpa brownfield expansion. The company's total grey cement manufacturing capacity in India now stands at 129.15 mtpa.

Tata Communications advanced 2.96%. The company reported consolidated net profit of Rs 326.64 crore in Q4 March 2023 as compared to net profit of Rs 368.67 crore in Q4 March 2022. Total income rose to Rs 4,630.45 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 4,526.55 crore in Q4 March 2022.

Mastek zoomed 11.42%. The IT company's consolidated net profit jumped 8.2% to Rs 72.6 crore on 7.7% increase in net sales to Rs 709.2 crore in Q4 FY23 over Q3 FY23.

ICICI Securities tumbled 4.78%. The company's consolidated net profit declined to Rs 262.7 crore in Q4 March 2023 as compared to net profit of Rs 340.3 crore in Q4 March 2022. Total income shed marginally to Rs 885.2 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 892.3 crore in Q4 March 2022.

Emkay Global Financial Services was locked in 20% upper circuit. The company has received in-principle approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India, investment management department for sponsoring a mutual fund under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996.

NBCC (India) gained 1.94%. The company has received work orders for providing comprehensive design, engineering and Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services from Public Works Department, Puducherry. The project is worth Rs 207.92 crore.

Fortis Healthcare fell 0.64%. The company said that it has signed definitive agreement with VPS group for the acquisition of its Medeor Hospital in Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana for lump sum consideration of Rs 225 crore.

Global Markets:

European markets declined while their Asian peers ended mixed on Thursday as investors continued to digest more corporate earnings.

Japan posted a trade deficit for a 20th consecutive month in March. The country's trade deficit reached a record high of 21.7 trillion yen ($161.14 billion) for the twelve months ending March, a sharp spike from the 5.59 trillion yen recorded in the same period a month ago.

US stocks closed mostly flat on Wednesday after earnings reports from Netflix and Morgan Stanley as investors worried about the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates.

The banking crisis in March took its toll on financial activity, particularly in the New York and San Francisco regions, according to the Federal Reserve's periodic economic review released Wednesday.

Barometers trade near flat line, realty stocks edge lower.

The frontline indices continued to trade near the flat line with tiny gains in early afternoon trade. The traded above the 17,600 level after hitting the day's low of 17,590.10 mid-morning trade. Realty stocks witnessed profit booking after advancing in the past five trading sessions.

The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 71.7 points or 0.12% to 59,639.50. The Nifty 50 index added 4.95 points or 0.03% to 17,623.70.

The broader market outperformed the benchmark indices. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.14% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index advanced 0.26%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,888 shares rose and 1,446 shares fell. A total of 147 shares were unchanged.

Cautiousness among investors was on the rise after strong inflation readings from the UK and Euro Zone cemented expectations of continued rate hikes by the Bank of England and the European Central Bank going forward. Hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials exacerbated the likelihood that the American central bank will pause its rate hike cycle as soon as June.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of the market's expectation of volatility over the near term, declined 0.22% to 12.13. The Nifty 27 April 2023 futures were trading at 17,655, at a premium of 31.3 points as compared with the spot at 17,623.70.

The Nifty option chain for the 27 April 2023 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 92.1 lakh contracts at the 17,700 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 74.6 lakh contracts were seen at 17,700 strike price.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Realty index fell 0.41% to 432.75, snapping a five-day gaining streak. The index rallied 3.43% in five sessions.

DLF (down 1.35%), Godrej Properties (down 0.9%), Oberoi Realty (down 0.82%), Macrotech Developers (down 0.8%), Sobha (down 0.61%), Mahindra Lifespace Developers (down 0.22%) declined.

On the other hand, Indiabulls Real Estate (up 2.6%) ,Prestige Estates Projects (up 1.4%) and Phoenix Mills (up 0.72%) edged higher.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Private Bank index rose 0.34% to 21,408.90. The index had declined 0.28% to end at 21,336.20 yesterday.

Bandhan Bank (up 1.59%), RBL Bank (up 1.57%), City Union Bank (up 1.01%), IDFC First Bank (up 0.89%) and Kotak Mahindra Bank (up 0.78%) were the top gainers.

Concurrently, Federal Bank (up 0.57%), HDFC Bank (up 0.21%), ICICI Bank (up 0.11%), IndusInd Bank (up 0.09%) advanced while Axis Bank declined 0.47%.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Emkay Global Financial Services was locked in 20% upper circuit after the company announced the recipt of in-principle approval from SEBI for sponsoring a mutual fund

Torrent Power rose 0.99% after the company announced that it has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary named 'Torrent Urja 12 (TU12)' on 18 April 20

Zydus Lifesciences declined 1.64%. The drug maker announced that it has received final approval from US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to manufacture and market Metoprolol Tartrate tablets USP, 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg.

