Indian equity markets ended near the highest point of the trading day, aided by a surge in the final few minutes. Benchmark indices posted their second straight weekly gain.The S&P BSE Sensex ended 0.94% higher at 35,171 while the NSE Nifty 50 index ended just below the 10,400 mark at 10.383, up by 0.91%.Both Sensex and Nifty have posted weekly gains in four out of the last five weeks. Among the sectoral indices, I.T. remained the outperformer, with the sectoral index ending with gains of 3.9%. The PSU Bank index was the other sectoral gainer, ending 1% higher.The Nifty FMCG index snapped a six-day gaining streak, ending with losses of 1.1% while the realty index ended lower for the third straight day, down 0.8%.Broader markets underperformed in today's trade with the midcap and smallcap index ending 0.17% and 0.24% higher respectively.The India Volatility Index ended 4.6% lower at 28.35, after fluctuating for most part of the day.Market breadth remained in favour of the advances. 1,066 stocks on the NSE ended with gains while 748 ended with losses.For the week, the Sensex gained 1.27% while the Nifty advanced 1.35%..Edelweiss Expects HDFC Life, SBI Life To Replace Vedanta, Zee Entertainment In Nifty 50.Revenue down 10% to Rs 530.2 croreNet profit down 32% to Rs 37 croreEbitda down 16% to Rs 67.4 croreEbitda margin at 12.7% from 13.5%Plywood and other allied products revenue down 14% to Rs 285.2 croreLaminate and other allied products revenue down 13.8% to Rs 106 croreMDF board revenue up 10.5% to Rs 84.33 croreParticle board revenue flat at Rs 23 croreAll numbers are consolidated and compared on a year-on-year basis.Shares gained as much as 5.8% to Rs 124, post the announcement..Trading at the highest level in four monthsGains as much as 10.6% to Rs 51.8Up for the second straight daySet to post fourth straight weekly gainBest streak of weekly gains since January this yearHas gained 24% so far this weekToday's volumes are 1.1 times higher than its 30-day averageTrades in overbought territory with relative strength index (RSI) at 83Has gained over 50% from its 52-week low of Rs 32.4 on March 24, 2020All four analysts tracking the stock have a buy recommendationReturn potential fot the stock as per Bloomberg data is 43.4%.Among the top performers on the Nifty Smallcap indexGains as much as 10.6% to Rs 34.75Biggest single-day gain in nearly a monthTrades at the highest level in four monthsUp for the second straight dayHas gained in nine out of the last 10 daysUp 15% in the last 10 trading sessionsToday's volumes are 0.9 times higher than its 30-day averageTrading near its 200-Day Moving Average of 36Has gained 61% from its 52-week low of Rs 21 on March 24, 2020Four out of the seven analysts tracking the stock have a buy recommendationTrading 11.5% higher than its 12-month consensus price target of Rs 29.5, implying a negative return potential.Revenue down 20% to Rs 652 croreNet profit down 25% to Rs 49.6 croreEbitda down 24% to Rs 93.37 croreEbitda margin down to 14.3% from 15%Higher finance costs impact marginsTiles segment revenue down 19.9% to Rs 605.1 croreRevenue from other businesses down 22% to Rs 46.9 croreSales volume down 19% to 18.24 million square metersAll numbers are consolidated and compared on a year-on-year basis.Shares are trading 1.3% higher, cooling off from gains of as much as 2.65% to Rs 412..Markets continue to trade in a rangeNifty up 0.7% at 10,357Sensex up 0.7% at 35,076Nifty Bank down 0.2% at 21,458Nifty Midcap and Smallcap index up 0.3% eachIndia Volatility Index down 0.75% to 29.5Nifty I.T. index remains top sectoral gainer; up 4.1%Nifty Metal and Nifty PSU bank index up 0.7% eachNifty FMCG index is the top sectoral laggard; down 1%Nifty Realty and Nifty Pharma index down 0.7% eachInfosys remains the top Nifty gainer; up 6.4%Kotak Mahindra Bank remains the top Nifty laggard; down 3.5%1,059 stocks on the NSE trade with gains while 730 decline.Revenue down 16.8% to Rs 532.7 croreNet profit down 58.4% to Rs 23.4 croreEbitda down 36.7% to Rs 98.5 croreEbitda margin