Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Market Outlook 3rd Nov 2009

INTRADAY calls for 3rd Nov 2009
Short ALBK-119 for 114-111+ with sl 122
Buy Ashokley-45 around 43 for 47-49+ with sl 41
 
RESISTANCE
4745
4811
4874
4938
5002
SUPPORT
4698
4680
4616
4552

Strong & Weak  futures  
This is list of 10 strong futures:
Crompton Greaves, Balrampur Chini, McDowell-N, Ashok Leyl, Dr Reddy, Yes Bank, PTC, Asian Paints, OFSS & Hind Zinc. 
And this is list of 10 Weak futures:
IOC, EKC, RCom, GMR Infra, RNRL, Suzlon, Punj Lloyd, Nagar Fert, MLL & Bank Of India.
 Nifty is in Down trend  
 
NIFTY FUTURES (F & O):  
Above 4745 level,  expect short covering up to 4809-4811 zone and thereafter expect a jump up to 4872-4874 zone by non-stop.
Support at 4698 level. Below this level, selling may continue up to 4680-4682 zone by non-stop.

Below 4616-4618 zone, expect panic up to 4552-4554 zone by non-stop.

On Positive Side, cross above 4936-4938 zone can take it up to 5000-5002 zone by non-stop. Supply expected at around this zone and have caution.
 
Short-Term Investors:  
1 Week: Bearish with a SL of 4918.10. Target at 4671.20.
1 Month: Bearish with a SL of 6289.00. Target at 4620.00.
3 Months: Bearish with a SL of 5080.00. Target at 2951.00.
1 Year: Bullish with a SL of 2575.00. Target at 6201.65.
 
BSE SENSEX: 
 Sell with a SL of 16182.09. Target at 15742.13.
 
Short-Term Investors: 
 1 Week: Bearish with a SL of 16606.95. Target at 15720.73.
1 Month: Bearish with a SL of 18381.96. Target at 14937.03.
3 Months: Bearish with a SL of 17361.47. Target at 12425.52.
1 Year: Bullish with a SL of 15197.60. Target at 18289.88.
 
 POSITIONAL BUY:
Buy TECHTRAN POLYLEN (BSE Cash & BSE Code:523455) 
Buy with a Stop Loss of 23.30. Above 25.00, it will zoom.
 
Today: May hold on gains.

1 Week: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Month: Bullish, as per current market conditions.

3 Months: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Year: Bullish, as per current market conditions.
 
Buy VINYL CHEM (BSE Cash & BSE Code: 524129) 
Buy with a Stop Loss of 5.40. Above 6.93, it will zoom.
 
Today: May hold on gains.

1 Week: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Month: Sideways,  surprisingly going up.

3 Months: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Year: Bullish, as per current market conditions.
 
 
FUNDS DATA
FII trading activity on NSE and BSE in Capital Market Segment(In Rs. Crores)
Category Date Buy Value Sell Value Net Value
FII 30-Oct-2009 3966.63 3390.58 576.05
DII trading activity on NSE and BSE in Capital Market Segment(In Rs. Crores)
Category Date Buy Value Sell Value Net Value
DII 30-Oct-2009 2400 1807.07 592.93
 
 
SPOT LEVELS
NSE Nifty Index   4711.70 ( -0.82 %) -38.85       
  1 2 3
Resistance 4814.40 4917.10   4980.55  
Support 4648.25 4584.80 4482.10

 
BSE Sensex  15896.28 ( -0.97 %) -156.44     
  1 2 3
Resistance 16236.37 16576.47 16792.05
Support 15680.69 15465.11 15125.01
Interesting findings on web:
U.S. stocks rose, with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rebounding from its biggest weekly drop since May, as Ford Motor Co.'s profit and gauges of manufacturing, home sales and construction spending topped projections.
On Monday, the Dow rose 76.71, or 0.8 percent, to 9,789.44, its fourth gain in 10 days. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 6.69, or 0.7 percent, to 1,042.88, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 4.09, or 0.2 percent, to 2,049.20.
RUSSELL562.4-0.37-0.07%
TRAN3599.84-13.50-0.37%
UTIL362.66-0.38-0.1%
S&P 100485.152.84+0.59%
S&P 400662.163.01+0.46%
NYSE6784.9445.49+0.67%
NAS 1001672.915.78
After the close, Stanley Works (SWK) said it would buy Black & Decker (BDK, Fortune 500) in a $4.5 billion all-stock deal.
Stocks rallied in the morning after a key manufacturing index spiked to its highest level in three and a-half years in October. An upbeat reading on pending home sales and Ford Motor's big profit report also added to the morning bounce, giving investors a reason to jump back into stocks after last week's selloff.
But the morning rally turned sour in the afternoon as weakness in financial, tech and transportation shares spearheaded a broader retreat. By the last hour, short-term investors used the selling as an opportunity to jump back in and scoop up a variety of shares.
Analyst Kenny Landgraf of Kenjol Capital Management said further volatility in the coming weeks would not be a surprise, but that stocks should manage to move higher through year end. He expects the Dow will end the year around the 10,500 mark.
A trio of economic reports released in the morning helped reassure investors that the recovery is on track.
A survey by the Institute for Supply Management showed nationwide manufacturing activity jumped to 55.7 in October, from 53 the previous month. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had predicted a more modest gain to 54. Numbers above 50 signal growth, while figures below 50 suggest contraction.
The Commerce Department said construction spending rose unexpectedly by 0.8%. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com were anticipating a 0.5% decline.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors reported that the number of signed sales contracts to buy homes rose in September for the eighth straight month. Pending home sales rose much more than expected, by 6.1%, in September. Analysts were looking for a 1.2% increase.
"What we're seeing is a general improvement in the economy as reflected in that ISM number," said Kevin Caron, a market strategist at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. in Florham Park, New Jersey, which manages about $98 billion in client assets. "Beyond that we saw some fairly decent numbers out of new home construction as well, so that's also a positive. So long as the data continues to come in positive like we saw today, the market will take comfort in that."
Of 334 companies in the S&P 500 that reported quarterly earnings since Oct. 7, 84 percent topped estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sales have exceeded predictions by 58 percent.
Wall Street analysts are forecasting S&P 500 earnings will increase 25 percent in 2010, the fastest growth in two decades. Investors are paying the lowest so-called price-to-earnings growth ratios since 1995, according to Bloomberg data.
Companies in the gauge traded for an average of 15.4 times annual profit this year, or 0.6 times equity analysts' projection for 2010 earnings growth, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That's the lowest so-called PEG ratio since 1995 and half the median of 1.3 since 1961.
Financial shares helped drag down the indexes after an official from the Federal Reserve, which begins a two-day policy meeting tomorrow, said Monday that big banks may suffer big losses on commercial mortgages and that some of them don't have the capital to withstand those losses. Concerns about commercial real estate investments have been brewing for months since residential mortgages crippled the financial system last year. The SPDR KBW Bank ETF ( KBE - news - people ) gained 1.1% for the day after giving up morning gains.
Ford, the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy, rallied 8.3 percent to $7.58. The company reported third-quarter profit, excluding extraordinary items, of 26 cents a share, beating the 20-cent loss estimated by analysts in a Bloomberg survey.
Ford rallied 8.3 percent, the most since July, following its first operating profit since early 2008. American Express Co., United Technologies Corp. and General Electric Co. climbed at least 1.5 percent. Benchmark indexes pared gains after Jon Greenlee, associate director of the Federal Reserve division that regulates banks, said banks still face threats from defaults on commercial-real estate.
This came a day before automakers report their October sales. Analysts say sales likely rose last month but caution that they are still at 1980s levels.
Varian Medical Systems Inc. added 5.4 percent to $43.18. The maker of radiation equipment used to treat cancer was raised to "buy" from "hold" at Soleil Securities.
BB&T Corp. rose 4.8 percent to $25.06 after it was raised to "hold" from "sell" at Sandler O'Neill. SunTrust Banks Inc. gained 4 percent to $19.88 after the analysts raised it to "buy" from "hold."
CIT Group Inc. plunged 65 percent to 25 cents. The company filed for bankruptcy in an effort to cut $10 billion in debt following a failed debt exchange and U.S. taxpayer bailout.
Eight of 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 advanced today, led by gains of more than 1 percent in consumer-staples companies and raw-materials producers.
"This is the post-Halloween pick-up," said Burt White, chief investment officer at LPL Financial in Boston, which oversees $234 billion. "Ford's earnings today were very, very good. I think that a lot of folks were concerned about the CIT bankruptcy, but the market is kind of shaking it off pretty resoundingly."
Motorola Inc. added 5.4 percent to $9.03. The biggest U.S. mobile-phone maker was raised to "buy" from "hold" by analysts at Citigroup Inc., who said the company will introduce a "compelling" offer of handsets at a "time when many investors have given up."
The analysts reduced their recommendations on Palm Inc. and Research In Motion Ltd. to "sell," from "hold" and "buy" respectively. Research in Motion Ltd. lost 5.1 percent to $55.74. Palm slid 6 percent to $10.91. The recommendation changes came in a report to investors dated Nov. 1.
American Express gained 2.4 percent to $35.68. The biggest U.S. credit-card company by purchases can issue another $12.1 billion in asset-backed securities under a U.S. government emergency-lending program, according to an Oct. 30 filing.
JPMorgan up by [JPM  42.58    0.81  (+1.94%)   ].
General Electric rose 1.5 percent to $14.47.
United Technologies Corp. added 2 percent to $62.66. A subsidiary of the maker of Otis elevators and Carrier air conditioners signed a two-year F-16 spare parts supply contract with SABCA, a Brussels-based aerospace engineering and manufacturing company. 

Financial shares in the S&P 500, which have fallen 10 percent since Oct. 14, tumbled as much as 1.8 percent before paring losses.
Citigroup Inc., the bank that is 34 percent owned by the U.S. government, lost 2.4 percent to $3.99.
Traders said it was one-two punch for financials that caused that midday bobble: It was in part Citi's drop below $4 but also testimony from Jon Greenlee, director of the Fed's Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation, to a House panel, warning about banks' potential losses from commercial real-estate loans.
"Although conditions and sentiment in financial markets have improved in recent months, significant stress and weaknesses persist," said Greenlee, who works at Fed's Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation in Washington, in testimony to a House Oversight subcommittee hearing in Atlanta. "The condition of the banking system is far from robust."
Denbury Resources Inc. tumbled 10 percent to $13.09, the biggest drop in the S&P 500. The oil and natural-gas producer said it will buy Encore Acquisition Co. for about $4.5 billion to add fields in the Rocky Mountains and Gulf of Mexico.
Dean Foods Co. lost 8.5 percent to $16.69. The biggest U.S. dairy processor said fourth-quarter earnings may fall more than analysts estimate amid rising prices for raw milk.
Telecoms Verizon and AT&T [T  25.58    -0.09  (-0.35%)   ] were among the drags on the Dow as investors took profits after the sector's recent gains.
Intel [INTC  19.00    -0.11  (-0.58%)   ] also dragged on the Dow as techs were weak after a report showed chip sales rose in the third quarter but revenue remains below year-ago levels.
A couple days before retailers report on their October sales, Wal-Mart [WMT  50.28    0.60  (+1.21%)   ] once again slashed its toy prices. Wal-Mart shares rose 1.2 percent.
Retailers are expected to report an uptick in sales but analysts remain wary about the outlook for the holiday season.
Retailers started the day mostly lower but recovered and finished the day mostly higher. Department stores Sears [SHLD  67.13    -0.73  (-1.08%)   ] and Bon-Ton [BONT  9.20    -0.05  (-0.54%)   ] skidded, while Gap [GPS  21.79    0.45  (+2.11%)   ] and Bed, Bath & Beyond [BBBY  36.39    1.18  (+3.35%)   ] were among the sector's notable gainers.
In the morning's other earnings news, Clorox [CLX  59.45    0.22  (+0.37%)   ] reported its profit jumped 23 percent as consumers stocked up on disinfectant products amid swine-flu fears. Its shares rose 0.3 percent.
Human Genome Sciences [HGSI  24.41    5.72  (+30.6%)   ] shares soared 35 percent after the company said its experimental lupus drug was successful in a second clinical trial. It would be the first new lupus treatment in 50 years.
Also in the sector, Vertex Pharma [VRTX  36.15    2.59  (+7.72%)   ] shares leaped 7.7 percent after the company said a phase II study showed that twice-daily treatments of its experimental hepatitis C drug telaprevir worked as well as three times a day. 