Global Markets:

Asian stocks mostly advanced on Thursday as investors on Wall Street digest more earnings reports from names like Netflix, IBM and Morgan Stanley.

Japan posted a trade deficit for a 20th consecutive month in March. The country's trade deficit reached a record high of 21.7 trillion yen ($161.14 billion) for the twelve months ending March, a sharp spike from the 5.59 trillion yen recorded in the same period a month ago.

US stocks closed mostly flat on Wednesday after earnings reports from Netflix and Morgan Stanley as investors worried about the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates.

The banking crisis in March took its toll on financial activity, particularly in the New York and San Francisco regions, according to the Federal Reserve's periodic economic review released Wednesday.

Sensex, Nifty end with limited losses; IT stocks decline.

The key equity benchmarks ended with limited losses after a volatile session on Wednesday. The Nifty closed below the 17,650 mark after hitting the day's high of 17,666.15 in afternoon trade. IT, PSU bank and FMCG shares led the losses while metal, oil & gas and pharma stocks managed to end with some gains.

As per provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 159.21 points or 0.27% to 59,567.80. The Nifty 50 index lost 41.40 points or 0.23% to 17,618.75.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index fell 0.18% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.12%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1,817 shares rose and 1,695 shares fell. A total of 122 shares were unchanged.

Investors turned cautious as uncertainty over the path of U.S. monetary policy largely outweighed optimism over an economic recovery in China. Focus is now on the Fed's Beige Book report, due later on Wednesday, for the central bank's take on the state of the U.S. economy.

Market concerns about rising interest rates returned in recent sessions as hawkish comments from Fed officials and indications of some economic resilience in the US stoked apprehension about when the Fed Fed will pause its rate hike cycle.

COVID-19 Update:

According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday, India has logged 10,542 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have increased to 63,562. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,48,45,401). The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.39 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 5.1 per cent. Recovery rate currently stands at 98.67%.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty IT index fell 1.85% to 26,664.55. The index had advanced 0.59% to end at 26,664.55 yesterday.

Coforge (down 3.21%), LTI Mindtree (down 2.98%), HCL Technologies (down 2.44%), Infosys (down 2.14%) and Wipro (down 1.96%) were the top losers.

Among the other losers were Tata Consultancy Services (down 1.26%), Tech Mahindra (down 1.07%), Persistent Systems (down 0.85%), L&T Technology Services (down 0.44%).

Stocks in Spotlight:

Tata Communications (down 1.79%), ICICI Securities (down 0.16%), Mastek (down 0.20%), Alok Industries (up 1.20%) are some of the companies that will announce their quarterly earnings today.

State Bank of India (SBI) fell 1.15%. The executive committee of the central Board has approved long term fund raising in single / multiple tranches up to US$ 2 billion through a public offer and/or private placement of senior unsecured notes in US Dollar or any other convertible currency during FY 2023-24.

Pidilite Industries lost 1.02%. The company has entered into an agreement with Basic Adhesives LLC, USA for purchase of certain assets comprising of technology, design, trademark, copyright, domain name and trade dress etc at an agreed consideration to be paid by company in tranches over a period of time.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company tumbled 4.91%. The company reported net profit of Rs 436.96 crore in Q4 March 2023 as compared to net profit of Rs 312.51 crore in Q4 March 2022. Total income rose to Rs 5255.58 crore in Q4 March 2023 from Rs 4636.34 crore in Q4 March 2022.

Bank of India slipped 1.14%. The bank's board of directors approved the raising of capital for the FY 2023-24 aggregating up to Rs 6,500 crore, through the issue of fresh equity capital in the form of FPO/QIP/Rights issue/preferential issue and/or Basel III compliant additional Tier-1 (AT-1) upto an amount of Rs.4,500 crores, and issue of Basel III compliant Tier-2 bonds upto an amount of Rs.2,000 crore.

Piramal Pharma jumped 7.57%. The company informed that US FDA has issued an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) for the manufacturing facility located at Sellersville, USA and the inspection has now been successfully closed by the US FDA.

Rattanindia Enterprises added 3.37%. The company announced that it has launched direct-to-consumer (D2C) apparel fashion brands business with its wholly owned subsidiary, Neobrands.

Som Distilleries & Breweries zoomed 6.52%. The company said it started commercial production at its expanded capacity at the facility in Hassan, Karnataka.

CMS Info Systems gained 2.59%. The company announced that the deployment of its proprietary security application 'ALGO OTC' across 30% ATMs in India. This application helps banks implement RBI guidelines on OTC lock activation to ensure the mitigation of risks during ATM operations and enhancing security, the company said. The company plans to further implement the software application ALGO OTC to existing 15,000 ATMs of the largest bank in India in CY2023.

Global Markets:

Shares in Europe declined while Asian stocks traded mixed on Wednesday as officials of the U.S. Federal Reserve delivered mixed signals on future rate hikes.

