Sensex posts biggest weekly fall in 2009

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Mumbai: The BSE Sensex fell 1.8 per cent on Friday and posted its biggest weekly fall in more than eight months as concern about the economy kept investors jittery, but Infosys bucked the trend and rallied on strong quarterly result.

Infosys Technologies, the country's No. 2 outsourcer, reported a better-than-expected 17 per cent rise in June quarter profit and marginally raised full-year forecast but warned the business environment was still challenging.

However, a poor start to monsoon rains, crucial for India's domestic demand-led economy, and lingering concern about a world recovery weighed.

The 30-share BSE index fell 1.84 per cent, or 253.24 points, to 13,504.22, its lowest close after the ruling coalition won re-election in mid-May and triggered a strong rally.

"I have been expecting a fall but not to this extent," said Ambareesh Baliga, vice president, Karvy Stock Broking. "Some foreign funds were selling."

Twenty-four index components ended down in choppy trade as a pullback of more than 1 per cent at one stage triggered heavy profit-taking in the last half hour.

"The immediate reason for the fall is a sell-off by some hedge funds due to redemption pressures from their investors. The biggest worry for the market, apart from the monsoons, is the global economic crisis," said R.K. Gupta, managing director, Taurus Mutual Fund.

The benchmark index lost 9.4 per cent on the week in its sharpest fall since last Oct. 26, with Monday's annual budget setting the trend as big government borrowing plans and few expected reforms disappointed investors.

"Now that the budget is over the market will come back to basics," said Gaurav Dua, head of research at Sharekhan, adding traders and investors would be looking more closely at valuations.

The BSE index is still up 40 per cent in 2009 after an almost 50 per cent rally in the June quarter.

"Markets are going to be tentative next week on account of monsoons, quarterly earnings, global cues and most important foreign fund flows," said Arun Kejriwal, director of research firm KRIS.

Farm Minister Sharad Pawar told parliament on Friday the poor monsoon rains in northern parts of India were a serious problem.

Rains have been 8 per cent below normal in early July, reviving after the driest June in 83 years, but water in the main reservoirs has more than halved, putting at risk even winter-sown oilseeds and wheat.