Another loss-making week at Indian markets (Weekly Roundup)
Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai, March 07, 2009
Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Indian equities markets were down in the dumps during the week just
ended as investors continued to offload stocks amid worsening domestic and global economic
cues, resulting in a key index dipping below its three-year low.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) touched its three-
year low Tuesday and ended trade Friday at 8,325.82 points, a loss of 565.79 points or 6.36
percent from its previous weekly close.
Similarly, the broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) shut shop at
2,620.15 points, about 5.2 percent lower than last week’s close.
Broader market indices like the BSE midcap index lost 172 points or 6.24 percent while the BSE
smallcap index was down 194.28 points or 6.25 percent.
“This week we saw investors being pretty much on the edge, which is why markets touched lows
last seen in November. Friday’s rise was mainly due to short-covering,” said Jagannadham
Thunuguntla, chief executive of New Delhi-based brokerage firm SMC Group.
“I don’t think the pain is over yet, we would see markets falling further in the coming months.
There is no genuine buying interest and I think this scenario will continue for some more time,”
he added.
Markets started the week on a disappointing note with investors continuing to sell, pulling the
Sensex down 3.2 percent or 284.53 points to close at 8,607.08 points. The Nifty was at 2,674.6
points, 3.22 percent lower.
Tuesday saw the Sensex plummeting to a three-year low as investors expressed concern over the
global slowdown and gloomy statistics back home on some key economic parameters.
The Sensex saw some heavy volatility for nearly three hours, after which it took a sharp fall to
end the day with a loss of 2.09 percent or 179.79 points over Monday’s close. At 8,427.29
points, the Sensex ended with the lowest closing since Nov 10, 2005.
Nifty fared no better, ending at 2,622.4 points, down 1.95 percent from its previous close at
2,674.6 points.

Markets managed to hold their own Wednesday despite economic cues getting no better, and the
Sensex even managed a small rise of 19.2 points or 0.23 percent from its previous close to end
trade at 8,446.49 points.
Similarly, Nifty gained 0.87 percent from its last close to end at 2,645.2 points.
Wednesday’s resilience was, however, short-lived as markets slipped again Thursday, taking the
Sensex past the three-year low to close at 8,197.92 points - a fall of 2.94 percent or 248.57 points
from the previous day’s close.
Nifty met with the same fate, ending at 2,576.7 points, down 2.59 percent from its previous close
at 2,645.2 points.
Friday was a far better day, with both the Sensex and the Nifty gaining more than 1 percent.
The Sensex rose 127.9 points or 1.56 percent to close at 8,325.82 points, while the Nifty gained
1.64 percent from its last close to end at 2,619.05 points.
The top gainers on the Sensex during the week were Cipla (up 6.3 percent), Ambuja Cement (up
5.8 percent), Wipro (up 2.8 percent), Hindalco (up 2.2 percent) and Grasim (up 2.1 percent).
Among the top losers were Reliance Capital (down 18.7 percent), ICICI Bank (down 17.8
percent), Ranbaxy (down 12.7 percent), Tata Power (down 12.1 percent) and Hindustan Unilever
(down 11.7 percent).
Foreign funds were net sellers to the tune of $609.3 million this week as they scrambled to meet
payment obligations in their parent countries.