Equity benchmarks closed with losses of around 0.50 pct; Sensex falls 236 points & Nifty 50 closed at 12,691

Benchmark indices corrected on Thursday, November 12, 2020, snapping the eight-day rising streak and closed with losses of around half a per cent. The key domestic indices fell amid negative global cues. The S&P BSE Sensex fell 236.48 points or 0.54 per cent to 43,357.19. The Nifty 50 dropped 58.35 points or 0.46 per cent to close at 12,690.80. The Nifty Bank lost 566.20 points or 1.96 per cent to settle at 28,278.80.

 On the other hand, the broader market at BSE surged, outperforming the Sensex. The BSE Mid-Cap index rose half a per cent and the BSE Small-Cap index jumped 1.2 per cent up.

Buyers outnumbered sellers. On the BSE, 1,557 shares rose and 1,139 shares fell. On similar lines, 24 shares advanced on Nifty 50, while 25 declined and 1 remain unchanged. The shares that advanced the most on Nifty 50 block include Hindustan Unilever (up 3.33 per cent), Grasim (up 2.76 per cent), Shree Cement (up 2.70 per cent), Hindalco (up 1.91 per cent) and ITC (up 1.43 per cent). The major losers were SBI (down 3.05 per cent), Kotak Mahindra Bank (down 2.85 per cent), Coal India (down 2.66 per cent), IndusInd Bank (down 2.60 per cent) and NTPC (down 2.10 per cent).

Dow Futures and FTSE were down by half per cent each whereas Nasdaq Futures was up by 0.6 per cent.

COVID-19 Update

Total Covid-19 confirmed cases worldwide were at 5,21,29,134 with 12,84,465 deaths. India reported 4,89,294 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 1,28,121 deaths while 80,66,501 patients have been discharged, data showed.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Press Conference

Addressing the press conference in New Delhi today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana, which will incentivise the creation of new jobs. New employees hired by EPFO-registered organisations will get benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is effective from October 1, 2020.

Free-trade agreement

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations including China aim to clinch the world's largest free-trade agreement this weekend, the culmination of Beijing's decade-long quest for greater economic integration with a region that encompasses nearly a third of the global GDP. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which includes countries stretching from Japan to Australia and New Zealand, aims to reduce tariffs.