The exchange, which is gearing up for its listing, posted higher average daily turnover during the second quarter

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Asia's oldest stock exchange, has said that its second quarter net profit declined marginally despite a 35% jump in total revenues. According to media reports, BSE is preparing for a listing and expects to cut its dependence on revenues from cash trading over the next two years.

For the quarter to end-September, BSE said its net profit declined 4% to Rs55.50 crore from Rs57.80 crore while total revenues rose to Rs140.50 crore from Rs103.60 crore, for the same period last year.

For the first half of FY10, the exchange's total revenues increased to Rs256.20 crore. During FY09, BSE reported total revenues of Rs421.10 crore.

BSE said that during the second quarter, its average daily turnover rose to Rs6,024 core from Rs5,186 crore a year ago.

Revenues from BSE's trading members scaled up to Rs39 crore during the September quarter which in the corresponding previous quarter stood at Rs35.40 crore.

The Exchange spent more on IT-related expenses as its expenditure on computer technology more than doubled to Rs21.80 crore from Rs10.80 crore last year in the same quarter. The earnings per share for the quarter stood at Rs4.70 as against Rs5.37 last year.

During the second quarter, the Exchange's paid-up share capital stood at Rs10.30 crore as against Rs0.80 crore a year ago. The reserves of the Exchange stand at Rs1,717.95 crore as on March 2009.

The exchange, which earns almost all its revenue on the trading side from the cash equity market, is looking to win over investors by offering better technology and products across asset classes.
 

Indian markets started the week on a positive note due to strong Indian economic expansion in the September quarter. The Sensex gained 470 points over the week. While we would not be surprised if the market continues to rally, we think its time to be cautious. On Monday 30 November 2009 the Sensex put on 294 points from the Friday 27 November’s close ending the day at 16,926 while the Nifty gained 91 points to end at 5,033. As per data released by the government, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.9% during July-September 2009 compared with 7.1% in the corresponding year-ago quarter, shattering forecasts as stimulus measures boosted demand and manufacturing activity surged. The economy had registered 6.1% growth in the first quarter. The recovery was led by a 9.2% growth in manufacturing, while mining and construction activities expanded by 9.5% and 6.5%, respectively. But agriculture continued to be a major drag with a mere 0.9% growth.

According to Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman, Planning Commission, economic growth forecast for the year to March 2010 may have to be revised upwards as the GDP figures showed a faster expansion in the September quarter. He said inflation was “not a serious concern” as of now and conventional monetary policy was unlikely to be effective in tackling rising food prices.

Subir Gokarn, the RBI’s new deputy governor, said the economic recovery was gaining strength but the December quarter numbers could be lower than the 7.9% annual growth recorded in the September quarter. He also said food-price inflation was a matter of concern and authorities would keep a watch on capital inflows.  On Tuesday 1 December 2009 the Sensex closed at 17,198 gaining 272 points from the previous day’s close, while the Nifty closed at 5,122, up 89 points.

As per the data released by the government exports fell 6.6% to $13.19 billion in October 2009 over October 2008, while imports dropped 15% from a year earlier to $22 billion. The trade deficit shrunk to $8.80 billion in October 2009 from $11.74 billion a year earlier. Exports for April-October 2009, the first seven months of the 2009-10 fiscal year were down 26% at $91.05 billion from the same period in the previous year.

The finance minister said buoyancy in the government’s revenue seen earlier may not continue till 2011-2012. Mr Mukherjee also said that the government will not sell over 10% in listed State-run firms at this stage and will time its stake sale to get maximum value. The HSBC Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index, based on a survey of 500 companies, fell to 53 in November 2009 from 54.5 in October 2009. According to the survey, India’s manufacturing activity expanded for the eighth straight month in November 2009 but was at its weakest pace since March 2009 due to a slowdown in growth of output, new business and employment.