Elsewhere, Royal Caribbean [RCL  20.64    0.41  (+2.03%)   ] shares gained after an upgrade from Wells Fargo, and Progressive [PGR  16.23    0.23  (+1.44%)   ] shares jumped after Barron's said the insurer was set to expand earnings and revenue for the first time in years.
In M&A news this morning, Denbury Resources [DNR  13.08    -1.52  (-10.41%)   ] has agreed to buy Encore Acquisition [EAC  44.57    7.50  (+20.23%)   ] for $3.2 billion in cash and stock, creating one of North America's largest oil production and exploration companies. The deal represents a 35 percent premium for Encore shareholders.
Denbury shares fell 10 percent, while Encore shot up 21 percent.
Another gainer was Loews Corp. ( LTR - news - people ), the New York conglomerate controlled by the Tisch family, which reported earnings of $1.08 a share, well ahead of estimates and a reversal from last year's quarterly loss. Revenues increased 26% from 2008. Loews stock gained 2.4%.
The Chicago Board Options Exchange's Volatility Index, known as Wall Street's fear gauge, crept up to 31.84 Monday — a fresh four-month high — before ending at 29.78.
"It's a flip of a coin right now," said Jeffrey Frankel, president of Stuart Frankel & Co. "You never know what you're going to get the next day when you come in to work."
Oil, Gold & Currencies:
U.S. light crude oil for December delivery gained $1.13 to settle at $78.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after tumbling in the previous session.
COMEX gold for December delivery rose $19.10 to settle at $1,059.50 an ounce.
The dollar gained versus the yen and the euro.
The yen and the dollar declined for a second day against the euro as Asian stocks advanced amid renewed optimism the global economy is recovering, encouraging investors to buy higher-yielding assets.
The yen weakened versus all of its 16 major counterparts before a U.S. report that economists said will show factory orders rebounded in September, damping demand for the relative safety of Japan's currency. The dollar fell on speculation the Federal Reserve will this week keep interest rates near zero and refrain from signaling a withdrawal of stimulus measures. Australia's dollar rose for a second day before a central bank meeting today where policy makers may raise borrowing costs.
"Risk-taking appetite is returning, given that equities are rising and economies are improving," said Norifumi Yoshida, vice president of the trading section at Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. in Singapore. "The yen is being sold."
The yen dropped to 133.74 per euro as of 11:04 a.m. in Tokyo from 133.32 in New York yesterday, when it declined 0.5 percent. The dollar fell to $1.4801 per euro from $1.4775. Japan's currency weakened to 90.36 versus the dollar from 90.21.
Foreign-exchange movements may be more volatile than usual in Asia today amid ample liquidity even as Japan has a national holiday, Yoshida said.
The MSCI Asia-Pacific Index of regional shares rose 0.2 percent and futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index climbed 0.3 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 0.7 percent yesterday.
Fed Statement
The dollar weakened versus 13 of the 16 major currencies before the Fed releases its monetary policy statement tomorrow at the conclusion of its policy meeting. The central bank has retained a commitment to keep interest rates near zero for an "extended period."
The U.S. banking system is still "far from robust," hurt by a decline in commercial real-estate values and threatened by rising prospects for defaults on such loans, Jon Greenlee, associate director of the Fed's Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation in Washington, said yesterday in testimony to a House Oversight subcommittee hearing in Atlanta.
"The Fed is unlikely to revise the 'extended period' language, given the fragile economic recovery," said Takashi Yamamoto, chief trader in Singapore at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp., a unit of Japan's biggest bank. "The dollar is a favored funding currency globally, so its weakening trend is likely to persist."
U.S. factory orders climbed 0.8 percent in September after a 0.8 percent decline in August, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists before the Commerce Department releases the report in Washington today.
Australian Dollar
The Australian dollar strengthened for a second day before the central bank sets interest rates today. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens will increase the overnight cash rate target to 3.5 percent from 3.25 percent at 2:30 p.m. in Sydney, according to 18 of 22 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
"The Australian dollar has benefited from improved sentiment with a host of U.S. economic data beating expectations last night," said Amanda Tan, an economist at St. George Bank Ltd. in Sydney. "A 25 basis point rate hike could potentially see a sell-off in the currency given that some in the market are looking for a more aggressive 50 basis point hike."
Australia's currency rose 0.4 percent to 90.78 U.S. cents and advanced 0.6 percent to 82.06 yen. New Zealand's dollar gained 0.7 percent to 72.28 U.S. cents and climbed 0.8 percent to 65.32 yen.
Benchmark interest rates are 3.25 percent in Australia and 2.5 percent in New Zealand, compared with 0.1 percent in Japan and as low as zero in the U.S., attracting investors to the South Pacific nations' higher-yielding assets. The risk in such trades is that currency market moves will erase profits.
Bonds:
Treasury prices slipped, raising the yield on the 10-year note to 3.41% from 3.38% Friday. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
What to expect:
TUESDAY: Two-day Fed meeting begins; Auto makers report October sales; Madoff accountant hearing; election day; factory orders; Earnings from UBS, MasterCard, Viacom and Kraft
WEDNESDAY: Weekly mortgage applications; ISM services index; weekly crude inventories; Chrysler business plan; Fed statement; Earnings from Comcast, Time Warner, Martha Stewart, Cisco, News Corp., Prudential and Qualcomm
THURSDAY: Retailers report October sales; BOE, ECB statements; weekly jobless claims; Earnings from Toyota, CVS, Sirius, Unilever, CBS, Nvidia and Starbucks
FRIDAY: October jobs report; Geithner speaks; Droid phone launches; wholesale trade; consumer credit; Fed's Duke speaks

Karzai named Afghan leader 
Iran Guards warn opposition against rallies
U.N. assembly draft urges action on Gaza "war crimes"
China launches "strike hard" crackdown in restive west
China Said to Plan Review of Developer Loans on Concern at Surging Prices
Australia May Raise Interest Rate to At Least 3.5% as Economy Strengthens
Stanley Works to Buy Black & Decker for $3.5 Billion as Toolmakers Combine
Ford Raising $3 Billion to Pay Down Credit Line, Achieve Investment Grade
Locke Was `Imprecise' in Comments on Second Stimulus Plan, Spokesman Says
JPMorgan Consolidates Fixed-Income Business Under Executives Pinto, Zames
Sarbanes-Oxley Exemption for Small Companies Said to Be Pushed by Emanuel
BOJ: Recovery to moderate into 2010
IMF sells 200 tonnes of gold to RBI
No more overreliance on consumer spending - Volcker
Ford to Extend Revolving Credit, Raise $3 Billion Equity
Obama to Karzai: Crack down on corruption 