down to 18.5% from 24.3%Deferred tax credit of Rs 15.29 crore this quarterAll numbers are consolidated and compared on a year-on-year basis.Commentary On Covid-19:Plant operations resumed in a phased manner from mid-April.Expect demand to stabilise in due course.Do not anticipate any challenge in meeting financial obligations.No impairment charge needs to be recognised.Covid-19 does not pose any challenge on ability to continue as a going concern..Shares are off the day's high, cooling off from gains of as much as 5.85% to Rs 233.45, post the announcement. The stock currently trades with gains of 1.6%..The currency ended little changed in today's trading session, capping its first weekly advance in three.The rupee ended at 75.64 against the U.S. Dollar as compared to Thursday's close of 75.66.For today's session, the rupee was the fifth best performing currency in Asia.The currency gained in four out of the five trading sessions this week.For the week, the rupee gained 0.71%, ending as the second best performer in Asia, behind the South Korean Won.Yield on the 10-year government bond ended at 5.916% as compared to the opening level of 5.9%..Revenue seen flat at Rs 26,595.9 croreEbitda seen 17.6% lower at Rs 6,765.5 croreEbitda margin may narrow to 25.4% from 30.8%Net profit seen 16.5% lower at Rs 5,024.5 croreBlended Realisations seen 2.8% lower at Rs 1,586FSA Realisations seen flat at Rs 1,466E-Auction Realisations seen 15.4% lower at Rs 2,329All estimates are consolidated and compared on a year-on-year basis.Shares currently trade 1.5% higher at Rs 142.5, ahead of its earnings..Net Interest Income flat at Rs 1,254.5 croreNet profit of Rs 16.78 crore from net loss of Rs 1,552 croreGross NPA at 16.77% from 19.45% in the previous quarterNet NPA at 5.45% from 6.34% in the previous quarterProvisions for NPAs at Rs 1,089.2 crore from Rs 1,645.5 crore in the previous quarterHigher other income contributes to profitsOther income at Rs 768.8 crore from Rs 366.7 croreCapital Adequacy Ratio at 11.7% from 10.7% in the previous yearTier-I ratio at 9.19% from 8.64% last year2,353 MSME accounts worth Rs 365 crore restructured during FY20Provision Coverage Ratio of 85.46%Asset Classification Benefits extended to accounts worth Rs 571.5 crore due to Covid-19..Shares are up 20% to Rs 16.7 post the announcement..TCS' 2,200 Call: Premium up 85% to Rs 51. The contract has added 1.97 lakh shares in Open Interest.ITC's 210 Call: Premium down 22.6% to Rs 6.35. The contract has added 23.2 lakh shares in Open Interest.Infosys' 760 Call: Premium up 150% to Rs 23.85. The contract has added 9.15 lakh shares in Open Interest..Revenue down 14% to Rs 466.8 croreNet loss widens to Rs 46.31 crore from Rs 25.36 croreEbitda at Rs 29.4 crore from Ebitda loss of Rs 42.32 croreDeferred tax credit of Rs 5.1 crore this quarterExceptional loss of Rs 79.72 crore this quarterAll numbers are consolidated and compared on a year-on-year basis.Shares fell as much as 4.2% to Rs 13.65, post the announcement..Benchmarks across Europe look to end the week on a high, opening today's trade with gains.The Stoxx 600 index has opened 0.9% higher with travel, technology and auto stocks leading the gains. Retail and healthcare stocks are underperforming.Most Asian markets have ended with gains while futures on the Dow Jones are trading lower by 100 points.Brent crude trades 0.66% higher at $41.32 per barrel while gold is little changed at $1,763.52/Oz..Let's take a look at how benchmarks across Europe have opened:Euro Stoxx 50 up 1.1% at 3,254DAX up 1.05% at 12,309CAC up 1.14% at 4,974FTSE 100 up 1% at Rs 6,211IBEX 35 up 0.8% at 7,329.RBI Begins Work On Restructuring Plan For Covid-Hit Firms: BQ Exclusive.Net sales seen 3.1% lower at Rs 11,832 croreEbitda seen 6.2% lower at Rs 4,287 croreEbitda margin at 36.2% from 37.5%Net profit seen 0.8% higher at Rs 3,511 croreAll estimates are standalone and compared on a year-on-year basis.Key Factors At Play For ITC:Cigarette volumes likely to decline (Company does not report volume growth)FMCG business