Global markets show mild gains led by Asia; commodities mixed with gold strong and oil divergent. FIIs sold while DIIs bought heavily. Multiple earnings due today. Corporate updates largely positive, though some negatives persist. Macro signals indicate cautious growth with supportive policy developments.
Global Market Futures (as of 05:50 AM IST)
US Market (Futures)
- Nasdaq: +0.24%
- Dow Jones: +0.11%
- S&P 500: +0.13%
European (Futures)
- Ftse 100: +0.02%
- Cac 40: +0.16%
- Dax: +0.23%
Asian
- NIKKEI 225: +0.84%
- KOSPI: +1.83%
- ASX 200: +0.15%
Gift Nifty (Prev. Close): 24440.50 (+0.41%)
FII and DII Trading Activity April 20, 2026 in Cash market
FIIs / FPIs: Net Sell of ₹1059.93 crores
DIIs: Net Buy of ₹2966.89 crores
Key Results Today
HCL Technologies, Nestle India, 360 ONE WAM, Central Mine Planning & Design Institute, Cyient DLM, Mahindra EPC Irrigation, Persistent Systems, Powerica, Rajratan Global Wire, Sunteck Realty, Transformers and Rectifiers (India), Tata Elxsi, and Tata Investment Corporation will announce their quarterly earnings today.
Commodity Market Updates
International commodity markets are showing a mixed trend in early trading, with divergence across major segments. Gold futures are trading higher at 4849.84, while spot gold (XAU/USD) stands at 4829.48, reflecting continued safe-haven demand. Silver is slightly up at 80.115, supporting the overall strength in precious metals. In contrast, copper is marginally lower at 6.0443, indicating cautious sentiment around global industrial demand. In energy markets, WTI crude oil has declined to 86.46, while Brent crude is trading higher at 94.85, suggesting regional supply-demand variations. Natural gas prices remain under pressure at 2.663, pointing to weak near-term demand.
Key Corporate Updates
Positive
- UGRO Capital: Re-appointed Shachindra Nath as Vice Chairman and Managing Director; reported March-quarter consolidated revenue from operations of ₹6.07 billion and consolidated net profit of about ₹511 million; also approved issuance of non-convertible debentures up to ₹30 billion, indicating business momentum alongside balance-sheet funding flexibility.
- PNB Housing Finance: Reported March-quarter consolidated net profit of ₹6.56 billion and interest income of ₹20.54 billion; recommended a final dividend of ₹8 per share for FY26, reflecting steady earnings growth and healthy operating traction.
- NELCO: The company reported a turnaround in Q4, posting a profit of ₹1.09 crore compared to a loss of ₹4.08 crore last year. Revenue grew strongly by 17.3% to ₹79.2 crore from ₹67.5 crore, indicating improved operational performance and recovery momentum.
- Muthoot Microfin: FY26 business update remained constructive with AUM up 13% YoY to ₹140.06 billion, disbursements up 6% YoY, and GNPA at 3.89%, pointing to growth with improving asset-quality direction.
- TVS Motor: Accelerated Africa expansion with launch of eight products in Zambia, appointed Zamoto Manufacturing as official distributor, and separately entered a joint development agreement with Hyundai Motor covering electric micromobility 3-wheelers, strengthening both international distribution and EV collaboration.
- JSW Steel / POSCO: Formed a joint venture to set up a 6 MTPA integrated steel plant in India, reinforcing long-term capacity expansion and strategic India manufacturing commitment.
- 360 One WAM: Global Asset Management received in-principle IFSCA approval as a retail fund management entity, supporting expansion of its offshore / GIFT City platform.
- Ravindra Energy: Energy In Motion and DRIVN signed an MoU to deploy 1000 electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles, a positive development for EV commercial mobility scaling.
- AVG Logistics: Incorporated a joint venture with Baidyanath LNG, supporting diversification into LNG-linked logistics opportunities.
- Hindustan Copper: Indicated PAT projections of ₹5.89 billion for 2026 and ₹6 billion for 2027, while outlining mine-expansion capex of ₹71.89 billion during 2026–2030, signaling long-horizon growth visibility.
- Dhampur Bio Organics: Approved transfer of the Meerganj unit to Forever Global Enterprises for aggregate consideration of ₹3.05 billion and was also authorized to enter a joint venture with Orgonew Private Ltd, indicating portfolio restructuring plus new business optionality.
- Oil India: Its unit entered into an MoU with Numaligarh Refinery, supporting strategic energy-sector collaboration.
- Carysil: Approved project investment of about ₹500 million to expand quartz kitchen sink capacity to 1.25 million units per annum, with completion targeted by end-FY27, supporting capacity-led growth.
- Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels: Signed two hotel management agreements in Ayodhya and Ujjain, supporting asset-light network expansion.
- Interarch Building Solutions: Received an order worth ₹800 million, adding to revenue visibility.
- Monarch Surveyors & Engineering Consultants: Received / secured acceptance for a track survey project worth about ₹15.5 million, strengthening near-term order book.
- Dhara Rail Projects: Secured a work order worth about ₹14.3 million, adding incremental execution visibility.
- Veerhealth Care: Received an order worth ₹61.6 million, supporting business inflow.
- SML Mahindra: Reported March-quarter revenue from operations of ₹8.98 billion and profit of ₹542 million, and declared a final dividend of ₹23.50 per share, indicating healthy profitability and shareholder payout.
- Rolex Rings: Board will consider an equity share buyback on April 23, 2026, a potentially supportive capital-allocation signal.