Tuesday Preview: Stocks to Seesaw, Economy in Focus
Seesaw moves in the stock market have not discouraged some strategists who believe the market remains in an uptrend, despite near-term choppiness.
Stocks Monday rose early on a strong ISM report and a surprise profit from Ford, but they gave back a triple-digit gain at midday as the financial sector came under selling pressure. But buyers stepped in, taking stocks from negative levels to gains once more. The Dow finished the day at 9789, up 76, and the S&P 500 rose 6 to 1042. Financials ended higher, up 0.8 percent, even as Citigroup, which led the decline, finished lower.
Monday's intraday move though was volatile but mild compared to the sharp snap up last Thursday on Q3 GDP, and the big let down Friday when the Dow lost 249 points after a weak consumer spending report.
Monthly auto sales, factory orders and dozens of earnings reports, from such names as UBS[UBS  16.80    0.21  (+1.27%)   ], Archer-Daniels[ADM  30.48    0.36  (+1.2%)   ], Marathon Oil[MRO  31.96    -0.01  (-0.03%)   ], Viacom [VNV  22.85    -0.0934  (-0.41%)   ]and MasterCard[MA  222.47    3.45  (+1.58%)   ], could influence trading Tuesday. The Fed also starts its two-day meeting, which concludes Wednesday with its 2:15 p.m. statement.
Investment strategist Richard Bernstein said the market's choppiness is normal and it should continue.
"We have a market that was expecting improvement in the economic numbers more rapidly," he said, adding the market could continue to trade up and down with the health of the economic statistics for now.
Bernstein, CEO of Richard Bernstein Capital, said he's been bullish since early summer, and he's still bullish but he's not a "raging bull."
Traders have been speculating for days now that the Fed may take some steps this week to show it could tilt toward a higher rate environment in the next couple of months. But Bernstein believes the Fed will remain on hold and keep the language in its statement on hold as well for some time to come. The low rate environment has been one of the big drivers for stock.
"They have removed the risk of systemic bank failure but they haven't focused on restoring normal credit in the economy," he said.
Fed watchers have also said the Fed is not likely to make a move or drop the language that it will keep rates low for an "extended" time until it sees improvement in employment. This week is also the week that unemployment could potentially break the 10 percent level, when the October employment report is released Friday.
Laszlo Birinyi, who has also been bullish, said he still believes the market remains in an uptrend, but it could be choppy for now. "My view all along is the gains that we had were totally unsustainable. I wasn't necessarily looking for a decline," he said.
"I think we continue to go higher, but in a lot of a less smooth fashion than we have," he said in a brief interview.
Birinyi said the market's behavior reflects a general realization that the gains have been significant. "A lot of stocks had a lot of moves. You have the bulk of earnings behind us. There's a lot of realization that we've made some very historically stretched gains over a short period of time. It wouldn't be bad to sit out a round or two," Birinyi said.
Birinyi said the market continues to have strong underpinnings. For instance, it is resilient and has been able to stand up, even in the face of bad news. He is telling investors though that it is not a time to be aggressive.
As the stock market moved up Monday, the dollar slipped against a basket of currencies. The dollar lost ground against the euro, to a level of $1.4766 per euro, but the yen slipped against the dollar. In the Treasury market, sellers came in on the stronger economic report, pushing yields higher along the curve. The 10-year was yielding 3.424 percent, and the two-year was yielding 0.921 percent.
Econorama
MKM chief economist Michael Darda said Monday's ISM reading and the rapid rise of the ISM index during the last four months is more consistent with a V-shaped recovery than a U-shaped recovery. ISM was reported at 55.7 for October, its highest reading since April, 2006.
In a brief interview,  he said he tracked the ISM in recessions since 1960. "If you look at the ISM as it relates job growth, there's an important correlation coming out of every recession since 1960. When the ISM crossed above 55, the three month moving average for non farm payroll growth was positive, except for 1960, and it went positive the next month," he said.
Darda said he is looking to adjust his outlook for non farm payrolls for October, but will do so after ISM nonmanufacturing data is released Wednesday. Friday's employment report is the next big data item markets are looking ahead to, and the consensus is for a loss of about 170,000 non farm payrolls.
"We were at -150,000, but it might be even better than that," he said.
"Folks who are saying it's different this time, well it's not different this time..payrolls this week should be interesting. We'd hope and expect to see a significant tapering off of job losses. The indicators that would tend to lead have been doing what they should be doing," he said.
"I think people have been way too quick to judge this recovery based on temporary government stimulus factors. I think there's an underlying real estate recovery here that goes beyond the the tax credit. I think there's an underlying auto recovery that goes beyond clunkers," he said.
"This has V-shaped recovery written all over it," he said. "The deeper the recession the stronger the bounce back."
Citigroup economist Steve Wieting said ISM was encouraging on a lot of levels, including the 7-point jump in the employment index to 53.1. But he said there's one aspect of the report that causes some concern. "The fact that the production readings eclipsed the order readings is not good," he said.
"The orders index has slowed its growth rate for the past two months," he said. "I would argue that the very sharp snap back that you saw in manufacturing in the third quarter, that you don't accelerate it."
"I think we're headed to plenty of more growth in manufacturing output. That's going to be uninterrupted, but the speed of the recovery is showing signs of exhaustion," he said.
Auto sales are expected to top September levels when they are reported individually by manufacturers throughout the day Tuesday. Wieting expects sales to show a 10.4 million annualized rate.
He too expects the Fed to hold off from making any moves when it meets this week.
Earnings Central
Earnings reports are also expected Tuesday morning from American Tower, Emerson Electric, Intercontinental Exchange, Och-Ziff Capital, Cameron International, Amerisource Bergen, Rowan Cos, Health Net and Cognizant Tech. Kraft and Hartford Financial report after the close.
Companies Reportingamt37.090.27+0.73%3,664,093emr38.100.35+0.93%7,943,460ice102.972.78+2.77%994,973ozm11.95-0.18-1.48%355,970cam37.370.40+1.08%4,149,880abc22.510.36+1.63%3,992,896roc19.81-0.07-0.35%534,166ctsh38.760.11+0.28%4,408,394kft27.620.10+0.36%11,793,292hig24.790.27+1.1%9,976,416
No hints, winks, nods from Fed about rate hikes
Central bankers will maintain 'extended period' language -- for now
The Federal Reserve will not give the market any hints, winks or nods about its battle plan for pushing interest rates higher after their meeting concludes on Wednesday, economists said.
The overwhelming consensus is that the Fed will hold the federal funds rate steady at near-zero, where the Fed's target has been since last December. The Federal Open Market Committee begins its two-day meeting on Tuesday. An announcement is expected Wednesday at about 2:15 p.m. Eastern.
"The facts on the ground -- high unemployment, low inflation, no net private-sector job creation -- suggest to us that it is inconceivable that policy will actually change on Nov. 4," said the economic team at Credit Suisse in a report to clients.
A report in the Financial Times on Oct. 23 set off a firestorm when it suggested that the Fed was considering scrapping its promise to keep rates "exceptionally low" for "an extended period."
The 'extended period' phrase has been in place since March. As the dust has settled, most Fed watchers have concluded that Wednesday is too early for the central bank to edit the language.
"We don't expect them to move away from the extended-period language," said Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist at Barclays Capital Inc., in New York.
Veteran Fed watcher David Jones of DMJ Advisors agreed: "I don't see them really coming up with anything new," he said.
"I think they will stick with interest rates in the zero to quarter-point range and will mention that economic conditions are better, but still justify rates at low levels for an extended period," Jones said.
Worried about growth, or spooked by inflation?
Analysts still believe that the majority at the Fed, clustered around Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, remains worried about the economic outlook and the consequences of signaling a tightening too soon.
The U.S. economy grew at a 3.5% annual rate in the third quarter, its fastest growth rate in two years.
Economists generally believe that growth will be moderate going forward, in the range of 2% to 3.5%. And there remains a key unanswered question about whether the economy can stand on its own without massive government stimulus.
For the Fed majority, agreeing to a change in language now risks accelerating the market's expectations of a rate hike, Maki said.
Maki doesn't expect the Fed to raise rates until next September.
"What is the point changing the language, if not to signal tightening is commencing relatively soon?" Maki asked.
On the other side of the equation are several regional Fed bank presidents, who remain much more worried about the inflation outlook. They support a change in language because it would give the Fed flexibility to move quickly if the economy turns out to be much stronger than expected.
Some analysts agree scrapping the 'extended period' language is justified.
"The current circumstances suggest that the existing guidance on interest rates...is probably due for a change," said economists at Morgan Stanley.
Some economists admit their expectation of no change in language is based on a hunch that the Fed would have wanted to do a better job of signaling the move, and that the Fed would have given hints that it was thinking of altering the language.
"Fed speakers did not sound particularly hawkish during the inter-meeting period," noted economists at BNP Paribas.
However, former Fed Gov. Lawrence Meyer was one of the first analysts to note that the central bankers were not sticking to the exceptionally-low-rates-for-extended-period script during their remarks since the last meeting.
But Meyer thinks there is an "extremely low probability" that the language will be changed on Wednesday.
Looking past this week
After this meeting, however, all bets on language change are off.
Of course, upcoming economic data play the central role in the Fed's decisions, analysts said.
The language could be altered as early at the last FOMC meeting of the year on Dec. 15-16. Most economists, at the moment, have penciled in a wording change early next year and a rate hike sometime after June.
Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP, said Fed watchers would be wise to circle a speech that Bernanke is scheduled to make to the Economic Club of New York on Nov. 16.
"It is not inconceivable that the FOMC might start to fiddle with the adjectives in its statement as soon as the December FOMC meeting. With this issue looming over the market, Chairman Bernanke's speech...will be a hot ticket," Crandall said.
Asia:
Asian stocks fluctuated as concern over the withdrawal of stimulus measures overshadowed Ford Motor Co.'s unexpected profit and a rally in gold prices.
National Australia Bank Ltd. sank 1.5 percent ahead of what economists predict will be the country's second interest-rate increase in four weeks. Hyundai Motor Co., which controls 4.4 percent of the U.S. auto market, added 2.9 percent in Seoul as Ford said it expects to be "solidly profitable" in 2011. Zijin Mining Group Co., China's No. 1 gold producer, rose 3.4 percent in Hong Kong after the precious metal climbed to a one-week high.
The MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index swung between gains and losses at least six times and was little changed at 388.76 as of 10:55 a.m. in Hong Kong. The gauge has surged 90 percent from a three-month low on March 2 on signs government stimulus measures will revive the global economy.
"We're tending towards the view that we will see some relapse next year as people basically lose faith in governments' ability to continue to come to the rescue," said Peter Elston, a Singapore-based strategist at Aberdeen Asset Management Plc, which had about $234 billon under management as of Sept. 30.
Japanese markets are closed for a holiday. China's Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index lost 0.3 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index and South Korea's Kospi Index both dropped 0.2 percent.
Futures on the U.S. Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 0.2 percent. The gauge advanced 0.7 percent yesterday as the Institute for Supply Management's factory index rose to a three- year high.
Higher Interest Rates?
National Australia Bank, the country's third-largest by market value, lost 1.5 percent to A$28.46, while Westpac Banking Corp., the second biggest, dropped 1.3 percent to A$25.26.
Australia's central bank will raise its overnight cash rate target to 3.5 percent from 3.25 percent at 2:30 p.m. in Sydney, according to 18 of 22 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The rest expect a half-point increase. Futures traders are betting on a quarter-point boost.
Australia on Oct. 6 became the first Group of 20 nation to raise interest rates amid signs of strength in its economy, while the Bank of Japan said last week it will let its programs of buying corporate debt expire at the end of the year.
Investor concern about the withdrawal of stimulus policies and lower-than-estimated profits at companies from PetroChina Co. to National Australia Bank Ltd. have dragged the MSCI Asia Pacific Index, which includes Japan, down by 5 percent from this year's high on Oct. 20.
Hyundai Motor, Kia
The measure lost 1.3 percent last month, the first drop since February. Stocks on the MSCI gauge trade at an average 22 times estimated profit, the lowest level since May 14, according to Bloomberg data.
"Further improvements in the economic and corporate news will help justify valuations," said Jason Teh, who helps manage $3.2 billion at Investors Mutual in Sydney. "A lot of stocks have had a good run, making it harder to find value in this market."
Ford, the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy, posted an unexpected third-quarter net income of $997 million, its first operating profit since early 2008 on smaller discounts and higher sales. The company's shares surged 8.3 percent yesterday.
In Seoul, Hyundai Motor rose 2.9 percent to 105,000 won. The company controlled 4.4 percent of the U.S. auto market at the end of September, according to Autodata Corp. Kia Motors Corp., which got 30 percent of its revenue last year in North America, gained 2 percent to 18,000 won.
Zijin Mining rose 3.4 percent to HK$7.92 after gold futures in New York gained 1.2 percent in after-hours trading. Prices jumped 1.3 percent to $1,054 an ounce in New York yesterday, the highest closing level since Oct. 23.
Newcrest Mining Ltd., Australia's largest gold producer, climbed 4.8 percent to A$33.65, while Lihir Gold Ltd. added 3.6 percent to A$3.15.
Nikkei 225
Japan's market was shut because of a public holiday.
HSI 21529.99 -90.2 -0.42%. (08.51 AM IST).
SSE Composite 3076.65 3110.84 3114.13 3078.94 + 1.11%. (08.52 AM IST)
India:
Sensex on Friday closed below 16,000 level.
Among 30 sensex stocks, 19 declined and 11 ended with gains.
The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 156.44 points or 0.97%, to settle at 15,896.28, after seeing a fall of 464.6 points loss from its day's high 16,360.88. The 50-share NSE Nifty touched an intraday low of 4687.50 and corrected nearly 142 points from its day's high of 4853.65. It slipped 0.82% or 38.85 points, to close at 4711.70. The benchmark indices plunged 5.44% and 5.7% in five days, respectively.
The selling spread to select other heavyweights like BHEL, Larsen & Toubro, ONGC and IT stocks, which saw the index slide to a low of 15,805 - down 556 points from the day's high. Eventaully, the index ended with a loss of 156 points at 15,896.
In the process, the Sensex recorded losses throughout the week and was down 5.4% (915 points) for the week.
Bears reigned the markets for the whole week and hammered the Sensex, which closed below the 16,000 mark for the first time in 36 sessions. The Nifty also touched the 4,700 mark during the day.
Volumes remained above the Rs 1 lakh crore mark for the fourth day in a row. The Nifty futures turned in discount after a long time.
Today's listing, Indiabulls Power ended its first trading session at a hefty discount of 15.11% to its issue price of Rs 45. The share closed at Rs 38.20 on the NSE.
Total traded turnover was at Rs 1,04,704.24 crore. This included Rs 20,177.44 crore from the NSE cash segment, Rs 78,337.49 crore from the NSE F&O and the balance Rs 6,189.31 crore from the BSE cash segment.   
While the Sensex, which soared to 16,360.88 in early trade but tumbled to 15,805.20 around mid afternoon, ended the session with a loss of 156.44 points or 0.97% at 15,896.28, the broader 50-stock Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange closed at 4711.70, netting a loss of 38.85 points or 0.82%. The Nifty touched a high of 4853.65 and a low of 4687.50 today.
It shed 7.2% in October--it's biggest monthly loss since a slide of 23.9% in October 2008.
Sensex sheds 7.2 pct on Oct; 5.4 pct this week
The Sensex is still up 64.8% this year.
BSE Sensex posts worst monthly loss in a year
Sensex down all sessions this week
NSE, BSE to extend timing by next month
ICICI staff may get bonus
CAG audit of RIL KG D6 a/cs this month
Maruti October sales rise 32%
Bajaj Auto Oct. motor cycle sales mounts 52%
GM India Oct sales up by 15 per cent at 7,413 units
Hyundai India total sales stands at 11 per cent, domestic jumps 41.4 per cent in October
TVS Motor posts 12 per cent growth at 131,029 units in Oct'09
Hero Honda grows by 1,707 units in Oct this year
Eicher Motors Q3 gross income jumps 63.4 per cent to Rs. 927.2 crore
Skoda Auto India Oct sales grow 98 per cent to 1,753 units
MTN looking at Asia without Bharti
Unitech moves HC to recover dues
Nagarjuna Construction Q2 net up 4%
MTNL to offer 3G connections for Rs 109
Patni Q3 net up 25%
Suzlon Q2 net loss of Rs 355cr
JK Cement Q2 net down 7% at Rs 65 cr
Great Offshore Q2 net up 86%
Omaxe Q2 net up 50% at Rs 23 cr
J&K Bank Q2 net up 16%  
 
INVESTMENT VIEW
Rishi Laser-Wildcard

BSE CodeL526861
 
Construction equipment (CE) constitutes around 40-45% of sales of company. However, there were virtually very little sales to this sector in H2 FY'09 as the whole industry was facing over capacities and lower demand. 

Broadly according to management, the Construction Equipment industry can be divided into two-Light CE and Heavy CE. The lighter ones which includes pavers, compactors etc have already reached to Mar'08 levels after de-growth in FY'09 particularly the H2 FY'09. But the industry is not able to grow at above 10-15% currently and the company expects the same level for FY'10. From FY'11 onwards the momentum will catch up in the CE industry and the high growth of around 25-30% will return to the industry. All this depends purely on the infrastructure spends. If the infrastructure spending continues to remain strong, then growth and orders will continue to flow. 

CE industry sales are largely catered from two Bangalore plants of the company and one unit of Pune. One Bangalore plant for which the company had incurred the capex of around Rs 20 crore and put to operation in FY'09 was hived off from the company to a subsidiary named Rishi Consfab in Aug'09. In this subsidiary, the company hived off 26% stake to L&T Finance and remaining 74% stake is held by the company.
 