may see 2-5% decline in salesHotel business revenue may decline 23-25%Agri and paperboards business also likely to see weaknessLoss in production likely to pressurise margins.Shares are lower as much as 1.76% at Rs 198.55, snapping a four-day gaining streak..Second best performer on the Nifty Smallcap IndexGains as much as 6.67% to Rs 36Trades at the highest level in over three monthsUp for the second straight dayHas gained in four out of the five trading sessions this weekUp 32% so far this weekBest weekly return in over two monthsSet to post second successive weekly gainToday's volumes are 4.4 times higher than its 30-day averageTrades in overbought territory with Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 77Has doubled from its 52-week low of Rs 18.75 on March 24, 20209 out of the 15 analysts tracking the stock have a buy recommendation; 2 sell callsReturn potential of the stock as per Bloomberg data is 26.8%.E-ticketing platform severely impacted due to suspension of train services. Bookings likely to drop in the coming quarters as well.Q1FY21 may be adverse for the catering business.Travel and tourism business will also be impacted, as has been in the rest of the world.Production in rail neer plants could not take place during the first 45 days of the lockdown.Plants are now running with reduced capacity due to lesser number of trains.Business situation may normalise in H2FY21Debt-free company and enough liquidity to finance arrangements..Shares fell as much as 5.1% to Rs 1,340 and are the second worst performers on the Nifty Midcap Index..Benchmark indices hold on to gainsNifty up 0.62% at 10,355Sensex up 0.6% at 35,061Nifty Bank down 0.1% at 21,486Nifty Midcap and smallcap index up 0.7%India Volatility Index unchanged at 29.71Nifty I.T. index remains the top sectoral gainer; up 4.5%Nifty Metal index is the other sectoral gainer; up 1.25%Nifty FMCG index snaps six-day gaining streak; down 0.6%Infosys remains the top Nifty gainer; up 6.4%Kotak Mahindra Bank is the top Nifty loser; down 3.3%1,178 stocks on the NSE trade with gains while 559 decline.The construction company won a Letter of Award from the NHAI for a 53.95 kilometer long four-laning of the Meerut-Nazibabad section.The range falls under NH-119 and in the state of Uttar Pradesh, according to the company's exchange filing.The order has been won on a Hybrid Annuity Mode under the Bharatmala Pariyojana for a bid project cost of Rs 1,412 crore.Shares gained as much as 16.7% - its biggest ever single-day surge on record to Rs 155. The stock is now off the day's high, trading with gains of 8.7%..Revenue down 33% to Rs 347.1 croreNet loss of Rs 8.98 crore from net profit of Rs 19.76 croreEbitda loss of Rs 4.61 crore from Ebitda positive of Rs 53.88 croreEbitda margin at negative 1.3% from positive 10.4%Sales volume fell 28% to 11.1 million square meterThe company's board has also approved raising Rs 50 crore through NCDsAll numbers are standalone and compared on a year-on-year basis.Shares fell as much as 8.8% - the biggest single-day fall for the stock in three months to Rs 124. The stock is down for the third straight day..Top gainer on the Nifty I.T. index as wellGains as much as 6.3% to Rs 744.5Biggest single-day gain in over two monthsSnaps two-day losing streakSet to post second straight weekly advanceToday's volumes are triple its 30-day averageBreaks above its 200-Day Moving Average of 718.6Has gained 46% from its 52-week low of Rs 509 on March 19, 202036 out of the 48 analysts tracking the stock have a buy recommendation; 3 sell callsThe stock now trades 2% above its 12-month consensus price target of Rs 727.5, implying a negative return potential.The company's offer for sale for the non-retail segment received 3.34 times demand at an indicative price of Rs 192.48 per share, according to an exchange notice.OFS for retail investors is open for subscription today.The company's promoter International Paper Investment intended to sell 10% of its equity at a floor price of Rs 186 per share, the exchange filing