Reliance Industries reports highest-ever quarterly net profit, India home to 2.36 lakh millionaires, Gold rate today, Stocks today, more

Reliance Industries today reported its highest-ever quarterly net profit of Rs 7,290 crore for the three months ended December on refinery margins spiking to seven-year high. Net profit of Rs 7,290 crore, or Rs 24.8 per share, in October-December was 38.7 per cent higher than Rs 5,256 crore, or Rs 17.8 a share, in the same period a year ago, the company said in a statement.

India is home to the fourth largest population of millionaires in the Asia Pacific region, with 2.36 lakh such high net worth individuals, while Japan topped the list with 12.60 lakh people, a report says. According to the Asia Pacific 2016 Wealth Report, by New World Wealth, India was ranked among the top five Asia Pacific countries in terms of number of High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs).

Equities rose for the first time in four days as the benchmark BSE Sensex rebounded from 20-month lows by recovering 291.47 points to end at 24,479.84 on value- buying in recently beaten-down stocks amid firm Asian cues.

The 50-share NSE Nifty recaptured the crucial 7,400-mark by bouncing back 84.10 points or 1.14 per cent to 7,435.10.

Gold remained weak for the second straight day and it shed Rs 35 to Rs 26,350 per ten grams at the bullion market today on easing demand from jewellers and retailers even as the metal held steady in global markets. Silver, however, ended stable at Rs 34,000 per kg in scattered deals from industrial units and coin makers.

Snapping its three-day losing streak against the American currency, the rupee recovered by three paise to close at 67.65 on fresh selling of dollars by banks and exporters amidst a recovery in equities. The domestic unit resumed slightly higher at 67.67 per dollar as against yesterday's closing level of 67.68 at the interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market.

Continuing on the growth trajectory, domestic passenger traffic increased by 20.34 per cent in December last year over the same period in 2014 on account of the on-going tourists season, with Indian carriers flying a total of 7.70 million customers during the period. The domestic carriers had ferried 6.44 million passengers in December 2014. As per the DGCA data, released today, low-cost SpiceJet reported the highest seat occupancy in its aircraft at 92.1 per cent followed by rival IndiGo, which logged 88.5 per cent seat factor during December 2014. However, IndiGo, continued its leadership in terms of number of passengers flown, transporting a total 2.74 million passengers.

Oil prices slumped to a 2003 low below $28 per barrel on Monday as the market anticipated a rise in Iranian exports after the lifting of sanctions against Tehran over the weekend.

India's fourth-largest software services exporter HCL Technologies today reported 0.2 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,920 crore for the second quarter ended December 31, 2015. HCL Technologies, which follows July-June fiscal year, had posted a net profit of Rs 1,915 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a BSE filing.