- CEAT: Approved investment of up to ₹32.5 million in Tyresnmore, reflecting continued investment in adjacent mobility / retail ecosystems.
- Vedanta: Board approved the scheme of arrangement for demerger effective May 1, 2026; the update advances the already-telegraphed restructuring but is largely a corporate-action milestone at this stage.
Negative
- Aequs / Aequs Engineered Plastics: Hasbro intends to cease placing purchase orders with AEPPL, creating a negative overhang on customer concentration, revenue continuity, and utilization outlook.
- Pidilite Industries: Received a tax order imposing a penalty of ₹8 million, a modest but negative compliance-related development.
- HRRL Refinery Incident: A fire at the crude distillation unit was brought under control and no casualties were reported, but the incident may still raise short-term operational and maintenance concerns pending investigation.
- Indosolar: The company posted a modest 4.9% rise in profit to ₹42 crore from ₹40 crore last year. However, revenue declined sharply by 56.7% to ₹83.1 crore versus ₹192 crore, reflecting significant pressure on topline performance despite stable profitability.
Neutral / Others
- Muthoot Finance: Moody’s Ratings announced completion of a periodic review of ratings of Muthoot Finance Limited; this is broadly a maintenance / surveillance event rather than a fresh rating action.
- AU Small Finance Bank: Will consider renewal of fund-raising limits through debt instruments and equity issuance including QIP, which is balance-sheet optionality but not yet a capital raise.
- Spandana Sphoorty Financial: Approved issuance of NCDs up to ₹5 billion, including a ₹2 billion greenshoe option, representing funding preparedness rather than immediate earnings impact.
- Balrampur Chini Mills / SPML Infra / Aanchal Ispat: Boards will consider fund-raising proposals, which are neutral until structure, pricing, and end-use clarity emerge.
- HMA Agro Industries: Board will consider divestment of entire equity in FNS Agro Foods and Laal Agro Foods, and also consider appointment of Gulzar Ahmad as Chairperson and Managing Director; the announcement is strategic / governance-related with impact dependent on final terms.
- E2E Networks: Approved subdivision of each ₹10 equity share into 10 shares of ₹1 each, which is a liquidity-enhancing stock split but value-neutral fundamentally.
- OnMobile Global: Entered a wholesale supply agreement with Flipkart India and is set to launch gaming products on the Flipkart platform; strategically constructive, though near-term financial impact remains to be seen.
- Indosolar / RPP Infra / Durlax Top Surface / Nurture Well Industries / Raasi Refractories: Announced senior-management changes, including CFO and CEO appointments / resignations, which are important governance updates but broadly neutral until execution impact becomes visible.
Non-Corporate, Unlisted & Foreign / Macro
1) India Infrastructure Output: March infrastructure output contracted 0.4% YoY, indicating softer core-sector momentum for the month despite full-year growth staying positive.
2) India–US Trade Talks: An Indian trade delegation is expected in Washington this week, with the U.S. envoy describing it as a positive step toward finalizing a trade deal; this is constructive for export-oriented sectors and cross-border business sentiment.
3) RBI – FX Derivatives Framework: The RBI partially rolled back earlier rupee-derivatives curbs by allowing rebooking of certain FX contracts and restoring access to some NDF-related activity, while retaining selected restrictions on related‑party INR derivative transactions; the move should improve market functioning and hedging flexibility.
4) India Government Bonds: The government will sell ₹320 billion of bonds via auction on April 24, including sovereign green bonds; separately, the RBI conducted bond switches / buybacks, and the benchmark 10‑year government bond yield ended at 6.8901% versus 6.9049% previously.
5) India–South Korea Economic Engagement: India and South Korea agreed to fast-track talks on easing non‑trade barriers and rules of origin, while leadership commentary highlighted cooperation in shipbuilding, AI, and advanced manufacturing; the two sides also outlined a broader push to raise bilateral trade to 50 billion by 2030.
6) Fitch / Delhi International Airport: Fitch affirmed Delhi International Airport at ‘BB+’ with Stable Outlook, a neutral-to-supportive credit signal for airport-linked infrastructure sentiment.
7) Pernod Ricard India IPO: Bloomberg reported that Pernod Ricard has begun preparations for a potential IPO of its India unit, though no final decision has been taken; this is relevant for the consumer / alcobev space and the unlisted-equity pipeline.
8) RBI Harbinger: The Reserve Bank of India announced results of the fourth edition of its global hackathon, Harbinger, reflecting continued policy support for fintech innovation.
9) Wheat / Jute Policy: The government approved additional 2.5 million tonnes of wheat exports to support farmers and stabilize markets, while also reducing raw jute stock limits for traders and balers to zero, indicating active commodity-market intervention.
Bulk and Block Deals:
Ind-Swift Laboratories: HCP Investments sold 7 lakh shares (0.8 percent stake) of Ind-Swift Laboratories on the BSE at ₹131.14 per share, amounting to ₹9.17 crore. With this, HCP Investments has sold a 7.45 percent stake in the pharma company over three days, against its 8.65 percent shareholding as of February 24, 2026.
HEG: GDN Ventures sold 10 lakh shares (0.51 percent stake) in HEG at ₹631.02 per share, amounting to ₹63.1 crore.
On‑going IPO
Last Date 21‑Apr: Mehul Telecom Ltd (BSE SME)
Upcoming IPO
NIL
Securities Trading Ex-(Corporate Action) on April 21, 2026
NIL
Securities Under F&O Ban on April 21, 2026
SAIL
Source: WOWNEWS24X7, Moneycontrol, Investing.com