U.K. consumer price inflation came in at 10.1% in March, down from 10.4% in February. Downward moves were driven by motor fuels, and housing and household services, while food and recreation/culture became more expensive.

With the consumer price inflation in the UK continuing to be above 10%, the Bank of England is expected to hike by 25 basis points at its May meeting.

Overnight in the US, all three major indexes closed near the flatline as investors digested earnings reports, including from Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic reportedly said that he sees one more rate hike of 25 basis points, before pausing to see its impact on the economy. This would take the U.S. Federal Funds rate to 5% to 5.25%. Bostic's words come as St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard reportedly told that he favors a higher terminal rate of between 5.50% and 5.75%.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will deliver in a speech the economic priorities for the U.S. on China, as per reports. Yellen will deliver a speech at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies on Thursday.

Nifty trades below 17,650 mark; metal shares rose for 9th day.

The domestic equity benchmarks continued to trade below the flat line, with limited losses in morning trade. The Nifty continued to trade below the 17,650 level. Metal shares extended gains for ninth consecutive session.

The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 115.3 points or 0.19% to 59,611.71. The Nifty 50 index lost 28.90 points or 0.16% to 17,631.25.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index added 0.08% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.39%.

KRBL (up 7.88%), Prism Johnson (up 4.78%), Rattanindia Enterprises (up 4.92%), Uflex (up 4.72%) and Sonata Software (up 4.30%) were the top gainers in the broader market segment.

The market breadth was strong. On the BSE, 1,870 shares rose and 1,238 shares fell. A total of 132 shares were unchanged.

Investors turned cautious as uncertainty over the path of U.S. monetary policy largely outweighed optimism over an economic recovery in China. Focus is now on the Fed's Beige Book report, due later on Wednesday, for the central bank's take on the state of the U.S. economy.

Market concerns about rising interest rates returned in recent sessions as hawkish comments from Fed officials and indications of some economic resilience in the US stoked apprehension about when the Fed Fed will pause its rate hike cycle.

Buzzing Index:

The Nifty Metal index rose 1.17% to 5,816.15. The index has advanced 6.18% in nine sessions.

Jindal Steel & Power (up 3.87%), National Aluminium Company (up 2.3%), Tata Steel (up 1.91%), Steel Authority of India (up 1.82%) and Hindustan Copper (up 1.73%) were the top gainers.

Among the other gainers were JSW Steel (up 1.59%), NMDC (up 1.51%), Vedanta (up 1.29%), Hindalco Industries (up 0.82%) and Hindustan Zinc (up 0.43%).

On the other hand, Jindal Stainless (down 0.92%), Adani Enterprises (down 0.27%) and Welspun Corp (down 0.23%) turned lower.

Stocks in Spotlight:

Tata Communications (down 1.85%), ICICI Securities (up 0.66%), Mastek (up 0.09%), Alok Industries (up 0.96%) are some of the companies that will announce their quarterly earnings today.

Pidilite Industries lost 0.32%. The company has entered into an agreement with Basic Adhesives LLC, USA for purchase of certain assets comprising of technology, design, trademark, copyright, domain name and trade dress etc at an agreed consideration to be paid by company in tranches over a period of time.

Piramal Pharma jumped 7.97%. The company informed that US FDA has issued an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) for the manufacturing facility located at Sellersville, USA and the inspection has now been successfully closed by the US FDA.

Zydus Lifesciences was up 0.11%. The company has received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to manufacture and market Estradiol Transdermal System USP. Estradiol transdermal system is indicated for prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Numbers to track:

The yield on India's 10-year benchmark federal paper was currently flat at 7.223.

In the foreign exchange market, the rupee edged lower against the dollar. The partially convertible rupee was hovering at 82.0775, compared with its close of 82.0475 during the previous trading session.

MCX Gold futures for 5 June 2023 settlement fell 0.08% to Rs 60,438.

The US Dollar index (DXY), which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, was up 0.03% to 101.77.

The United States 10-year bond yield advanced 0.37% to 3.585.

In the commodities market, Brent crude for June 2023 settlement lost 13 cents or 0.15% to $101.77 a barrel.

Global Markets:

Asian stocks are trading mixed on Wednesday as Wall Street's earnings season continued and U.S. Federal Reserve officials delivered mixed signals on future rate hikes.

Overnight in the US, all three major indexes closed near the flatline as investors digested earnings reports, including from Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic reportedly said that he sees one more rate hike of 25 basis points, before pausing to see its impact on the economy. This would take the U.S. Federal Funds rate to 5% to 5.25%. Bostic's words come as St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard reportedly told that he favors a higher terminal rate of between 5.50% and 5.75%.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will deliver in a speech the economic priorities for the U.S. on China, as per reports. Yellen will deliver a speech at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies on Thursday.