This subsidiary became a dedicated vendor for various assemblies used in manufacturing Excavators for L&T Komatsu. These assemblies include manufacturing arm, platform, doors, and such other parts of structure of excavators. With that gross block of Rs 20 crore along with debt of about Rs 10 crore will be passed to this subsidiary. 

The other Bangalore plant is dedicated for Volvo, BEML, JCB and other small vendors. The company supplies structures for compactors and other finished sheet metals to Volvo. The company supplies the tailor made sheet metals and other structures to BEML both for railways and for earth moving equipments and some structures and welded products to JCB.
 
This plant has capacity to generate sales of about Rs 3 crore per month, it was scaled down to about Rs 1 crore in H2 FY'09 but now has reached around Rs 1.5 crore per month sales. 

Pune plant is the one with constitutes about 40% of total turnover of the company and is operating at underutilized capacity. The company caters to Automotive industry, construction equipment industry, heavy engineering industries, Metro railways, Paint shops, and such other engineering, welding and cutting activities in this plant.
 
The entire plant is divided into three units. One unit dedicates to automotive industry in which the company sells the steel fabrications to Taco Hendrickson's unit, which manufactures Truck Axles for more than 26 tons. The other unit is for JCB CE Pune factory and for Metro railways and for other job work contracts of welding and cutting of steel sheets. The unit has got all the authorization and certification to supply structures to Metro coaches.
 
Rishi Laser has exclusive tie up with Bombardier Transportation (BT) for supply of various structures for Metro rail coaches. This includes, railway roof, Stainless Steel assemblies, doors, cabinets, windows and such other welding and cutting activities. This will be in job work form. Presently the company is having job work order of Rs 18 crore from BT, which is executable over one and half year period. 

The third unit in Pune caters to heavy fabrication for heavy engineering industries. This includes activities of Oven shops for cars, steel plants, heavy structures like blades used in heavy turbines for Hydro generation plants etc. The company has necessary building and shed to undertake any heavy fabrication activities.
 
The company plans to venture into manufacturing of heavy bodies like chimney stands, transformer structure, pressure vessels, heat exchangers etc as there is no capex involved and the job involves more of welding, testing and dedicated skilled labour. The company is in discussion with BHEL for some of boiler stands manufacturing and Walchandnagar for manufacturing of conveyers for coal plants. 

The Baroda plant caters to Textile industry and Power Generation and Distribution industry. In textile industry the company supplied components, panels etc but the sales never picked up because the industry as a whole never performed as per the expectation. However, the Power Generation and Distribution segment is picking up very well. The company supplies SS box and switchgear kits to ABB, Areva, Alstom and such other power distribution players.
 
The company supplies base sheets used in Hitech pumps from this plant. The low and high-end switchgear industry was hit badly last year and is picking up slowly. Luckily the company caters more to medium voltage switchgear and supplies to players like Schneider. The activities involve simple cutting, blending, zinc plating etc. Further the company is working strongly with Alstom for supply of motors, blades, steel sheet gates for open/close doors of water flow etc. 

Savli plant was commissioned last year largely to cater to BT orders. BT has indicated that the future Metro orders will be provided only to those vendors who are in near locality and are dedicated to the company's activities. BT's Metro rail plant in India is the largest among all the plants that it has in the world and it also plans to cater the Middle East metro rail orders from this plant. Rishi Laser expects good business in form of job work activities form BT in future. 

The company started plant in Ahmedabed in FY'09 largely for Ingersol Rand. Ingersol Rand provided land, building etc and company just had to put in some machinery and paint shops which it transferred from its Pune plant where capacity was lying idle. Ingersol Rand has in its internal report indicated that it will provide business to the company of around Rs 25 lakh per month and in next four years business of around Rs 1.5 crore per month. Activities involve steel fabrication, compression and such other assembling. 

Thus from supply of tailor made flat steel parts to many customers the company now has become a dedicated vendor for most of big vendors. 

The company has term loan of about Rs 40 crore and working capital loan of about Rs 30 crore. The company intends to pay the term loan portion, as there is no more capex required till 2012 baring some small normal capex. The company overall is operating at around 60% of its normal capacity. The company with its current capacity has potential to generate sales at consolidated level of more than Rs 180-200 crore. 

The company expects margins to return back to normal level of 17-18% by the last quarter. FY'10 sales will largely be in the range of Rs 125-130 crore (as against Rs 114 crore for FY'09. However job work activities which in included in above sales figure, which stood at Rs 8.5 crore for FY'09 will be substantially higher because of the BT job work. For the first 5 months of FY'10 the sales stood at Rs 44 crore (Rs 51 crore for 5 months of corresponding previous period) however the July and Aug combined sales stood at Rs 19 crore (Rs 18 crore for two months of corresponding previous period). 

(Some forward looking statements on projections, estimates, expectations & outlook are included to enable a better comprehension of the Company prospects. Actual results may, however, differ materially from those stated on account of factors such as changes in government regulations, tax regimes, economic developments within India and the countries within which the Company conducts its business, exchange rate and interest rate movements, impact of competing products and their pricing, product demand and supply constraints.)
 
 
 Index Outlook: The long-awaited correction


Sensex (15,896.3)

The breezy roller-coaster ride that we had expected turned in to a scary hurtle downward as the Sensex plunged 914 points last week recording the largest weekly decline in the last three months. The cut was much deeper in mid and small stocks especially those reporting adverse earnings as tolerance to negative news nosedived. The truncated week ahead is likely to be influenced by the Federal Open Market Committee meeting scheduled next week and the signals that are flashed from there.

Sudden reversal in stock prices made volumes soar sky-high, especially in derivative segment. Volumes in futures and options segment reached record levels mid-week close to the expiry of October contracts. The vicious side of the market was amply demonstrated in the way it waited for the belief in the current rally's invincibility to get all-pervasive before reversing lower: waiting for the last bear to turn in to a bull. Sensex' close below the 50-day moving average is a negative as is the close below the previous peak of 16,002. 10-day rate of change indicator declined in to the negative zone for the first time since August and the 14-day relative strength index has declined to 32. The weekly oscillators are however still in the positive zone implying that though the short-term trend is very weak, the medium term trend is not overtly so yet.

Though we had anticipated a correction last week, the magnitude was far greater than envisaged. We had expected a terminal corrective wave that moved sideways for a few weeks before the move from July lows ended. But the decline last week throws up a zigzag formation from July lows that could mark the completion of the C wave from March lows.

But we will wait for a confirmation of one more week to see if this decline prolongs and leads the index to a firm close below 16,000. Another fight-back by the bulls from these levels can result in a sideways move between 16,000 and 18000 for the rest of this year, indicated in our previous columns.

If the Sensex records a strong close below 16,000 next week, it would mean that an intermediate term correction is in progress that has the minimum targets of 14659 and 13885 – the opportunity that those who have missed the rally so far, are waiting for.

A rebound next week can take the Sensex higher to 16,450, 16,650 or 16,848. Failure to move above the first resistance would imply that weakness will persist to drag the index down to 14917 or 14740.

Nifty (4,711.7)


It was a harsh 285-point tumble in the Nifty last week. The supports at which we had expected the index to halt were pierced effortlessly.

We had expected one more leg higher to 5200 or 5300 followed by some sideways movement before the entire move from the 3918 low ended. But the decline last week implies that the move from this low has ended at 5182. It is a little early to decide if this is the end of the rally that began in March. The current decline needs to prolong next week and Nifty needs to record a strong close below 4700 to signal an intermediate term correction that has the minimum targets of 4389 and 4170.

The short-term trend in the index is down. A brief pull-back can take Nifty to 4876, 4940 or 4993.

Failure to move past the first resistance would be the cue to initiate fresh shorts with a stop at 5000. Downward targets for the week are 4581 and 4497.

Global Cues

The much-awaited correction finally materialised in global equity markets and many benchmarks gave up over 5 per cent last week. CBOE Volatility Index jumped above 30 on Friday, the highest level seen since this July.

Key resistance for the VIX is at 33 where the 200-day moving average is positioned. Close above this level will imply that the investor sentiment will stay edgy for a few more months.

Surprisingly the chart of the Dow appears much more resilient when compared to other global indices.

The short-term trend has been roiled by the 250-point decline on Friday but the index is holding above the 50-day moving average at 9725. Oscillators are however pointing towards the decline continuing in the near term. Medium-term target for the index is 9350.

Latin American benchmarks recorded deep cuts following decline in commodity prices.

Asian markets did not fare too badly last week though some such as the Seoul Composite Index, Thailand's SET and Sri Lanka All share Index are already in a medium-term down trend.

 
Pivotals: Reliance Industries (Rs 1,931.2)


RIL took the downward trajectory last week and closed 116 points lower. The stock is sustaining below the 50-day moving average for the second consecutive week and its 10-day rate of change oscillator has been declining deep in to negative territory.

This indicates that the stock is in a medium-term down-trend that can prolong. Targets for the C wave from the Rs 2,490 top are Rs 1,827 and Rs 1,532. Presence of 200-day moving average at Rs 1,805 makes the first target critical.

Short-term trend in the stock is down but it has strong support around Rs 1,900 from where a bounce to Rs 2,080 or Rs 2,125 is possible.

Failure to move above the first support will be the cue for initiating fresh short positions.

SBI (Rs 2,191)


SBI plummeted to an intra-week low of Rs 2,118 by Wednesday before making an attempt to stabilise itself. A three-wave zigzag from March lows appears to have been completed at the recent peak of Rs 2,500. Minimum target of the decline that will now follow is Rs 1,900 with the 50-day moving average at Rs 2,044 providing some interim support.

Near-term resistances for SBI are at Rs 2,270 and Rs 2,360. A close above the second resistance is required to mitigate the bearish outlook. Reversal below the first resistance will drag the stock to Rs 2,062 or Rs 1,918.

Tata Steel (Rs 471.6)


The 11 per cent cut received by Tata Steel last week has marred the medium-term outlook and has opened the possibility of the termination of the up-trend that began from the March low of Rs 148. It needs to be noted that Tata Steel is one of the underperformers among the pivotals since it has retraced only half the losses made in 2008 while some of its peers are perched well above their 2008 peaks.

But the stock has already retraced 30 per cent of the move made since the March trough completing the minimum retracement requirement for a correction. The decline can halt here.

If it continues, next target would be Rs 427.

Short-term trend in the stock is down and rallies will face resistances at Rs 515, Rs 530 and Rs 548. Reversal from the first resistance will give traders the perfect place to initiate fresh short positions.

Infosys (Rs 2,205.4)


Infosys bore the bear's onslaught pretty well last week, recording a mild weekly decline of 2 per cent. Immediate support for the stock is at Rs 2,120 and the short-term trend will turn down only on a close below this level. Subsequent targets remain at Rs 1,936 or Rs 1,906.

Key resistance for the week is at Rs 2,318 and investors ought to stay wary as long as the stock trades below this level. Strong move above Rs 2,415 is needed to make the outlook gung-ho once again.

ONGC (Rs 1,132.7)


ONGC too fared relatively better last week and closed with a mild Rs 42 loss.

The stock has, however, closed below the 50-day moving average at Rs 1,179 and the oscillators in both the daily as well as the weekly chart denote bearishness.

Fresh shorts are however recommended only on a decline below Rs 1,120. Next target is Rs 1,080.

Medium-term view will stay negative as long as the stock trades below Rs 1,200. Medium-term target on a decline below Rs 1,080 is Rs 965.

Maruti Suzuki (Rs 1,403)

Maruti wasn't spared from the sell-off last week and the stock closed 7 per cent lower. Rallies would face strong resistance at Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,525. Medium-term target if the decline continues is Rs 1,250.

Index Strategy: Bear spread to play the market weakness

The steep decline in Nifty last week appears to have turned the market mood on its head, from a positive growth one to the present dilly-dallying, doubtful one. Besides, with the earnings season now behind us there is also little to speak of in terms of near-term upside triggers for the market. In keeping with the sombre mood, we suggest traders to set a bear put spread on the index to benefit from further weakness. You can do this by buying Nifty November 4,700 put option and simultaneously selling Nifty November 4,600 put. This would result in a net initial debit as the strategy involves buying in the money put as against selling one that is out of money. In this case, you will have to shell out Rs 138 for buying Nifty November 4,700 put while you will receive Rs 97 when you write Nifty November 4,600 put. On the whole, the spread will cost you Rs 41/share. While it is advisable to execute both the legs of the strategy simultaneously to benefit from lower margin money requirement, you can time the purchase and sale of options depending on the day's market movement.

