HDFC twins, HUL lift Sensex 237 pts; SmallCap index dips 3%; Metals plunge

The BSE Sensex closed 237 points, or 0.46 per cent, higher at 51,598 on Monday, after hitting a high of 51,715 and a low of 51,063 intra-day. On the NSE, the Nifty50 shut shop at 15,530, up 57 points or 0.37 per cent. The index remained in the range of 15,191 to 15,383 during the day. This was the first gain for benchmark indices in seven days. 

HUL, HDFC, HDFC Bank, Infosys, TCS, and Asian Paints helped lift the benchmark indices as the heavyweights surged between 1 per cent and 4 per cent. On the flipside, Tata Steel, RIL, L&T, SBI, and Axis Bank exerted pressure by falling up to 4.6 per cent.

In the broader markets, MRPL, Chennai Petrochemicals, Mirza International, Ramco Systems, Oil India, HAL, JSW Energy, and Tata Power slumped up to 19 per cent on the BSE. 

Sectorally, the Nifty Metal, and Oil and Gas indices sunk over 3 per cent each, while the PSB index dropped over 2 per cent. On the higher side, the Nifty FMCG index added around 2 per cent. 

Commodity plays suffer losses

Shares of metal companies reeled under severe pressure on Monday with the S&P BSE Metal index hitting a 15-month low amid demand slowdown concerns. Tata Steel, Hindalco Industries, Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL), NMDC and Vedanta have shed up to 35 per cent in the past one month. READ MORE

Shares of energy companies were under pressure falling by up to 17 per cent on the BSE in Monday’s trade after oil prices tumbled about 5 per cent to a three-week low on Friday, as investors feared that interest rate hikes from major central banks could slow the global economy and cut demand for energy. READ MORE

Global markets

European stocks were cautiously higher on Monday with the pan-European Stoxx 600 gaining 0.3 per cent. France's CAC40, however, was flat after President Emmanuel Macron lost parliamentary majority, putting his economic reform agenda at risk.

Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.7 per cent, South Korea's Kospi dropped 2 per cent, and China's Shanghai Composite ended flat with a negative bias.