Mid Caps Join The Party

Market encountered some profit taking at higher levels as Nifty saw intraday dip to around 5850. But, strong momentum helped indices to recover all its intraday losses as Nifty bounced back to close above 5900. The mid caps and small caps extended their rally by one more session. Banking heavyweights led the dip earlier in the day as stocks like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and ICICI witnessed some selling pressure at higher levels. But, the mid cap banking names attracted strong trading interest as stocks like Vijaya bank, Andhra bank, Uco Bank, Dena Bank, Syndicate Bank, IOB an Indian Bank moved up sharply on good volumes. In fact, the list of gainers was made up of mainly the mid cap counters. Onmobile extended its gains further as it surged almost 11%. Some other top gainers were Alok Ind, Patel Engg, Sesa Goa, Bajaj Hind, Moser Baer, Jindal SW Holding, Mundra Port and Tulip. HUL, M&M, DLF and Havells were amongst day’s top losers. Overall, the undercurrent was positive despite slight negative undertone in Nifty. Even Nifty did well to claw its way back above 5900.

There was some intraday hiccup in the ongoing up move as Nifty lost almost 50 points mid session. But strong buying in stocks like TCS, Tata Motors and metal heavyweights helped indices to erase all losses towards the close. Mid caps are beginning to join the party as traders get more confident about the upmove. Mid cap banks that look good for decent upside are Syndicate Bank, Indian Bank, Dena Bank, IOB and Allahabad Bank. JSW Steel has given a breakout on daily charts and is likely to target Rs 1040-1050. Others that have positive patterns are IVRCL Infra, PFC( above 254), L&T, Tata Motors and REC( above 261).

Nifty has support around 5830-40 and then around 5770 while some resistance is around 5950-65.

Markets On A Roll

It has been amazing week for India….markets were on a roll and Indian Cricket team has been on a roll too. Sensex continued to march northwards breaking all resistances while Indian cricketers moved past all resistances to lift the World Cup after a gap of 28 years. Well done, India and Congrats to Dhoni and team! Meanwhile, Nifty was up 3% for the week as it moved past 5800. Banks helped the indices earlier in the week while IT stocks lifted it towards the later half of the week. Markets have rallied almost 10% in last two weeks as FIIs have again turned positive on Indian markets. Although markets have moved past all resistances during past 10 days and that too without much sweat, it seems that indices could consolidate around current levels as small and mid caps do the catching up. This phenomenon was in play even on Friday as mid caps rallied sharply while mainline indices remained almost unchanged.  Next week could also see stock specific moves than indices or large caps. Auto and Cement counters might react to the monthly sales figures. IT stocks have rallied ahead of quarterly numbers and now must consolidate before the results season is kicked off by Infosys numbers.

Nifty has resistance around 5900 while support is seen around 5750 and then around 5680.

Another Listless Day In The Markets

Markets were in a slightly positive mode as Nifty managed to trade above 5400 for most part of the day. Indices were largely helped by heavyweights like Bharti, SBI, HDFC, JP Associates and DLF. Maruti witnessed some value buying at lower levels and was amongst the day’s top gainers. Some banking and infra stocks too were on the value buying list. Some of the prominent gainers were LITL, Tata Comm, Neyvelli, Apollo Tyres, Havells, Maruti, Opto Circuits, Pantaloon, Renuka , LIC Hsg and Bata India. But, despite the positive bias throughout the session market lacked any momentum and traders’ activity was also on the lower side.

Nothing much changed technically as Nifty failed to build any positive momentum. The 5420-25 zone provided intraday resistance and despite trading around that level Nifty failed to make any substantial headway. Nothing much is happening at the bourses and there are not much trading opportunities even for the short term. Lack of momentum is visible on both sides, Buy as well as side and it seems waiting for even reasonably probable trading opportunities is the only option as of now. For Nifty, support is seen around 5330-35 and sustained trades above 5430 could open a 50-60 points opportunity on the upside.

Markets Hold Despite Global Downward Trend

Indian market was an island of relative calm amidst crumbling global indices. Taken in isolation one would be tempted to believe that market collapsed as it opened almost 150 points lower and closed almost 1.5% lower. But, if one just looks around the globe it would appear that Indian markets held up nicely even as the other Asian markets lost around 4%. Japanese market was down over 12% as life came to a standstill on growing concerns about nuclear radiation spread. Even the European markets were trading lower and DAX was down almost 5%. RIL led the rebound again as Nifty rallied more than 100 points from the opening levels. Some profit taking and selling in the last 60 minutes pared almost half of the intraday gains as Nifty closed at 5450. RIL witnessed heavy volumes and was up almost 2.5% before finishing the day almost 1.9% higher at 1038. Tyre stocks were also in demand as rubber prices continued to dip. Apollo Tyres, MRF, JL Tyres and Ceat were up significantly on good volumes. Reliance Capital too managed to shrug off early morning blues and closed in the positive. Breadth was negative while volumes picked up as the day progressed.