Maximum profit potential: The maximum profit for this spread will occur when Nifty moves below the strike price of the sold option, i.e. 4,600. The maximum profit potential will be limited to the difference between the two strikes minus the net debit paid or the cost of setting the spread. In this case, the maximum profit will be Rs 59 [(4,700-4,600) – Rs 41].

Maximum loss potential: When your spread is totally out of money i.e. when Nifty value is higher than the 4,700, the maximum loss that you can suffer will be limited to the net debit paid, Rs 41 – that is the money that was spent initially in setting the bear put spread.

So, in essence you will be taking a maximum risk of Rs 41 to earn a maximum profit of Rs 59. Traders with a slightly more bearish view can tweak the strike prices further low using Nifty November 4,700 put and Nifty November 4,500 put. The spread will entail an initial cost of Rs 71 for a maximum profit potential of Rs 129.

When to exit?

Traders should consider booking profits and closing the positions as soon as the underlying trends below the strike price of the sold put option. But in the meanwhile, if you feel that the likelihood of the underlying moving down is low, you can consider closing the position prematurely

--
Arvind Parekh
+ 91 98432 32381



--
Arvind Parekh
+ 91 98432 32381

Monday, November 2, 2009

Weekly Market Outlook 3rd-6th Nov 2009

Strong & Weak  futures  
This is list of 10 strong futures:
Crompton Greaves, Balrampur Chini, McDowell-N, Ashok Leyl, Dr Reddy, Yes Bank, PTC, Asian Paints, OFSS & Hind Zinc. 
And this is list of 10 Weak futures:
IOC, EKC, RCom, GMR Infra, RNRL, Suzlon, Punj Lloyd, Nagar Fert, MLL & Bank Of India.
 Nifty is in Down trend  
FUNDS DATA
FII trading activity on NSE and BSE in Capital Market Segment(In Rs. Crores)
Category Date Buy Value Sell Value Net Value
FII 30-Oct-2009 3966.63 3390.58 576.05
DII trading activity on NSE and BSE in Capital Market Segment(In Rs. Crores)
Category Date Buy Value Sell Value Net Value
DII 30-Oct-2009 2400 1807.07 592.93
 
 
SPOT LEVELS
NSE Nifty Index   4711.70 ( -0.82 %) -38.85       
  1 2 3
Resistance 4814.40 4917.10   4980.55  
Support 4648.25 4584.80 4482.10

BSE Sensex  15896.28 ( -0.97 %) -156.44     
  1 2 3
Resistance 16236.37 16576.47 16792.05
Support 15680.69 15465.11 15125.01
 Index Outlook: The long-awaited correction


Sensex (15,896.3)

The breezy roller-coaster ride that we had expected turned in to a scary hurtle downward as the Sensex plunged 914 points last week recording the largest weekly decline in the last three months. The cut was much deeper in mid and small stocks especially those reporting adverse earnings as tolerance to negative news nosedived. The truncated week ahead is likely to be influenced by the Federal Open Market Committee meeting scheduled next week and the signals that are flashed from there.

Sudden reversal in stock prices made volumes soar sky-high, especially in derivative segment. Volumes in futures and options segment reached record levels mid-week close to the expiry of October contracts. The vicious side of the market was amply demonstrated in the way it waited for the belief in the current rally's invincibility to get all-pervasive before reversing lower: waiting for the last bear to turn in to a bull. Sensex' close below the 50-day moving average is a negative as is the close below the previous peak of 16,002. 10-day rate of change indicator declined in to the negative zone for the first time since August and the 14-day relative strength index has declined to 32. The weekly oscillators are however still in the positive zone implying that though the short-term trend is very weak, the medium term trend is not overtly so yet.

Though we had anticipated a correction last week, the magnitude was far greater than envisaged. We had expected a terminal corrective wave that moved sideways for a few weeks before the move from July lows ended. But the decline last week throws up a zigzag formation from July lows that could mark the completion of the C wave from March lows.

But we will wait for a confirmation of one more week to see if this decline prolongs and leads the index to a firm close below 16,000. Another fight-back by the bulls from these levels can result in a sideways move between 16,000 and 18000 for the rest of this year, indicated in our previous columns.

If the Sensex records a strong close below 16,000 next week, it would mean that an intermediate term correction is in progress that has the minimum targets of 14659 and 13885 – the opportunity that those who have missed the rally so far, are waiting for.

A rebound next week can take the Sensex higher to 16,450, 16,650 or 16,848. Failure to move above the first resistance would imply that weakness will persist to drag the index down to 14917 or 14740.

Nifty (4,711.7)


It was a harsh 285-point tumble in the Nifty last week. The supports at which we had expected the index to halt were pierced effortlessly.

We had expected one more leg higher to 5200 or 5300 followed by some sideways movement before the entire move from the 3918 low ended. But the decline last week implies that the move from this low has ended at 5182. It is a little early to decide if this is the end of the rally that began in March. The current decline needs to prolong next week and Nifty needs to record a strong close below 4700 to signal an intermediate term correction that has the minimum targets of 4389 and 4170.

The short-term trend in the index is down. A brief pull-back can take Nifty to 4876, 4940 or 4993.

Failure to move past the first resistance would be the cue to initiate fresh shorts with a stop at 5000. Downward targets for the week are 4581 and 4497.

Global Cues

The much-awaited correction finally materialised in global equity markets and many benchmarks gave up over 5 per cent last week. CBOE Volatility Index jumped above 30 on Friday, the highest level seen since this July.

Key resistance for the VIX is at 33 where the 200-day moving average is positioned. Close above this level will imply that the investor sentiment will stay edgy for a few more months.

Surprisingly the chart of the Dow appears much more resilient when compared to other global indices.

The short-term trend has been roiled by the 250-point decline on Friday but the index is holding above the 50-day moving average at 9725. Oscillators are however pointing towards the decline continuing in the near term. Medium-term target for the index is 9350.

Latin American benchmarks recorded deep cuts following decline in commodity prices.

Asian markets did not fare too badly last week though some such as the Seoul Composite Index, Thailand's SET and Sri Lanka All share Index are already in a medium-term down trend.

 
Pivotals: Reliance Industries (Rs 1,931.2)


RIL took the downward trajectory last week and closed 116 points lower. The stock is sustaining below the 50-day moving average for the second consecutive week and its 10-day rate of change oscillator has been declining deep in to negative territory.

This indicates that the stock is in a medium-term down-trend that can prolong. Targets for the C wave from the Rs 2,490 top are Rs 1,827 and Rs 1,532. Presence of 200-day moving average at Rs 1,805 makes the first target critical.

Short-term trend in the stock is down but it has strong support around Rs 1,900 from where a bounce to Rs 2,080 or Rs 2,125 is possible.

Failure to move above the first support will be the cue for initiating fresh short positions.

SBI (Rs 2,191)


SBI plummeted to an intra-week low of Rs 2,118 by Wednesday before making an attempt to stabilise itself. A three-wave zigzag from March lows appears to have been completed at the recent peak of Rs 2,500. Minimum target of the decline that will now follow is Rs 1,900 with the 50-day moving average at Rs 2,044 providing some interim support.

Near-term resistances for SBI are at Rs 2,270 and Rs 2,360. A close above the second resistance is required to mitigate the bearish outlook. Reversal below the first resistance will drag the stock to Rs 2,062 or Rs 1,918.

Tata Steel (Rs 471.6)


The 11 per cent cut received by Tata Steel last week has marred the medium-term outlook and has opened the possibility of the termination of the up-trend that began from the March low of Rs 148. It needs to be noted that Tata Steel is one of the underperformers among the pivotals since it has retraced only half the losses made in 2008 while some of its peers are perched well above their 2008 peaks.

But the stock has already retraced 30 per cent of the move made since the March trough completing the minimum retracement requirement for a correction. The decline can halt here.

If it continues, next target would be Rs 427.

Short-term trend in the stock is down and rallies will face resistances at Rs 515, Rs 530 and Rs 548. Reversal from the first resistance will give traders the perfect place to initiate fresh short positions.

Infosys (Rs 2,205.4)


Infosys bore the bear's onslaught pretty well last week, recording a mild weekly decline of 2 per cent. Immediate support for the stock is at Rs 2,120 and the short-term trend will turn down only on a close below this level. Subsequent targets remain at Rs 1,936 or Rs 1,906.

Key resistance for the week is at Rs 2,318 and investors ought to stay wary as long as the stock trades below this level. Strong move above Rs 2,415 is needed to make the outlook gung-ho once again.

ONGC (Rs 1,132.7)


ONGC too fared relatively better last week and closed with a mild Rs 42 loss.

The stock has, however, closed below the 50-day moving average at Rs 1,179 and the oscillators in both the daily as well as the weekly chart denote bearishness.

Fresh shorts are however recommended only on a decline below Rs 1,120. Next target is Rs 1,080.

Medium-term view will stay negative as long as the stock trades below Rs 1,200. Medium-term target on a decline below Rs 1,080 is Rs 965.

Maruti Suzuki (Rs 1,403)

Maruti wasn't spared from the sell-off last week and the stock closed 7 per cent lower. Rallies would face strong resistance at Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,525. Medium-term target if the decline continues is Rs 1,250.

Index Strategy: Bear spread to play the market weakness

The steep decline in Nifty last week appears to have turned the market mood on its head, from a positive growth one to the present dilly-dallying, doubtful one. Besides, with the earnings season now behind us there is also little to speak of in terms of near-term upside triggers for the market. In keeping with the sombre mood, we suggest traders to set a bear put spread on the index to benefit from further weakness. You can do this by buying Nifty November 4,700 put option and simultaneously selling Nifty November 4,600 put. This would result in a net initial debit as the strategy involves buying in the money put as against selling one that is out of money. In this case, you will have to shell out Rs 138 for buying Nifty November 4,700 put while you will receive Rs 97 when you write Nifty November 4,600 put. On the whole, the spread will cost you Rs 41/share. While it is advisable to execute both the legs of the strategy simultaneously to benefit from lower margin money requirement, you can time the purchase and sale of options depending on the day's market movement.

Maximum profit potential: The maximum profit for this spread will occur when Nifty moves below the strike price of the sold option, i.e. 4,600. The maximum profit potential will be limited to the difference between the two strikes minus the net debit paid or the cost of setting the spread. In this case, the maximum profit will be Rs 59 [(4,700-4,600) – Rs 41].

Maximum loss potential: When your spread is totally out of money i.e. when Nifty value is higher than the 4,700, the maximum loss that you can suffer will be limited to the net debit paid, Rs 41 – that is the money that was spent initially in setting the bear put spread.

So, in essence you will be taking a maximum risk of Rs 41 to earn a maximum profit of Rs 59. Traders with a slightly more bearish view can tweak the strike prices further low using Nifty November 4,700 put and Nifty November 4,500 put. The spread will entail an initial cost of Rs 71 for a maximum profit potential of Rs 129.

When to exit?

Traders should consider booking profits and closing the positions as soon as the underlying trends below the strike price of the sold put option. But in the meanwhile, if you feel that the likelihood of the underlying moving down is low, you can consider closing the position prematurely

--
Arvind Parekh
+ 91 98432 32381

Friday, October 30, 2009

Market Outlook 30th Oct 2009

INTRADAY calls for 30th Oct 2009
+ve Script & Sector : Pharma,Lupin,Cipla,Escorts
BUY Ranbaxy-391 for 422+ with sl 384
BUY BOB-512 for 525+ with sl 506
BUY Dr.reddy-1016 for 1048-53+ with sl 1005
BREAKOUT
BUY HPCL-347 for 368+ with sl 339
EXPECTED BREAKOUT
BUY GlenMark-216 above 220 for 251+ with sl 210
POSITIONAL
BUY Sunpharma-1403 for 1495-1533+ with sl 1380
 
 
Strong & Weak  futures  
This is list of 10 strong futures: Balrampur Chini, Crompton Greaves, Dr Reddy, Polaris, Wipro, PTC, Dabur, GTL Infra, Colpal & ITC.  And this is list of 10 Weak futures: IOC, EKC, GMR Infra, RCom, RNRL, Punj Lloyd, MLL, Rel Capital, Unitech & JP Hydro.
 Nifty is in Down trend  
 
NIFTY FUTURES (F & O):
 
Above 4789 level, expect short covering up to 4816-4818 zone and thereafter expect a jump up to 4844-4846 zone by non-stop.
Support at 4767-4769 zone. Below this zone, selling may continue up to 4765 level and thereafter slide may continue up to 4751 level by non-stop.

