Inflation, IIP spook market; Sensex ends 456 points down

Stocks on Dalal Street were slaughtered Friday after a host of negative data on the macro-economic front spooked investors. Inflation raced ahead, industrial growth showed a slowdown and crude oil resumed its northward journey. The pessimism was so strong that the market even snubbed IT bellwether Infosys Technologies' better-than-expected Q1 results. The day began on a positive note in reaction to Infosys' 4.24 percent rise in quarterly profit. The IT major raised its full-year revenue forecast in local currency but kept it flat in dollar terms. This did not go too well with investors, thus taking a toll on its shares, and in turn, dragging the entire IT pack in the first few minutes of trade. According to analysts, the outlook disappointed and underscored the increasingly difficult business conditions, particularly in the United States, the main market for Infosys. Infosys reported for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, a net profit of Rs 1,302 crore, up 4.24 per cent from Rs 1,249 crore in the preceding quarter ended on March 31, 2008. The IT major has guided for consolidated revenues of $1,215 million to $1,225 million for the quarter ending on September 30; year on year growth of 18.9-19.9 per cent. Consolidated earnings per American depositary shares is expected to be in the range of $0.55 to $0.56; YoY growth of 14.6-16.7 per cent. Inflation data was the next dampener. Inflation rose 11.89 per cent for the week to June 28. It was forecast to have risen to 11.75 per cent from 11.63 per cent a week earlier. Even the government has hinted that inflation could hit 13 per cent in the coming weeks and that any ease off in prices cannot be expected before the end of the year. To add the woes, India's industrial output rose 3.8 percent in May from a year earlier, sharply below the previous month's downwardly revised 6.2 percent and well below a forecast for growth of 7.2 per cent. This worsened the already jittery sentiment and selling pressure intensified. Capital goods took the sharpest knock. Meanwhile, crude oil rallied to a record high of $145.98 a barrel on concerns that Israel may be preparing to attack Iran, while a strike in Brazil and renewed militant activity in Nigeria would threaten to cut supplies. Bombay Stock Exchange's Sensex settled at 13,469.85, down 3.28 per cent or 456 points after oscillating between a high of 14066.36 and low of 13351.34. National Stock Exchange's Nifty ended 103 points or 2.47 per cent down at 4059.35. The broader index moved between a high of 4215.50 and low of 4014.45. Midcaps and smallcaps were relatively less affected as compared to frontline stocks. BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices ended 2.01 per cent and 1.4 per cent lower respectively. Biggest Sensex losers comprised Jaiprakash Associates (-8.48%), Tata Consultancy Services (8.03%), Satyam Computer (-7.19%), Infosys Technologies (-7.18%), Larsen & Toubro (-6.89%) and Reliance Infrastructure (-6.28%). Ambuja Cements (1.9%), HDFC Bank (1.21%), Hindalco Industries (1.01%), Bharti Airtel (0.44%) were the only gainers. Market breadth remained weak through the day. On BSE, 1655 declines outnumbered 995 advances, while on NSE, there were 318 gainers and 921 losers.