Nifty managed to close around 5450 despite global turbulence and has shown significant resilience over past couple of sessions. But, things may change if the global negative sentiments persist. Technically, Nifty was able to sustain above the intraday support zone of 5350-5370. Even on closing basis the supports were maintained. RIL continues to provide strong support and it’s good to see the stock building on momentum rather than struggle around resistance zones. The volumes are also good and it seems stock could be headed higher. Bhushan Steel is showing strength and is looking good for another 8-10% rise over next few sessions. But, The Auto and metal counters are not looking positive and may be headed lower. Bajaj Auto seems to be an exception and one could buy it on dips.

Nifty has immediate support around 5415-20 while critical support lies at 5350-5375.

Auto, Banking Sectors Lead Rally In Budget Week

The Budget week lived upto its reputation of being a volatile one. Volatility began on the Budget day itself as Nifty rallied initially, only to give up most of its gains. But, the day after saw a one sided up move of around 200 points as Nifty moved past 5500. Overall, it was a good week for bulls as indices rallied over 4%. This came against the backdrop of higher Crude prices and a lukewarm Budget. But, the fact that there were no expectations whatsoever from the Budget and there were short positions going into the Budget helped the markets. Auto, FMCG and Banking indices were the top three gainers for various reasons associated to Budget. There were no sectoral losers but the least gains were seen in IT and Oil and Gas. Nifty crossed 5600 briefly on Friday before selling set in at higher levels. Markets have seen a decent rally post Budget but now we are placed just around the strong resistance zone of 5550 to 5600. As mentioned earlier, it may not be easier to take out this resistance in one go. But, we do believe that market has made a sustainable bottom around 5230 and for the first time since November 2010, we have a higher bottom and now higher top( 5608 on Friday). The resistance at 5600 is likely to be taken out eventually maybe over next 5-7 trading sessions. Any correction should find initial support around 5440-60 and then a strong one around 5350-5375. The second level is unlikely to be breached and positional traders could take long positions on declines in Nifty as well as bullish counters with positional stop loss below 5340. Clear breakout is seen above 5625 with potential targets of 5770 and around 5900. Banks and Autos have been the leaders in the current rally. One needs to be selective in Autos and we see positive bias in Bajaj Auto and Hero Honda (above 1560). Banking is looking to be in a better shape and one can use dips to accumulate stocks like HDFC Bank, SBI, Yes Bank, Indusind Bank, Allahabad bank, OBC, Canara Bank and BOI. Another important thing to note is that once Nifty stabilizes above 5625 short covering could lift the weaker sectors like Infra and Realty too. Certain other counters that are looking positive and are Buy on dips candidates are L&T, IDFC, Havells, Cairns and Sterlite.

Nifty has immediate support around 5445-60 and then around 5375-5400 while resistance should be seen between 5570-5610.

Nifty Goes Through A Post Budget Big Bang

Nothing big bang was there in the Union Budget but it was a big bang day at the bourses as indices gained over 3%. The session began on a marginally positive note but momentum gathered as the day progressed. Auto and financial stocks led the rally as was mentioned in the previous newsletter but the velocity of the up move as witnessed in stocks as well as indices was totally unexpected. The monthly sales figures released by Auto manufacturers further fuelled the momentum. The biggest gains were seen in TVS Motors, Ashok Leyland, M&M, Maruti and Escorts. Bank Nifty zoomed higher by more than 4% on across the board buying in banking stocks. Short covering too aided the up move. Nifty finished the day at 5530 almost at the high point of the day. Nifty has moved up sharply and is now placed just below the strong and crucial resistance zone of 5545 to 5575. This single day up move of around 200 points has raised hopes for a positive bias over short to medium term. This is not to suggest that it would be a straight upmove without any corrections/consolidations. In fact, we could see some consolidation just around the current levels before making another attempt at taking out 5600. The global cues could trigger some kind of correction. Technically, the levels to watch for on the downside are 5440 and then 5370-5380. We could retrace back to the second level but this level should provide strong support for the upward bias to persist. So, practically as a trader one should use declines towards 5440 and 5375 to take bullish positions in Nifty as well as stocks. Bullish pattern is seen in LIC Hsg and sustained moves above 202 could trigger strong up move. As mentioned in previous newsletter some banking and auto stocks are also looking positive and one can accumulate these stocks on decline.