Break below 4722-4724 zone, can create panic up to 4694-4696 zone by non-stop.

On Positive Side, cross above 4889-4891 zone can take it up to 4917-4919 zone by non-stop. Supply expected at around this zone and have caution.
 
Short-Term Investors:
 
1 Week: Bearish with a SL of 4927.00. Target at 4697.80.
1 Month: Bearish with a SL of 5734.40. Target at 4661.45.
3 Months: Bearish with a SL of 6190.00. Target at 3900.00.
 
BSE SENSEX:
 
 
Sell with a SL of 16182.09. Target at 15742.13. 
Short-Term Investors:  
1 Week: Bearish with a SL of 16606.95. Target at 15720.73.
1 Month: Bearish with a SL of 18381.96. Target at 14937.03.
3 Months: Bearish with a SL of 17361.47. Target at 12425.52.
1 Year: Bullish with a SL of 15197.60. Target at 18289.88.
 
POSITIONAL BUY:
Buy TECHTRAN POLYLEN (BSE Cash & BSE Code:523455) 
Buy with a Stop Loss of 19.90. Above 23.30, it will zoom.
 
Today: May hold on gains.

1 Week: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Month: Bullish, as per current market conditions.

3 Months: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Year: Bullish, as per current market conditions.
 
Buy SBEC INTL (BSE Cash & BSE Code: 532102) 
Buy with a Stop Loss of 13.46. Above 18.30, it will zoom.
 
1 Week: Bullish, as per current market conditions.

1 Month: Bullish, as per current market conditions.

3 Months: Bearish, surprisingly going up.

1 Year: Bullish, as per current market conditions.
 
 
SPOT LEVELS
NSE Nifty Index   4750.55 ( -1.57 %) -75.60       
  1 2 3
Resistance 4804.97 4859.38   4892.67  
Support 4717.27 4683.98 4629.57

BSE Sensex  16052.72 ( -1.42 %) -230.77     
  1 2 3
Resistance 16213.26 16373.81 16483.52
Support 15943.00 15833.29 15672.74

FUNDS DATA
FII trading activity on NSE and BSE in Capital Market Segment(In Rs. Crores)
Category Date Buy Value Sell Value Net Value
FII 29-Oct-2009 2994.99 5541.66 -2546.67
DII trading activity on NSE and BSE in Capital Market Segment(In Rs. Crores)
Category Date Buy Value Sell Value Net Value
DII 29-Oct-2009 2653.79 1676.73 977.06
 
Interesting findings on web:
U.S. stocks rallied, sending benchmark indexes to their biggest advance since July, after the economy returned to growth following the worst contraction in seven decades. Treasuries dropped and the dollar and yen weakened, while commodities surged.
The major averages gave the news a warm reception: The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 199.89 points, or 2.1%, to 9962.58, and the S&P 500 rose 23.48 points, or 2.3%, to 1066.11. The Nasdaq advanced 37.94 points, or 1.8%, to 2097.55.
RUSSELL580.2213.86+2.45%
TRAN3703.6563.30+1.74%
UTIL369.933.88+1.06%
S&P 100496.059.55+1.96%
S&P 400678.2314.86+2.24%
NYSE6955.31189.62+2.8%
NAS 1001711.2729.21
Stocks on Wall Street rallied sharply after the US economy showed a return to growth, giving the blue chip index its biggest one-day gain in three months.
The government's first estimate of U.S. gross domestic product showed the economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter, suggesting it was emerging from the worst recession in 70 years. The quarter of growth was the first after more than a year of contraction in GDP.
The government's first estimate on third-quarter gross domestic product rose at a seasonally adjusted 3.5% annual rate in July through September. This compared with consensus predictions of a 3.2% rise.
The growth was driven by consumer spending, which rose 3.4% in the third quarter.
"The market sold off Wednesday in expectation of a lower number and today it got a positive surprise," said Karl Mills, president and chief investment officer at Jurika Mills & Keifer.
"This shows the economy is continuing to recover and heal," he said. "It's just not clear what that recovery is going to look like."
"It was a little better than expected, but you have to wonder how much of the growth was pulled from another quarter, with the stimulus driving so much of it," said Drew Kanaly, chairman and CEO at Kanaly Trust.
"As you look to quarters down the road, you have to wonder how sustainable this level of GDP is," he said. "Can the government take away all the stimulus and make that handoff to the private sector?"
"The expansion in Q3 GDP (3.5%) shows we have clearly begun to emerge from the trough," Bart van Ark, chief economist of The Conference Board, wrote in a note following the report. "But there's still a long way to go," he said, "and we still don't know enough about the sustainability of these recovery signals."
"The fourth quarter will be the Waterloo of the bears," said E. William Stone, who oversees $102 billion as chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia. "We are in economic recovery both in the U.S. and globally, so you will eventually see revenue growth because you are seeing the recovery hold."
"The stock rally is not over yet," said Jeffrey Kleintop, who helps oversee about $247 billion as chief market strategist at LPL Financial in Boston. "The stock market can celebrate. This news is an important confidence boost, in particular to individual investors."
The return to growth also fueled speculation that the Federal Reserve will begin to discuss lifting its benchmark interest rate from a record low range near 0 percent and further unwind other programs meant to stimulate the economy.
European Central Bank council member Axel Weber signaled the bank may start to withdraw its emergency stimulus measures next year. The Fed has already announced a phase-out of some of its programs and completed its $300 billion Treasury purchase program today. Norway and Australia have started to raise interest rates.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told a congressional committee today that the recession remains "alive and acute" for struggling homeowners and the unemployed.
"It's a tug-of-war," said Michael Binger, a Minneapolis- based fund manager at Thrivent Asset Management, which oversees about $60 billion. "We've had a stronger-than-expected GDP number and corporations are running more efficiently. But I don't see the government reversing the stimulus measures or the Fed changing language or indicating higher interest rates any time soon. The unemployment rate is still very high."
Earnings-per-share have exceeded the average analyst estimates at 81 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 that posted third-quarter results so far, which would be a record proportion for a full quarter, according to Bloomberg data going back to 1993. Still, profits have decreased 23 percent on average for the 296 companies that reported since Oct. 7.
U.S. stocks also gained after the number of Americans collecting unemployment insurance fell more than forecast to the lowest level in seven months. The number of people receiving jobless benefits declined by 148,000 to 5.8 million in the week ended Oct. 17, the lowest since March 21 and biggest weekly drop since July, Labor Department figures showed.
All 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 climbed at least 0.6 percent. Indexes of raw-material producers and energy companies rose at least 2.4 percent as oil, gold and industrial metals gained after the GDP data.
The rally in global stocks has failed to convince investors and analysts that it's time to take on more risk or dispel their concerns about U.S. economic policies and its banking system.
Only 31 percent of respondents to a poll of investors and analysts who are Bloomberg subscribers in the U.S., Europe and Asia see investment opportunities, down from 35 percent in the previous survey in July. Almost 40 percent in the latest quarterly survey, the Bloomberg Global Poll, say they are still hunkering down. U.S. investors are even more cautious, with more than 50 percent saying they are in a defensive crouch.
The U.S. economy faces "serious bumps" ahead that are likely to slow the pace of growth, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said. The economy won't be expanding quickly enough to reduce unemployment, Stiglitz told a press conference in Beijing today. The economy will enter "a very gloomy period" of high unemployment, economist David Malpass, president of Encima Global in New York, told Bloomberg Radio.
The U.S. unemployment rate reached a 26-year high of 9.8 percent in September.
"GDP numbers were good and will stimulate more investor interest in stocks," said Randy Bateman, who oversees $13 billion as chief investment officer at Huntington Asset Advisors in Columbus, Ohio. "We can't declare victory yet. Maybe it was more pronounced because of the success of cash-for-clunkers program. I believe we are not going to double dip, but maybe we'll see a lesser number in the fourth quarter."
Morgan Stanley said the global stock market rally, which resembles the bull run between 2003 and 2007, will end as government spending slows after so-called easy money boosted asset prices.
"Such echo rallies are never as big as the original one and we will see it fading away," Ruchir Sharma, 35, who oversees $25 billion in emerging-market stocks at Morgan Stanley, said in an interview in Mumbai. "The rally will end as the effects of the stimulus begin to fade and the credit bubble caused by easy money disappears."
The GDP report served as more affirmation of investors' recent bets on the recovery, which fueled a sharp advance from the 12-year lows of early March.
"We see today that the optimism about corporate earnings reports is just being confirmed in the GDP report," said Kenneth Kamen, president of Mercadien Asset Management in Hamilton, New Jersey. "We are starting to see the economy really recover and GDP picking up."
Even with the optimism inspired by the latest GDP report, other money managers said there was still reason to be cautious as the recovery might prove bumpy.
"We are in the early stages of a recovery process," said Les Satlow, portfolio manager at Cabot Money Management in Salem, Massachusetts. "It's a very good thing that GDP is growing quarter-on-quarter, but if this is a V-shaped recovery we are still well below the top left of the V."
"I think it obviously is showing that the monetary policy has worked, and some of the government programs -- tax credits and clunkers -- have basically pulled the economy out of recession," says Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners. But the consumer will have to assist in the second wave for growth to continue, and it hasn't been a consumer-led recovery, says Cardillo, "so the question mark is how growth will shape up in 2010."
Duessel and Cardillo both predict economic growth will likely be stronger than expected going into next year. Duessel believes this is in part because the consumer -- particularly of the wealthier variety -- has "the pent-up desire to spend." "One of the things I'd be concerned about is a large part of this is 'if we prime the pump and get consumers spending again, that's going to solve our problems,'" says Doug Roberts, chief investment strategist at ChannelCapitalResearch.com. "But is that really sustainable in the long term? -- simply because the consumer is highly leveraged, he's spent quite a bit, and we have demographic arguments of an aging population indicating reduced consumer spending going into the future.
"So even if you're able to do it and force the issue for the next several quarters or next several years, what are you going to do after that?" asks Roberts. "And that's something I don't think we've really addressed -- but at the same time, over the next several quarters or years this could remain workable."
In other data, weekly jobless claims were 5,000 more than expected, at 530,000, down by 1,000 from the week prior. Continuing claims were less than expected, however, at 5.79 million, down from 5.94 million and better than expectations for 5.9 million.
Government stimulus programs including the popular Cash for Clunkers auto rebates and tax credits for first-time home buyers bolstered the economy. Once the government's stimulus measures run their course, the economy could run afoul of lingering problems such as high unemployment and weak consumer spending.
"I don't think that at this point in the rebound that the economy would be self-sustainable," said Jason D. Pride, director of research at Haverford Investments in Philadelphia. "The only way to have effective sustained economic growth is to have job growth, but it tends to come later."
Analysts say the recovery is likely to be bumpy as consumers try to pay down debt and credit for small businesses remains tight.
But such concerns were pushed aside Thursday.
With 302 companies, or 60% of the S&P 500 having already reported results, profits are on track to have fallen 17.9% from a year ago, according to the latest results from Thomson Reuters.
Gains were broad based, with 29 of 30 Dow issues rising, led by Boeing (BA, Fortune 500), Chevron (CVX, Fortune 500), Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, Fortune 500), IBM (IBM, Fortune 500) JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), 3M (MMM, Fortune 500), Travelers (TRV, Fortune 500), Wal-Mart Stores (WMT, Fortune 500) and Procter & Gamble (PG, Fortune 500), which reported a better-than-expected profit.
Equity gains were widespread, with big manufacturers, technology, financials, energy and the materials sectors all benefiting. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq halted a four-day rout.
Sentiment was also boosted by stronger-than-expected quarterly results from consumer product heavyweights Procter & Gamble Co (PG.N) and Colgate-Palmolive Co (CL.N).
Shares of Dow component P&G, which also raised its full-year revenue outlook, gained 4 percent to $59.54, while Colgate-Palmolive shares rose 1.6 percent to $78.94.
Caterpillar Inc., Alcoa Inc. and American Express Co. jumped at least 5.1 percent after the Commerce Department said gross domestic product grew at a 3.5 percent pace from July through September after shrinking for four straight quarters. Motorola Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., Newmont Mining Corp. and Kellogg Co. climbed on better-than-estimated earnings.
Shares of aircraft maker Boeing Co (BA.N) rose 3.4 percent to $48.81.
Merck [MRK  31.24    -0.81  (-2.53%)   ] was the only decliner on the Dow today, down 2.3 percent.
Motorola surged 9.8 percent to $8.74. The biggest U.S. mobile-phone maker reported third-quarter profit excluding some costs of 2 cents, exceeding the average estimate for a breakeven quarter in a Bloomberg survey. Motorola cut jobs and production costs to offset slumping handset sales.
Kellogg rose 2.8 percent to $51.38. The largest U.S. maker of breakfast cereal said it had third-quarter profit of 94 cents a share. The company was forecast by analysts to earn 85 cents, based on the average estimate from a Bloomberg survey. Symantec Corp. jumped 13 percent to $17.74. The biggest maker of security software reported second-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates after winning back customers from competitors and adding new business users.
Genworth Financial Inc. jumped 17 percent and led insurance companies 5.4 percent higher, the biggest gain among 24 S&P 500 industries. The life insurer and mortgage guarantor was raised to "buy" from "neutral" by Bank of America Corp.
MetLife Inc. gained 7.9 percent to $36.84 ahead of its earnings report. The biggest U.S. life insurer reported third- quarter operating profit of 87 cents a share after the close, beating the average analyst estimate by 1 cent. Lincoln National Corp., the bailed-out insurer, climbed 14 percent to $25.34 after its first profit in a year topped estimates.
Financial shares surged 4.3 percent for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 among 10 industries. The group of 79 banks, insurers and investment firms had slumped 7.8 percent in the four days through yesterday, compared with a 4.6 percent drop of the U.S. equity benchmark.
Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley added at least 3.7 percent each.
Dow components American Express(AXP Quote) up by 5.1%.
Newmont Mining added 3.6 percent to $43. The largest U.S. gold producer reported third-quarter profit of 79 cents a share on higher bullion prices and lower production costs. The results topped the 55-cent per-share average estimate of 17 analysts.
Exxon Mobil Corp. rose 0.2 percent to $73.96, after falling as much as 2.4 percent. The world's biggest company by market value reported third-quarter net income of 98 cents a share, 4 cents lower than the average of 15 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Demand slumped for fuels to run cars, trucks, factories and airplanes.
First Solar Inc. tumbled 17 percent to $126.47. The world's largest maker of thin-film solar power modules reported sales of $480.9 million in the third quarter, trailing the average analyst estimate by 9.3 percent, according to Bloomberg data.
iPhone maker Apple Inc (AAPL.O) rose 2.1 percent to $196.35 on Nasdaq, where Symantec Corp (SYMC.O) jumped 12.8 percent to $17.74, a day after the business software maker posted a quarterly profit that eclipsed Wall Street's forecasts.
Several brokerages raised price targets on Symantec.
Higher oil prices contributed to the energy sector's gains, with the S&P energy index .GSPE up 2.4 percent. Chevron Corp (CVX.N) gained 2.7 percent to $77.95 ahead of its quarterly results on Friday.
Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) edged up 0.2 percent to $73.96, but the stock spent most of the session in negative territory following the company's report of a third-quarter profit below expectations.
Reports on personal income and spending, consumer sentiment and manufacturing are all due Friday morning.
Dow component Chevron (CVX, Fortune 500), Duke Energy (DUK, Fortune 500), Alcatel-Lucent (ALA) and Sony (SNE) are among the corporations reporting quarterly results in the morning.
Friday is the last trading day of October: As of today's close, the Dow is up 2.6 percent for the month, the S&P is up 0.9 percent and the Nasdaq is down 1.2 percent.
The VIX, the benchmark for U.S. stock options that is known as Wall Street's "fear gauge," tumbled 11 percent to 24.76 in its steepest slide since February amid reduced demand for protection against declines in equities.
Oil,Gold & Currencies:
U.S. light crude oil for December delivery rallied $2.44 to settle at $79.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a gain of 3%.
COMEX gold for December delivery rallied $16.60 to settle at $1,047.10 an ounce.
The dollar fell versus the euro, resuming its slide after a few up days and moving closer to a 14-month low hit last week. The greenback gained versus the yen.
Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar headed for a fourth monthly drop against the euro, its longest stretch since 2004, as the U.S.'s return to growth renewed optimism a global recovery will quicken, aiding demand for higher-yielding assets.
The yen was little changed against the euro, set for the biggest monthly slide since May, after a government report showed Japan's jobless rate unexpectedly dropped for a second month, reducing demand for the relative safety of the Japanese currency. Australia's dollar is rising for a record ninth month as global stocks rallied and prices climbed for commodities that comprise more than half the South Pacific nation's exports.
"The recovery is still at work and the liquidity is ample," said Tomohiro Nishida, a dealer in Tokyo at Chuo Mitsui Trust & Banking Co., a unit of Japan's seventh-largest banking group. "You can't stop money flying into higher-yielding currencies at the expense of funding currencies."
The dollar traded at $1.4832 per euro at 9:47 a.m. in Tokyo from $1.4822 yesterday in New York. The yen was at 135.46 per euro from 135.51 yesterday. The greenback bought 91.32 yen from 91.41 yen.
Australia's currency bought 91.51 U.S. cents from 91.50 cents in New York yesterday and is set to gain 3.7 percent in October.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index of regional shares advanced 0.8 percent today and the Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 1.1 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index increased 2.3 percent yesterday and crude oil for December delivery increased 3.8 percent to $79.87 a barrel.
U.S. Recovering
The dollar is poised for the longest stretch of monthly losses against the euro since 2004 as a Bloomberg News survey of economists showed that the Institute for Supply Management- Chicago Inc's business barometer probably rose to 49.0 in October from 46.1 in the previous month. The data is due today.
Adding to signs the world's largest economy is recovering, the Institute for Supply Management's factory gauge also rose to 53.0 in October from 52.6 in the previous month, according to a separate Bloomberg News survey before the release on Nov. 3. Fifty is the dividing line between expansion and contraction.
The Commerce Department reported yesterday U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 3.5 percent annual pace in the third quarter, after shrinking in the previous four periods. The median forecast of 79 economists in a Bloomberg survey was for an expansion of 3.2 percent.
Japan Adds Jobs
The yen fell against 13 of the 16 most-active currencies as the unemployment rate declined to 5.3 percent from 5.5 percent in August. The median estimate of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for the rate to increase to 5.6 percent.
"Good data from Japan will strengthen the risk appetite that resurfaced on strong U.S. data," said Takashi Kudo, director of foreign-exchange sales in Tokyo at NTT SmartTrade Inc., a unit of Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.
Separate Japanese government figures showed the job-to- applicant ratio, a leading indicator of employment trends, improved for the first time in more than two years. The ratio rose to 0.43 last month from a record low of 0.42 in August, meaning there are 43 jobs for 100 job seekers.
Euro Versus Pound
The euro may rise for the first time in four days against the pound on speculation a German report will show retail sales rebounded in September, adding to signs the recession in the 16- nation region is over.
Retail sales in Germany, Europe's largest economy, rose 1 percent in September after a revised 2.4 percent decline in August, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists. The Federal Statistics Office releases the report at 8 a.m. in Weisbaden today.
"The recovery in the euro-zone economy appears to be on a solid footing," said Masanobu Ishikawa, general manager of foreign exchange at Tokyo Forex & Ueda Harlow Ltd., Japan's largest currency broker. "The bias is for the euro to rise."
European Central Bank council member Axel Weber yesterday signaled policy makers may start to withdraw emergency stimulus measures next year by scaling back the bank's "very long-term" loans to banks. The comments are the first to indicate the ECB is getting closer to enacting its exit strategy.
The euro traded at 89.63 pence from 89.58 pence in New York yesterday, and was set for its first monthly decline versus the pound since June.
Bonds:
Treasury prices tumbled, raising the yield on the 10-year note to 3.49% from 3.41% Wednesday. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
What to expect:
FRIDAY: Personal income and spending; consumer sentiment; Earnings from Chevron

