INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Nifty 50 index pulled away from its 17,200 level in early tradingThe Indian equity benchmarks edged lower on Thursday, December 30, on F&O
expiry day, together with expiration of derivates, tracking blended global hints
The Sensex BSE Sensex was selling red below 57,780, while Nifty 50 index retreated from its 17,200 level
Index heavyweights such as Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank dropped in early trading.Wipro, Tata Customer products, Eicher Motors, Power Grid
Corporation of India were the leading gainers
On the flipside, Bajaj Automobile, Bajaj Finserv, Sun Pharma, Indian Oil Corporation, Hero MotoCorp were the leading loser on NSE.Mid- and
small-cap shares were traded combined as the Nifty Midcap 100 index was down by 0.11 percent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index rose 0,30
per cent.Asian share markets got off to a listless start on Thursday as the spread of Omicron clouded what is the last trading day of the
year for numerous exchanges around the world
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat on the day and down 6 per cent on the year
Chinese blue chips have actually also lost six per cent led by big falls in techs as Beijing tightened up constraints on the sector.Japan's
Nikkei slipped 0.7 per cent on Thursday, which left it with a modest gain of 4.6 per cent for the year and some way from a three-decade
leading reached in September
S&P 500 futures eased 0.2 per cent in early trade, while Nasdaq futures lost 0.3 per cent.Wall Street has had an outstanding year on the
back of upbeat business incomes and policy stimulus assistance
The S&P 500 is up by 28 percent and looking at its greatest three-year performance since 1999
In the unrefined market, oil prices rose on Thursday to extend a number of successive days of gains, buoyed by information revealing US fuel
demand holding up well regardless of skyrocketing Omicron coronavirus infections.Brent crude futures increased 17 cents, or 0.2 percent, to
$79.40 a barrel, climbing up for a 4th day in a row
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased 23 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $76.79 a barrel for a seventh straight session of
gains.In foreign currency, the dollar and yen were at the low end of their current ranges in thin vacation trading, having fallen over night
as investors favoured riskier currencies in addition to equities
The euro was at $1.1352 in early Asian trading, after acquiring 0.35 per cent and touching a one-month high the day before.Back home, on the
stock-specific front, leading airline company IndiGo (listed as InterGlobe Air travel Ltd) will remain in focus as it will carry out its
amazing general meeting (EGM) today
Shareholders are likely to take a decision on modifying the company's Articles of Association which has been a key point of friction in
between the company's Founders Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) noted in its financial stability report that
although the economy has gradually gotten momentum and remained resistant because the 2nd quarter of the current financial, the Omicron
version of coronavirus stays the major obstacle along with rising inflation pressures.India has reported 961 cases of the Omicron variant of
coronavirus so far out of which 320 individuals have actually recovered or migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry information
Delhi recorded the maximum number of 263 cases followed by Maharashtra at 257
Overall, the nation taped 13,154 fresh COVID-19 cases today, taking the overall tally to 3,48,22,040.