On Wednesday 2 December 2009 the Sensex closed at 17,170, declining 28 points from the previous day’s close and the Nifty closed at 5,123; up one point mainly on profit-booking. Meanwhile, the government has reportedly drawn up a list of 25 state firms for stake sales which include Nuclear Power Corporation of India, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Exim Bank of India, Punjab & Sind Bank, Indian Railways Finance Corporation and National Housing Bank. As per reports, other companies planning initial public offers (IPOs) include SBI Caps and SBI Fund Management, both subsidiaries of government-controlled State Bank of India.

Many of these IPOs could hit the market after the follow-on public offers of 5% each in NTPC and Rural Electrification Corporation, and a 10% stake sale in unlisted Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam are completed in the current financial year, the report added.

On Thursday 3 December 2009 the Sensex declined 175 points from the day’s high of 17,361, ending the day at 17,186—up 16 points from the previous day’s close—while the Nifty closed at 5,132, up 8 points on concerns over a hike in the cash reserve ratio by the central bank to suck out excess liquidity from the banking system.

As per a survey, the business activity among Indian services companies expanded in November 2009 but at a slower pace than in the previous month, with broad growth across all sectors. The HSBC Markit Business Activity Index, based on a survey of 400 firms, fell to 55.20 in November after having climbed to a 13-month-high of 56.78 in October.

According to D Subbarao, governor, Reserve bank of India (RBI), the central bank’s main function is to maintain price stability. He also said that the central bank would revisit its growth target of 6% with an upward bias at its 27 January 2010 monetary policy review.

Usha Thorat, deputy governor, RBI, said that the central bank was likely to revise upwards the economic growth forecast for the current fiscal year to March when it reviews policy in January. She also said that money supply in the current year has been exhibiting slower growth. India’s exit from its loose monetary policy will be a challenge and managing the crisis was easier than managing the recovery now, she said. On Friday 4 December 2009 the Sensex declined 84 points from Thursdays close at 17,102 while the Nifty closed 23 points lower at 5,109. According to an RBI survey of professional forecasters, wholesale price inflation is expected to average 5.8% in fiscal year 2010-11.
— Swapnil Suvarna
 

A few expensively priced IPOs and follow-on issues that opened recently failed to find retail subscribers. Financiers who help in closing the issue are extracting a hefty discount and also dumping the shares on listing.

While the government is drawing up major plans for follow-on issues of public sector undertakings (PSUs), the finance ministry would do well to take a real hard look at the IPO (initial public offering) market instead of being focused on the liquidity-driven boom in the secondary market. Industry sources tell us that a few expensively priced IPOs and follow-on issues that opened recently failed to find retail subscribers. They were only closed by pumping in subscriptions through financiers, who extract a discount of 30% to 50% for their funds. Most of them dump the shares on listing and this explains the mystery of the sharp discount at which many companies have listed.

Here is how it works. The problem is greedy promoters who shop for investment bankers promising the highest price for their shares. In the first couple of days after an IPO opens for subscription, panic sets in when the poor retail response becomes evident. The investment bankers bring in financiers who demand a 30% to 50% discount to put in applications. These financiers also have the capability of making 4,000 to 5,000 retail applications if required. Yes, the multiple applications scam is thriving, but has only got more sophisticated to evade detection. Our sources say that investment bankers are an integral part of this racket.

Another aspect of the scam is pure extortion. Here, some unscrupulous financiers prey on IPOs that get a poor response on opening. They then put in large applications to corner the retail quota. On issue-closing day, they call the company and its investment bankers and threaten to withdraw their application unless they are given a cash payoff. With little time to rustle up genuine applications, a couple of promoters have succumbed to the blackmail—but this trick cannot work over the long term. If the government is not aware of these dubious goings-on in the primary market and draws up disinvestments plans on the false belief that the IPO market is thriving, it may end up with serious embarrassment, rather than a solution for its yawning fiscal deficit.
— Sucheta Dalal