Obama's review of Afghan war strategy nears end 
House takes another step on healthcare reform
JP Morgan raised concerns about Galleon in 2001: report
Lawmakers close in on extending housing support
As many as 5 million Americans infected with H1N1
Iran proposes big changes to draft atom deal: report 
U.S. envoy back in Jerusalem to pursue peace talks
Resurgent Chip, LCD Sales Boost Samsung Elec Margins
Stocks Unlikely to be Spooked on Halloween Eve
Japan Deflation Pressure Builds, Jobless Falls
Health Bill Hikes Taxes for Rich, but Could Cut Deficit
Obama's Too-Big-to-Fail Plan Attacked in Congress
China Economy Gaining Momentum, Can Meet 8% Growth Target, Li Keqiang Says
U.S. economy stabilizing, still difficulties: Geithner
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday said third quarter growth figures showed the U.S. economy was stabilizing but it was in the early phase of recovery and difficulties still lay ahead.
The U.S. government must keep reinforcing economic growth as risks of a credit crunch remain, Geithner said during a seminar at the Economic Club of Chicago.
He added that there was broad support for the overhaul of the U.S. financial regulatory system and it was on track to achieve major reforms.
Fed should lose AIG-style bailout powers: Geithner
The Federal Reserve should lose its authority to bail out big, failing financial firms like AIG and Bear Stearns under proposed reforms aimed at limiting the collateral damage from such failures, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday.
Geithner, in testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said the Fed should keep its ability to act as an emergency lender of last resort, but only to solvent firms in times of severe stress in financial markets -- with Treasury consent.
"Any firm that puts itself in a position where it cannot survive without special assistance from the government must face the consequences of failure," Geithner said. "The proposed resolution authority would not authorize the government to provide open-bank assistance to any failing firm."
Geithner said a bill by the Financial Services Committee's chairman, Representative Barney Frank, meets the tests for key elements of a resolution authority that the Obama administration would like to see passed.
It is a "comprehensive coordinated answer to the moral hazard problem" and does not provide any implicit guarantees for financial institutions, he said.
"We cannot put taxpayers in the position of paying for the losses of large private financial institutions," Geithner said. "We must build a system in which individual firms, no matter how large or important, can fail without risking catastrophic damage to the economy."
Geithner said large failing firms should be put into a receivership managed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp that would seek to "unwind, dismantle, sell or liquidate the firm in an orderly way" where losses would be borne by shareholders and creditors of the firms.
The costs of such shutdowns would be borne by other large financial firms, imposed afterward, Geithner said. This would eliminate a standing insurance fund that creates expectations that the government would step in to protect creditors and shareholders.
Regulators also must impose tougher capital and liquidity standards on large firms that take on more risk, Geithner said, to reduce the probability of a larger firm experiencing financial distress.
But Geithner said there would not be a set list of large firms held to higher standards, adding that the government did not want to provide a false impression that such firms would be protected from failure by the government in times of stress.
Fed Raises AIG Asset Value, Reversing Possible Losses
The Federal Reserve increased its estimated value of investment portfolios acquired in the rescue of American International Group Inc., reversing potential losses to taxpayers.
The net holdings of three corporations set up by the Fed for the mortgages and securities it took on in bailing out AIG and Bear Stearns Cos. rose by $4.35 billion, or 7.1 percent, to $65.5 billion, the Fed said today in a quarterly revaluation of the assets. The Bear Stearns investments fell by $116 million to $26.3 billion, while the two AIG portfolios gained $4.46 billion to $39.2 billion, the central bank said.
The central bank has said it doesn't expect taxpayer losses on the two bailouts in part because the Fed has as long as 10 years to sell the assets. In July, Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said that the former AIG securities were "under water."
Loans and interest due to the Fed on the deals totaled $65.1 billion, the Fed said today. The figures reflect values of assets as of Sept. 30.
The Fed released the valuations as part of the weekly calculation of its balance sheet, which shrank by $39.6 billion, or 1.8 percent, as banks and corporations reduced reliance on the Fed as a lending backstop. The Fed's assets fell to $2.16 trillion in the week ended yesterday, the central bank said.
Credit extended through the Term Auction Facility, which sells cash loans to commercial banks, dropped $16.2 billion to $139.2 billion. The face value of commercial paper held by the Fed under an emergency program begun in October 2008 tumbled to $14.6 billion from $35.1 billion on Oct. 21.
Lending Dropped
Discount-window lending to commercial banks dropped to $22.5 billion from $23.6 billion the previous week. Currency swaps with other central banks declined $8.71 billion to $32.9 billion.
While the Fed completed its Treasuries-purchase program today, the central bank is still buying housing debt through March as part of efforts to expand credit and revive the economy. The balance sheet may expand to $2.5 trillion next year, New York Fed President William Dudley said Oct. 5. Fed policy makers next meet Nov. 3-4 in Washington.
Mortgage securities held by the Fed declined by $2.8 billion to $774.1 billion, while Treasury-bond holdings rose by $1.08 billion to $774.6 billion. Federal agency debt purchased by the Fed rose $1.76 billion to $141.6 billion.
Planned Purchases
Policy makers said Sept. 23 they will complete the Fed's planned $1.25 trillion in purchases of mortgage securities and extended the end-date of the program to March from December. They kept the benchmark interest rate in a range of zero to 0.25 percent and repeated that rates will stay low for an "extended period."
The Fed's loans to a program providing liquidity to the asset-backed commercial paper market and money-market funds stood at zero for a third week. It's one of four Fed emergency programs to show a zero balance, including two facilities that lend cash and securities to bond dealers. Another that was designed to aid money-market funds is set to expire tomorrow.
M2 money supply rose by $26.4 billion in the week ended Oct. 19, the Fed said. That left M2 growing at an annual rate of 6.9 percent for the past 52 weeks, above the target of 5 percent the Fed once set for maximum growth. The Fed no longer has a formal target.
The Fed reports two measures of the money supply each week. M1 includes all currency held by consumers and companies for spending, money held in checking accounts and travelers checks. M2, the more widely followed, adds savings and private holdings in money market mutual funds.
For the latest reporting week, M1 rose by $12 billion, and over the past 52 weeks, M1 rose 16.1 percent. The Fed no longer publishes figures for M3.
Asia:
Asian stocks advanced, paring the MSCI Asia Pacific Index's first monthly decline since February, as Japan's jobless rate unexpectedly dropped and the U.S. economy grew faster than economists expected.
Sony Corp., which makes the PlayStation game console, gained 3 percent in Tokyo. Komatsu Ltd., the world's second- biggest maker of construction equipment, advanced 3.3 percent, even after its first-half net income plunged. Rio Tinto Group, the world's third-biggest mining company, rose 4 percent in Sydney as commodity prices increased.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 1.1 percent to 115.97 as of 10:51 a.m. in Tokyo, paring its drop this week to 3 percent. The gauge has lost 1.7 percent in October on concern governments will start withdrawing measures enacted to revive global growth. Australia this month became the first Group of 20 nation to raise interest rates amid signs of strength in its economy.
"There's a sigh of relief," said Tim Schroeders, who helps manage $1 billion at Pengana Capital Ltd. in Melbourne. "The Japan data gives credence to the breadth of the recovery, that it's not just occurring in the developing economies, and that's very important for the sustainability of it."
Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 1.2 percent. The unemployment rate declined to 5.3 percent from 5.5 percent in August, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo. The median estimate of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for the rate to increase to 5.6 percent.
U.S. Growth
South Korea's Kospi Index added 0.5 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index increased 1.3 percent, while New Zealand's NZX 50 Index gained 0.5 percent.
Futures on the S&P 500 lost 0.2 percent. The gauge jumped 2.3 percent yesterday, the largest advance since July 23, as the U.S. government said gross domestic product grew at a 3.5 percent pace from July through September. The growth, which followed four quarters of contraction, topped the median estimate of 3.2 percent in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Sony gained 3 percent to 2,790 yen on hopes the weaker yen will raise the value of sales generated overseas in local terms for Japanese companies. The yen depreciated to 91.58, compared with 90.39 against the dollar at the close of stock trading in Tokyo yesterday. Against the euro, Japan's currency weakened to 135.92 from 133.14.
"I see many positive surprises and many companies are likely to raise profit forecasts," said Juichi Wako, a senior strategist at Tokyo-based Nomura Holdings Inc. "A gradual recovery will continue in the October-December period."
Oil, Metals
Panasonic Corp., Japan's biggest maker of home appliances, added 1.9 percent to 1,278 yen. Komatsu advanced 3.3 percent to 1,803 yen.
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index has climbed 64 percent from a more than five-year low on March 9, outpacing gains of more than 50 percent by the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index. Stocks in the MSCI index are valued at 22 times estimated earnings, compared with 17 times for the S&P and 15 times for the Stoxx 600.
Rio Tinto Group, the world's third- biggest mining company, rose 4 percent to A$63.40. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest mining company, gained 0.9 percent to A$37.48.
Raw-material producers accounted for 20 percent of the MSCI Asia Pacific Index's advance today. The London Metals Index, a measure of six metals including copper and zinc, rallied 3.5 percent, the largest advance in three weeks. Crude oil climbed 3.1 percent to $79.87 a barrel in New York yesterday.
Nintendo Co., the world's largest maker of video-game players, fell 2.4 percent to 23,470 yen after slashing its full- year net income forecast on slumping sales of its Wii console.
Net income will fall to 230 billion yen ($2.5 billion) in the year to March 2010, the company said. The projected profit, the first annual drop in six years, missed the 270 billion yen median of 23 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. 