on Wednesday said.Shares gained as much as 6% to Rs 209.8, after a 15% decline on Thursday..The company in its board meeting on Thursday has approved the raising of funds to the tune of Rs 180 crore from Infinity Holdings and its affiliated entities.The investment will result in nearly 22.65% ownership stake on a fully diluted basis, according to its exchange filing.Purpose of the fund raise would be to acquire the entire stake of its JV partners in the company's subsidiaries in China and Mexico, according to the statement..The partnership with Infinity and Convergent will not only strengthen our position in Mexico but also reduce our reliance on China.Ashish Dandekar, Managing Director, Camlin Fine Sciences.Shares are locked in an upper circuit of 10% at Rs 53.55 and are up for the second day in a row..The retail player reported a net loss of Rs 11.6 crore for the quarter ended March. This is compared to a net profit of Rs 4.2 crore reported during the same period last year.Same Store Sales Growth for the company saw a contraction of 18% this quarter. The company in its press release said that it was at a positive 3% until March 15, 2020.The company's revenue fell 21% while Ebitda declined 29% compared to the previous year..The consumer sentiment has suddenly changed from positive to cautious and will take some time to return to normalcy. With strong balance sheet and low leverage, we will not only be able to survive the pandemic, but also bounce back faster. Ram Chandra Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, V2 Retail.Shares fell as much as 4.1% to Rs 54.7 per share..Top performer on the Nifty Metals indexGains as much as 8% to Rs 204.75Biggest single-day gain in three monthsTrades at the highest level in five monthsUp for the second straight dayHas gained in four out of the five trading sessions this weekUp 13% so far this weekSet to post fifth successive weekly advanceBest weekly winning streak since January 2018Today's volumes are 4.1 times higher than its 30-day averageBreaks above its 200-Day Moving Average at 191Trades in overbought territory with Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 78Has gained 72% from its 52-week low of Rs 116 on March 13, 202015 out of the 24 analysts tracking the stock have a buy recommendation; 1 sell callThe stock now trades 3.2% above its 12-month consensus price target of Rs 194.7, implying a negative return potential..The company has informed the exchanges in two separate exchange filings about an order win and regarding repayment of dues.The first release informs of the company's U.S.-based subsidiary Sterling & Wilson Solar Solutions winning an order in the country worth $99 million or approximately Rs 747 crore.This is the largest solar project won by the company in the U.S., according to the press release..On the repayment of dues:Have made payments to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore out of the total outstanding dues of Rs 2,563 crore.Covid-19 has created significant disruption in economic activity.Next installment of Rs 500 crore due on June 30, 2020 may spill over by a few weeks.Committed to complete the payment within the outer deadline of September 30, 2020..Shares are locked in an upper circuit of 5% at Rs 199.25. It is up for the fifth straight day, in which it has been locked in a 5% upper circuit for four of them..Benchmark indices trade at the day's highNifty up 1.1% at 10,400Sensex up 1% at 35,208Nifty Bank up 0.7% at 21,671Nifty Midcap and Smallcap index up 1.2% eachIndia Volatility Index down 2.7% at 28.92Nifty I.T. is the top sectoral gainer, up 3.3%Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Media and Nifty Metal gain between 1.5-2%Infosys is the top Nifty gainer; up 5.5%Kotak Mahindra Bank is the top Nifty laggard; down 1.9%1,315 stocks on the NSE trade with gains while 351 decline.The currency gained for the second straight day and is set to post gains for the week.The rupee opened at 75.52 against the U.S. Dollar as compared to Thursday's close of 75.66. It ended as