13/01/2014
Good Morning....
Front Page News - Jan 13, 2014
Corporate Snippet
Ø Reliance Communications is undergoing a new round of restructuring, aimed at separating the mobile phone major's growing GSM business from the lagging CDMA operations, which could even be sold off at a later stage to pare debt.( ET )
Ø Government put on auction the gas discovery area it snatched from Reliance Industries in KG-D6 block and the field that Cairn India is seeking to regain around its Rajasthan block.The two areas are part of the 46 blocks that India unveiled for bidding in the 10th round of New Exploration Licensing Round (NELP).( ET )
Ø Reliance Industries and its partner BP plc of UK have averted a possible shutdown of the KG-D6 gas fields after they got long-delayed approvals to take remedial action to stop water ingress from choking wells.( BS )
Ø India has blocked Vedanta Resources Plc from mining in a hill range that holds bauxite earmarked for an $8.1 billion aluminum complex in Odisha following objections by local tribes.London-listed Vedanta has 1.25 million metric tonnes of new aluminum refining capacity lying idle because of a lack of bauxite.( BS )
Ø Four major pharmaceutical firms including Zydus Technologies, Cadila Healthcare ,Dr Reddy's Lab, have sought more time to commence production from their SEZ units as they have not been able to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals in time.The 19-member inter-ministerial Board of Approval, chaired by Commerce Secretary S R Rao, will take decision on all the requests at its meeting on January 17.( BS )
Ø Hero MotoCorp is revving up overseas expansion and plans to have presence in 20 new markets by March with at least four assembly operations globally.The company, which is preparing to set up a manufacturing unit in Colombia to cater to the Latin American markets, will finalise a joint venture agreement within the first three months of this year.( BS )
Ø Ajay Piramal’s bid to pick up a stake in Shriram Capital will be fructified this quarter, a top official from the diversified financial group has said.( BL )
Ø Coal India (CIL) has received approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests for 23 projects after intervention by the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI).Of the four projects awaiting environment approval, three belong to Western Coalfields Ltd and one to South Eastern Coalfields Ltd, units of Coal India.( BS )
Ø The department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has turned down three review petitions filed by drug maker Wockhardt against the prices fixed for its drugs by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), saying the company should comply with the norms fixed by the regulator.Wockhardt had filed review petitions for three different medicines, insulin injections, povidone iodine ointment and solutions used as antiseptic for treatment and prevention of infection in wounds.( BS )
Ø Following the stiff opposition from petroleum ministry over the divestment of state-run Indian Oil Corporation, the government is looking into options to sell the stakes to other public sector undertakings like ONGC and Oil India to meet the divestment target.( BS )
Ø FIPB will take up today GlaxoSmithKline's Rs 6,400 crore FDI plan, the largest foreign investment proposal in the pharma sector this fiscal.There are seven other FDI proposals related to the pharma sector that are scheduled to be taken up by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram.( BS )
Ø The Government proposes to sell 10 % stake in Engineers India Ltd. It hopes the stake sale may fetch around Rs 500-600 crore.The share sale would be via follow-on-public offer. This is expected to be in the first half of February, EIL Chairman, A.K. Purwaha, told Business Line.( BL )
Ø Ahmedabad-based contract research and manufacturing services (CRAMS) player Dishman Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Ltd, is looking to sell its China plant to pare off some debt. The plant in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park had started operations last year and is currently making intermediates and speciality chemicals.( BS )
Ø Sebi has tightened the rules for issue of participatory notes (P-notes).The regulator now also bars certain entities under Category-II from issuing P-notes.Those unregulated broad-based funds that are classified as Category-II FPIs by virtue of their investment manager being appropriately regulated shall not issue, subscribe to or otherwise deal in offshore derivative instruments, directly or indirectly.( BS )
Ø Edelweiss has said its bid to raise Rs 500 crore through the issue of non-convertible debentures(NCDs) was part of an effort to diversify the source of borrowings in addition to meet the funding requirements.( BS )
Ø Hyderabad-based diversified infra group GVK is likely to finalise stake dilution in its airport business over the next couple of months and the proceeds will be used to clear Rs 2,500-crore non-operational debt.GVK operates Mumbai and Bangalore airports. The company also ruled out taking the airport arm public as stake dilution to other investors will be the priority.( ET )
Ø Apollo Hospitals Group is planning to invest around Rs 2,500 crore during the 2015-18 period."We are looking to add another 2,000 beds and investment would be Rs 2,500 crore which will happen between 2015-18," Prathap Reddy, Founder & Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, told PTI.( BS )
Ø NMDC has put the proposal to set up a steel plant in Karnataka on the back burner for at least next two years as the miner's focus is on completing the ongoing project in Chhattisgarh, NMDC Chairman and Managing Director C S Verma said.( BS )
Ø Zydex Industries, a firm that specialises in building green roads using nanotechnology, aims to grab contracts worth about Rs 150 crore from India this fiscal for constructing moisture-resistant highways.( BS )
Ø Videocon Industries will set up a new set-top box manufacturing unit with an annual capacity of one million by the end of this year.( BS )
Ø Avekshaa Technologies, an architecture-led IT consulting and services startup floated by former senior executives of Infosys,to enter US, Australian markets.The company would focus on banking, insurance and financial industry, telecommunications, retail, and energy and utilities verticals.( BS )