Nikkei 225 10,015.28     +124.18 ( +1.26%). (08.06 AM IST).
HSI 21813.43 +548.44 +2.58%. (08.07 AM IST).
SSE Composite 2960.47 3000.04 3017.14 2983.93 1.34. (08.08 AM IST).
Rupee:
The partially convertible rupee INR=IN closed at 47.21/22 per dollar on yesterday, stronger than its previous close of 47.34/35.
India:
Sensex gainers were Mahindra & Mahindra (3.62%), ONGC (1.61%), Sun Pharmaceuticals (1.47%), Hindustan Unilever (0.83%) and HDFC (0.82%).
DLF (-7.33%), Reliance Communications (-7.09%), Jaiprakash Associates (-4.52%), ICICI Bank (-4.07%) and BHEL (-3.64%) ended with losses.
Market breadth was negative on the BSE with 1860 declines and 818 advances.
The Sensex tumbled 4.34% and Nifty lost 4.7% in October series.
In the telecom space, Reliance Communication plunged 38%. Idea Cellular was down 27.5% and Bharti Airtel down 25.5%. The BSE Realty Index was down 14%.
In largecaps, Grasim tanked 24.5%. Suzlon Energy was down 22% and Reliance Capital down 20.5%.
However, the FMCG Index rose 10% and Healthcare Index was up 7.8%. ITC was up 11%, Jindal Steel up 9% and HUL up 8.5%.
In the pharma space, Cipla gained 16% and Sun Pharma went up 14.5%.
Punj Lloyd declined 22% and Jaiprakash Associates was down 11% post disappointing results.
Among the broader indices, BSE Small Cap Index was down 3.7% and CNX Midcap Index down 0.25%. Aptech tumbled 33%.
A surge in inflation - it rose 1.51% in the year through 17 October 2009, higher than previous week's annual rise of 1.21% - kept investors on the defensive.
Among Sensex stocks, only 8 stocks managed to sign off on a positive note.
Nifty stocks Ranbaxy Laboratories (2.9%), BPCL (2.5%), GAIL India (1.8%) and Idea Cellular (1%) closed on a firm note.
In straight four days of hectic selling, the Sensex slid below 16,000 level during intra day today but just managed to regain the crucial level.
The key index has lost massive 758.09 points or 4.51 per cent in the past four days.
Brokers said that selling pressure gained momentum after investors off-loaded part of their holdings as inflation accelerated the most since May and exports declined by 13.8 per cent in September for the 12th month in a row.
Bank of India was the biggest loser in the banking space. The stock plunged 12.3 per cent to Rs 357. The bank today reported 51 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 176.04 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, 2009.
Indian shares continued to fall for the fourth day in a row, and closed 1.4 percent lower in volatile trade on Thursday to their worst close in nearly 8 weeks, pulled down by weakness in world equities on concerns over global growth.
The index slipped below the 16,000 mark in early deals, for the first time since Sept. 7.
RIL Q2 net up 6% @ Rs 3,852cr
Voltas Q2 profit up 13%
Grasim Q2 net down 28%
DLF Q2 net up 11% at Rs 440cr
Exports continue decline;dip 14% in Sept
Tata Chemicals Q2 net profit at Rs 222.8
Emami Q2 net up 54%
Gas @ $4.2/unit good only for RIL:SC
India gold imports drop for sixth month
Uniform sugar price may ease shortages
ONGC Q2 net up 5% at Rs 5,090cr
Ruchi Soya Q2 net down 4%
iGate expands operations in B'lore
HDIL Q2 profit up 38%
Sterlite Q2 net up 84% at Rs 1,240 cr
Bank of India Q2 profit down 45%
SFIO begins Sesa Goa probe
Mahindra Q2 net soars; drought a concern
Cairn India July-Sept qtr net jumps 60 pct
 

investment view
Trouble In The Rice Bowl
  
 
Rising rice prices and possible shortages in the world's poorest countries will hinge on what major growers India, China and Thailand do to make up for millions of tons of the staple lost to floods and droughts, officials said Thursday.
 
All eyes are on India, traditionally one of the world's top rice exporters, which may import 1.1 million tons (1 million metric tons) to 3.8 million tons (3.5 million metric tons) next year to replace production losses after a drought ravaged the country's rice bowl.
 
"Just the fact that India has significantly reduced production alone is a significant development given the tightness of supplies that we see in the world today," said Jim Guinn, vice president of USA Rice Federation.
 
"But the fact that they may actually be an importer is of even more importance," he said.
India's return to the import market is viewed as pushing up the price of benchmark Thai 100 percent Grade B rice, which this month traded at $530 per ton (metric ton), though still down from more than $1,000 at the height of last year's food crisis.
 
Guinn said other factors include whether China will export or not, and if Thailand releases its bumper stocks. China holds half the world's rice stocks and has been exporting on-and-off.
 
"The circumstances are there certainly for another panic in the marketplace," Dwight Roberts, president and CEO of U.S. Rice Producers Association, told The Associated Press at an international rice conference.
 
India may also turn to wheat, which remains relatively cheap, as a short-term solution to its lower rice production, said Jeremy Zwinger, publisher of The Rice Trader, which monitors the industry.
 
But India's shift to wheat consumption may not be enough to stop the country from importing, Roberts said. "In Asia, if you don't eat rice, you don't eat," he said. "Rice here is a religion as much as a food product."
 
The 2008 rice crisis demonstrated that the crop "is a very political commodity," Roberts said.
 
Last year's record-high price of rice and other staples led to riots in at least 30 countries, according to the World Food Program. The biggest producers, Thailand, Vietnam and India, had curbed exports to protect domestic supply. In the Philippines, people formed long lines to buy low-quality rice at subsidized prices while traders were suspected of hoarding.
 
Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said Wednesday that any rice crisis similar to last year's would hurt developing countries like his, the world's top rice importer.
The Philippines says it has lost at least 925,000 tons (840,000 metric tons) due to recent back-to-back storms.
 
Officials had said it was unlikely more imports would be needed this year, but on Wednesday Yap refused to rule that out, saying the government will do "what we have to do to protect our people's food security."

(Some forward looking statements on projections, estimates, expectations & outlook are included to enable a better comprehension of the Company prospects. Actual results may, however, differ materially from those stated on account of factors such as changes in government regulations, tax regimes, economic developments within India and the countries within which the Company conducts its business, exchange rate and interest rate movements, impact of competing products and their pricing, product demand and supply constraints.)
  

--
Arvind Parekh
+ 91 98432 32381