Markets Brace For More Surprises

The ongoing 5 day rally was cut short abruptly and violently on Friday as Nifty slipped more than 150 points from its intraday peak of 5600. Nifty had rallied another 50 points in the morning session before selling in most heavyweights pushed the indices lower. Selling was seen across the board as bears pounced upon the opportunity. The infra and realty were the first to lose ground but even the banking counters encountered a drubbing. Still, Nifty ended the week with a gain of around 2.8%. Banking index emerged as the biggest gainer with Capital gains and metals index following closely. All sectors finished the week in green. But, as we enter the expiry week for the Feb series the momentum may have shifted towards the bearish scenario as the volumes on Friday were huge.  5350-70 would be the first significant support zone on the downside and while it was broken without much sweat, it is expected to provide some strong support this time around. But more than the technicals, it’s the other happenings that could impact the markets. Monday happens to be the beginning of Budget session and traders and investors would be watching it with anxiety and nervousness. If the parliament is not allowed to function properly then it would provide more fodder to the confident bears and would be a big negative. Then, the CBI enquiries into 2G scam is another event that’s causing much nervousness and there’s always a question hanging in air, ‘who’s next’.  Even Friday’s session was hot on various rumors and that may have added to the unwinding/short selling. And then, we have not even touched upon the various international events, be it Middle-east crisis or tightening by China. So, overall next week is expected to be extremely volatile and it would be foolhardy to anticipate anything.  As for technical levels, as mentioned earlier 5350-5370 should be the first hurdle for bears while more support is seen around 5280-5300. Drop to the second support could be utilized for some bargain buying in banking and Capital Goods/infra counters. On the way up, 5510-25 would be the initial hurdle while strong resistance is likely around 5575-5610.

A Positive Friday After A Long Wait

Finally, we did get a positive Friday after 5 consecutive down (4 out of 5 were severely down) Fridays. It was again a combination of short covering and value buying at sub 5200 levels. The sentiments were again low as IIP data was at its lowest in 20 months. We believe that more than just short covering, it was more to do with value buying by HNIs and institutions that helped the indices to claw their way back up. From a high of 6181 in the first week of January we have lost more than 1000 points in about 5 weeks. Nifty has consistently made lower lows and lower highs and momentum has been so strong that even slightest of rebound have been sold into. Most of the sectors have suffered but the bears have been particularly harsh on infra stocks in this leg. Most of the infra stocks have more than halved in value over last 4-5 weeks. But, the question is whether we have hit a sustainable bottom? It would be too early to take a confirmed call on that as it usually is. Nifty has lost almost 18% and around 5400 also we suggested that Nifty had lost almost 15% from recent top and we could be nearing a sustainable bottom. But, that was not to be as Nifty went through the support at 5350 as momentum picked up on the downside. Technically, we are still in the lower low, lower high spiral. Nifty has initial resistance around 5385 and then significant one around 5440-50. Banking stocks bounced back sharply on Friday and led the overall rebound. Positive divergence in leading indicator, RSI is visible in banking heavyweights like HDFC bank, Axis and SBI but many mid cap banking charts still may not be out of woods. Tata Motors came out with very good numbers just at the closing bell and might see a positive open on Monday. However, it might encounter resistance around 1225-1230. TCS has strong support around 1070-80 and could see a technical rebound from current levels. Renuka sugars that also came out with results on Friday is looking weak and a breakdown is possible below Rs 82. One needs to keep a stop below Rs 82 for all long positions. Hindalco is another one that has displayed weakness over last 3-4 sessions and needs to trade consistently above Rs 220-222 to retain the bullish bias. Certain infra stocks like LITL, GMR Infra, Reliance Infra and IVRCL may have seen what we call climactic selling as they witnessed huge volumes last week. But while it may suggest that these stocks may have seen intermediate bottoms it may not necessarily mean an immediate upside. These stocks could enter a consolidation phase before making an attempt to move higher. To summarize, while we may have some evidence of a market that could be bottoming out it would be too early to take a firm view on that. For traders wishing to go long, it would be better to buy call options or to hedge long futures with put options to minimize risk.

Nifty has immediate support around 5225-5240 and significant one around 5150-60 while resistance is likely around 5375-85 and then around 5440-50.

Markets Sluggish, Nifty Struggling

Market did not do much as indices stayed almost unchanged in the end. But there was volatility during the session. Nifty struggled to sustain above 5400 and the GDP numbers also didn’t help much. Nifty did find some rebound after the GDP announcement but late selling in key heavyweights again pushed it back to around 5400. It was a mixed session as some stocks did find some value picking at lower levels. Heavyweights like Hero Honda, ITC, NTPC, RIL and OMCs were amongst those attracting buyers. But, on the other hand there was selling in banking counters, infra counters, ABB, Jet Airways, Lupin, Cipla, Ranbaxy, Wipro, HDFC, TCS and L&T. Uncertainty about the governance still seems to be the topmost issue and the meeting scheduled for tomorrow to discuss parliament imbroglio might play a crucial role in deciding the short term direction of the market. Anything that favors a smooth functioning of parliament could trigger a sharp rebound in the markets as we are already trading in an oversold zone. But anything that prolongs the uncertainty could be a big negative in the short term. Technically, we are in an oversold market and there is crucial support at 5350. Immediate resistance is likely around 5450-70 and then a crucial one is placed at 5550-60.