Indian Equity indices end week with marginal gains

Indian equity markets continued to perform with measured steps even in the second week after the Budget. For the week ended on February 14, benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher marginally by 0.25 per cent at 41,255 and 0.41 per cent 12,110 (provisional closing) respectively.

The benchmark indices were topped by Bharti Airtel, HUL, RIL and Bajaj Finance with a gain of 5 per cent, 4.3 per cent, 3.53 per cent and 2.59 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, indices were dragged by few heavy weights such as IndusInd Bank, M&M, Tata Steel and Coal India, which ended the week down by 9.44 per cent, 8 per cent, 7.8 per cent and 5.5 per cent, respectively.

The broader indices represented by BSE 200 and BSE 500 closed lower by 0.33 and 0.43 per cent. The AGR-hit telco Vodafone registered a weekly drop of 34 per cent after reporting losses and regulatory setback in BSE 200 index. The index was helped to sustain on the back of more than nine per cent weekly gains in stocks such as Castrol India, Future Retail and Indiabulls Ventures.

Result season in the street looks to find stock specific ideas for investment. The mid-caps and small-caps will remain in focus due to their attractive valuations.