Indo-China border tensions weigh on stock markets

Mumbai: Indian equities on Tuesday followed upbeat global markets to capture the day's peak before losing momentum due to Indo-China border tensions that capped gains on benchmark indices.

The BSE gauge Sensex settled 376.42 points or 1.13 per cent higher at 33,605.22. Intra-day, the index swung about 1,069 points, and briefly ventured into the negative territory in the later part of the session reacting to India-China standoff news. Likewise, the NSE barometer too fought a high volatility before ending 100.30 points or 1.02 per cent up at 9,914. On the Sensex chart, HDFC Bank was the top gainer, jumping around 4 per cent, followed by HDFC, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, Infosys and Hero MotoCorp. On the other hand, Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank and ITC were among the laggards. Of the Sensex constituents, 15 shares closed in the red and as many scrips in the green. Sectorally, BSE finance, bankex, metal, basic materials, IT and consumer durables indices rallied up to 2.39 per cent. While telecom, realty, power, utilities and FMCG indices ended in the red.

In the broader market, midcap and smallcap indices jumped up to 0.37 per cent. Indian bourses tracked positive global markets after US Federal Reserve launched a massive programme to support businesses hit by the coronavirus lockdown, analysts said. The Fed announced its Main Street Lending Programme and an emergency lifeline under which it will buy up to $750 billion in corporate bonds. The plan is part of a massive financial backstop put in place by the bank to protect the economy from the worst of the virus crisis.

"The border dispute between India and China resulted in volatility in the stock markets, on tensions of further escalation of dispute. This was in spite of steady global markets following the announcement of the US Fed Reserve's expanded bond-buying programme," Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said.