Markets log modest losses; Sensex fell 183 points & Nifty 50 closed at 15,690

Domestic stock markets ended a lacklustre trading session with modest losses on Friday, July 9, 2021. Both headline indexes – Sensex and Nifty - fell around 0.30 per cent amid mixed global cues.

The S&P BSE Sensex skidded 182.75 points or 0.35 per cent at 52,386.19. The Nifty 50 index slipped 38.10 points or 0.24 per cent to settle at 15,689.80. The Nifty Bank index ended 202.15 points or 0.57 per cent down at 35,071.95.

In the broader markets on BSE, the S&P BSE MidCap index closed with a gain of 0.61 per cent, while the S&P BSE SmallCap index closed 0.39 per cent higher. Sectorally, the Nifty Private Bank index was the biggest drag, down 0.6 per cent. On the upside, the Nifty Realty index zoomed 2.4 per cent.

Buyers outpaced sellers. On the BSE, 1,912 shares rose and 1,286 shares fell. On the Nifty 50 index on NSE, 24 shares advanced and 26 shares declined. The top five gainers on Nifty 50 were Tata Steel (up 4.20 per cent), Bajaj Finserv (up 3.58 per cent), Adani Ports (up 2.29 per cent), Bharti Airtel (2.13 per cent) and Divi's Laboratories (up 2.10 per cent). The top five losers were Bajaj Auto (down 1.92 per cent), TCS (down 1.43 per cent), HDFC Bank (down 1.06 per cent), Reliance (down 0.99 per cent) and Axis Bank (down 0.93 per cent).

COVID-19 Update

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide were at 18,55,64,006 with 40,10,652 deaths. India reported 4,58,727 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 4,05,939 deaths while 2,98,88,284 patients have been discharged, data showed.

China's consumer price index

China's consumer price index for June rose 1.1 per cent as compared with a year ago, data from the country's National Bureau of Statistics showed on Friday. The producer price index for June 2021 rose 8.8 per cent as compared with a year ago. The June 2021 PPI reading was a slight decrease in pace from the 9% increase in May 2021.

Economic recovery in the UK

UK's economic recovery lost momentum in May despite relaxation of lockdown curbs extending to restaurants, hotels and cinemas. GDP grew 0.8 per cent, slower than the 2 per cent pace recorded in April, which was revised down, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday. The reading was a little more than half of what analysts had expected. It reflected small declines in construction and manufacturing output, both of which were expected to continue rapid expansion. GDP is now 3.1 per cent below where it was in February 2020, before the pandemic struck.

The Bank of England predicts a full return by the end of the year, driven by consumers unleashing pent-up savings accumulated during lockdowns. A surge for retailers and hospitality companies is stoking price pressures and fuelling speculation about when the central bank could rein in its stimulus programme.