the second best performer in Asia on Thursday.The RBI will release its weekly forex and bank credit data today.Within the bond market, traders look forward to the sale of government bonds worth Rs 30,000 crore.Yield on the 10-year government bond ended at 5.89% on Thursday..The company informed the exchanges on Thursday that its promoter plans to sell 49.9 lakh shares of the company, representing around 1% of the total equity.Promoters also have an option to sell a further 1% stake under the oversubscription scenario.Floor price for the share sell has been determined at Rs 265 per share, a 10% discount to Thursday's closing price.The issue for non-retail investors is currently open while that for retail investors will open on June 29.Shares are recovering from the day's low, after falling as much as 8.1% to Rs 285.6. The stock currently trades 4.5% lower..The heavy vehicles manufacturer reported a net loss of Rs 57.3 crore in the fourth quarter as compared to a net profit of Rs 653 crore during the same period last year.The net loss was also due to an exceptional loss of Rs 68.7 crore and a tax credit reversal of Rs 44.5 crore in the March quarter.Ebitda fell 81.4% while margins narrowed to 4.8% from 11.1% year-on-year.The company has also allotted Non-Convertible Debentures worth Rs 200 crore on a private placement basis.The company reported a 42% decline in volumes for the full year in FY20..We continue our productivity and cost reduction programs started earlier in the year. These initiatives have helped us achieve a sizeable reduction in costs. Gopal Mahadevan, Chief Financial Officer, Ashok Leyland.Shares are off the day's high after gaining as much as 3.8% to Rs 55.5..Biggest single-day spike in new cases reported in the last 24 hours17,296 cases reported in the last 24 hoursTotal number of cases in the country at 4,90,401Active cases at 1,89,463Number of patients cured / discharged / migrated at 2,85,637407 deaths reported in the last 24 hoursDeath toll rises to 15,30113,940 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours.Coronavirus India Updates: Tally Tops 4.9 Lakh; Over 15,300 Dead.Hindustan Unilever Ltd. has announced that it has completed the acquisition of intimate hygine brand VWash from Glenmark.The acquisiton, announced on March 23, was subject to certain conditions which have now been fulfilled, the company said in an exchange filing.HUL was to make most of the payments in cash upfront as well as pay a royalty on sales for three years. Amount of the deal remain undisclosed.Shares of HUL trade near the day's low, down 0.6% at Rs 2,161..Indian equity markets have begun the first day of the July series on a positive note.Both, the S&P BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty 50 index opened 0.87% higher at 35,144 and 10,378 respectively.For the week, Sensex and Nifty are 0.3% and 0.4% higher respectively, as of closing on Thursday.Benchmarks have opened higher after declining for two successive days.All sectoral indices have opened higher. Nifty Bank, Nifty Auto, Nifty Metal and Nifty PSU Bank index have opened with gains of over 1%.Broader markets too are in tandem with benchmarks. Both midcap and smallcap indices have opened 1% higher.Market breadth at opening was in favour of the advances. 1,243 stocks on the National Stock Exchange opened with gains while 255 declined..Global cases near the 9.6 million markDeath toll rises to 4.88 lakhU.S. state health departments reported a total of over 37,000 cases on ThursdayTexas, Florida, California and Arizona report most casesS&P Global Ratings says Asia-Pacific's economic toll from Covid-19 to be near $3 trillionBejing reports 11 new casesTotal cases in brazil rise to 1.23 million with 3.3% rise in new casesMexico's finance minister tests positiveApple to shut 14 more stores in Florida after shutting seven in Houston last week.India’s Animal Spirits in Deep Slumber Despite Economy Reopening.China Amassing Troops, Armaments Along LAC Since May, Says India.EPFO Data Shows New Job Creation Declined In FY20, Says SBI Research.Vedanta: Vedanta: Shareholders approve the delisting plan. 93.34% votes polled in favour of the motion. 