Economic Snippets
Ø The new domestic natural gas pricing that is set to be applicable from April 2014, is likely to be in the range of $7-8 per million metric British thermal unit on which a clarity would be there by March 15, a senior petroleum ministry official said.( BS )
Ø State-run banks are set to get an additional shot of capital as finance minister P Chidambaram intends to keep the government's promise of rewarding them for pushing consumer loans at lower rates to stimulate demand.The finance ministry may offer additional capital of up to 10% of the total loans toward consumer durables and two-wheelers under the 'funding for lending' programme.( ET )
Ø The ministry of home affairs has finally given its green signal to the proposal of allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in railways. The Cabinet Committed on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is expected to consider the proposal later this week.( BS )
Ø Unlikely to meet the ambitious disinvestment target of Rs 40,000 crore for current financial year, the government is counting on higher dividends from PSUs and banks to keep its fiscal deficit under check.The finance ministry has been holding meetings with heads of cash rich bluechip PSUs, including ONGC, Coal India and SAIL, to persuade them to pay higher dividends.( BS )
Ø Retirement fund body EPFO today is likely to retain 8.5% interest on PF deposits for its over 5 crore subscribers in 2013-14.The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's apex decision making body - Central Board of Trustees (CBT) - is scheduled to meet today to decide on the PF interest rate for this fiscal.( BS )
Ø Lifting all restrictions, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, in the 10th edition of the oil and gas blocks auction unveiled at Petrotech 2014, has proposed to allow explorers to hunt for all kinds of resources — oil, gas, coal bed methane, or shale.In other words, NELP X will be offered under the Uniform Licensing Policy of hydrocarbon acreages with a new contractual system and fiscal model.( BL )
Ø Production of consumer durables declines to 7-yr low in Nov.At 21.5%, the index was at its lowest for the month, with key contributors to the decline being auto, gems and jewellery.( BS )
Ø Environment Minister M Veerappa Moily said he has cleared projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore since he took over the additional charge of the Ministry last month.The key approvals accorded include the one for Posco's $12-billion steel plant in Odisha.( ET )
Ø India mulls export incentives for sectors ineligible for EU sops.The products that are no longer eligible for lower tariffs under the preferential duty scheme are: textiles, chemicals, minerals, raw hides & leather and automobiles, including road vehicles, bicycles, aviation, space, boats and their parts.( BL )
Ø The government has constituted a task force to prepare a blueprint for promoting research and development in the steel sector in a bid to help India treble its production capacity to 300 million tonnes (MT).
Ø Funds raised by Indian companies through retail issues of NCDs dropped by about 12% to over Rs 29,000 crore last year, although this amount was much higher than the initial targets.( BS )
Ø Overseas investors have pumped in over Rs 3,500 in the Indian debt market so far in January, when the US Federal Reserve is scheduled to start reducing its monthly bond purchases by $10 billion.( BS )
International News
Ø Global banking regulators agreed on Sunday to ease the way a new rule, meant to rein in risky balance sheets from 2018, is compiled to try to avoid crimping financing for the world's economy.( ET )
Ø The world's first Bitcoin storage service that insures deposits of the digital currency against hackers and accidental loss has opened in London.Bitcoin is a virtual currency that can be generated through complex computer software systems with solutions shared on a network.( ET )
Market Update:
Sgx Nifty +36pts
Dow -7.71 pts,Nsdq +18.47 pts, S&P +4.24 pts, Bovespa +374 pts, Ftse +48 pts, Dax +51 pts, Cac +25 pts, Nikkei cls , now, Crude @ 92.83/brl (+0.11), Brent @ $107.46 (+0.21), Gold @ $1248.0 (+1.3), Silver @ $20.21 (-0.01), Euro @ $1.367, JPY @ $103.950, INR @ $61.905
Today's Key Result
13th Jan
Cmc ltd,Exide Inds,Jaybharat Maruti,RIIL
Board Meet
Iob- Dividend
Idbi Bank- Div
Uco Bank- Div
Today's Data Alert
Cpi Est 10.03% Vs 11.24% IST 5.30pm
Economic Times
Business Standard
Ø Regulators ease new bank rule to aid world economy
Ø Cleared projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore: M Veerappa Moily
Ø Corporates join bitcoin-brigade to lobby for digital currency
Ø FIIs pour in over Rs 3,500 cr in debt market
Ø NELP X: Government puts 46 blocks on auction
Ø Piramal's stake deal with Shriram set to materialise
Ø GVK likely to close shortly stake sale in airports business
Ø Sebi tightens P-note norms
Ø Home Ministry gives green signal to FDI in railways
Ø IOC stake sale: Govt may resort to crossholding by ONGC, OIL
Ø Gas prices after April to be between $7-8 per mBtu
Ø FIPB to decide on GSK, other pharma FDI proposals
Ø Clarity on gas pricing after 2019 within six months
Business Line
Mint
Ø Govt rejects Vedanta’s Niyamgiri mining project
Ø Govt counts on higher dividend by PSUs, banks to restrict fiscal deficit
Ø Incentivising distributors will help spread awareness of ETFs
Ø SEBI has information sharing mechanism with foreign regulators
Ø ‘Narrowing CAD good for rupee but poll results a two-way risk’
Ø Sugar mills in a fix as oil firms delay process to buy ethanol
Ø No preference to Vedanta in HZL, Balco stake sale: Mayaram
Ø Coal India gets environment mint approval for 23 projects
Ø Indonesia bans mineral ore exports, all eyes on nickel impact
Ø Sebi asks mutual funds to adopt high-deposit districts
Ø US govt names Accenture as lead contractor for Obamacare website
Ø RBI to examine proposal for limiting free ATM transactions
Financial Express
Financial Chronicle
Ø Reserve Bank of India net buyer of US dollars in November
Ø November IIP shrank on weak festive demand, low investment: Experts
Ø 17 companies plan to infuse Rs 2,200 cr through buybacks
Ø EPFO likely to announce 8.5 pct interest tomorrow on PF deposits
Ø Q3 earnings, inflation data to dictate market trend this week
Ø Dr Reddy’s shifts focus on India to boost revenues
Ø RIL welcomes gas price notification