85% of the public institution shareholders and 74.7% of public non-institution shareholders voted in favour of the motion.Apollo Tyres: Commissions its seventh facility globally - a greenfield plant in Andhra Pradesh. Phase - I will involve an investment of close to Rs 3,800 crore. Capacity will be gradually ramped-up in 12-18 months as demand improves.Reliance Industries: Fitch Ratings upgrades long-term currency issuer default rating to BBB+ from BBB with a stable outlook. Long-term foreign currency issuer default rating affirmed at BBB- with a stable outlook.BHEL, Bharat Bijlee, Voltamp Transformers: Bloomberg News reports that India’s Renewable Energy Ministry has proposed a basic customs duty of 25% on solar modules starting July 30 and 40% from April 1, 2022. Duty on solar cells has been proposed at 15% from July 30 and 25% from April 2022. Import tax on solar inverters should be 20% from July 30 and remain so throughout, according to the ministry’s proposal. Proposals need finance ministry’s approval for coming into effect.Sumitomo Chemicals India: Promoter to sell 49.91 lakh shares or 1% of the total equity through an Offer for Sale with an option to sell an additional 49.91 lakh shares. Floor price for the same has been set at Rs 265 per share, which is a 10% discount to Thursday's closing price. Trade date for non-retail investors is June 26 while for retail investors is June 29.IRCTC's Covid-19 Impact: Adverse impact seen in the catering segment in Q1FY21. 13 out of the 14 rail neer plants have resumed production. Expect normalisation in H2FY21.Andhra Papers: Offer-for-sale for non-retail segment received 3.34 times demand at an indicative price of Rs 192.48 per share.HFCL: Promoter MN Ventures released pledge of 6.14 crore shares (4.78% equity stake) in favour of Yes Bank on June 25. These shares were pledged by the company with Yes Bank as a collateral security for the performance bank guarantee of Rs 58.36 crore availed by the company.Nifty Earnings Today: Coal India, ITCNon-Nifty Earnings Today: GATI, Sun TV, IRCTC, Kajaria Ceramics, Glenmark, APL Apollo Tubes, NALCO, Emami, HUDCO, ITI, Ramkrishna Forgings, UCO Bank..To know more about the earnings reported after market hours and key stock updates, click here..Benchmark indices gain the most in over a week in a volatile trading sessionS&P 500 ended with gains of 1.1% after a last hour surgeInitial jobless claims topped estimates at 1.5 millionRecord rise in Covid-19 cases in Texas and Florida prompted administrations to half the next phases of reopening the economiesBloomberg Dollar Spot index advanced 0.1%Yield on the 10-year treasury stood at 0.68%West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2.7% to $39 per barrel.Catch the live action from global equity markets here..Good Morning!India's equity markets ended an expiry day trade with losses, declining for the second straight session. The benchmarks, however, posted their second derivative monthly expiry gain this year, ending over 8% higher for the June series.The S&P BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty 50 Index have gained 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, so far during the week.Asian markets are rising on the final trading day of the week after a late rally on Wall Street. Markets in Japan and South Korea advanced, although volumes remained below average. Markets in Hong Kong resumed with losses after Thursday's holiday, while benchmarks in China remain shut.Futures on the Dow Jones are currently trading lower by 40 points.The U.S. dollar continues to edge higher, while treasuries are steady.Oil prices rose after Russia slashed exports of its flagship crude Urals to the lowest in at least 10 years. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.9% to $39.09 per barrel..Short on time? Well, then listen to this podcast for a quick summary of All You Need To Know before the opening bell.