Weekly review: Sensex declines 233pts

The Sensex that had declined 524 points, or 3.29% in the past four trading sessions, recouped nearly half of its losses yesterday. The Sensex advanced 291 points, or 1.89% to 15,689 over previous close. However, the index declined 1.46% (down 233 points) over previous week's close.

The Sensex started the week on negative note as Asian markets were in the red. China's Shanghai Composite tumbled 6.74% to close at its three-month closing low on Monday. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) at 6.1% in the first quarter of 2009-10 also failed to enthuse investor sentiment.

However, a rise in vehicle sales for the month of August led the Auto stocks to register profit. Auto shares were back in demand as revival of monsoon is expected to reflect in stronger demand for tractors and two-wheelers.The BSE Auto index rose 4.54% this week. Barring realty all the other sectoral indices ended the week in negative zone.

The NSE Nifty declined 1.10% to 4,680 over previous week.

Reliance Communications soared over 10% to Rs 292 this week, on the back of its revived plans of Reliance Infratel IPO. Maruti Suzuki rose nearly 9% as it posted a 42% jump in sales. Hero Honda Motors surged 7% from its week-ago close, owing to its 36% rise in vehicles sales. Mahindra & Mahindra rose 4.5% to Rs 864, as the company's August sales, excluding tractors zoomed 14.8% as compared to its sales in the same period last year. Other major gainers on weekly basis were Hindustan Unilever (4.5%), Tata Motors (4%).

Major losers for the week were Bharti Airtel (6.5%), Jaiprakash Associates (5.5%), BHEL (5%), Reliance (4.5%), Hindalco (3.5%), Sterlite (3.5%).

Japan's Nikkei fell 3.29% over previous week, with subdued investors sentiment ahead of the key U.S. employment data later on Friday and a long weekend in the United States.

Hang Seng ended up 1.09% to 20,318 this week, snapping a two-week losing streak, after China increased the limit for stock investments by foreign funds to $1 billion in a show of support for the market.

Shanghai Composite ended with a marginal weekly gain of 0.03% after four straight weeks of losses.

Foreign Instituitional Investors were net sellers of stocks worth Rs 2,067.71 crore this week according to provisional reports on the BSE.

The average narket breadth for the week was marginally negative - out of 2,877 stocks traded on an average, 1,378 advanced, while 1,416 declined.

VALUE & VOLUME TOPPERS

Unitech led the combined value chart with a turnover of Rs 63.08 crore. It was followed by Suzlon (Rs 41.41 crore), Mahindra Satyam (Rs 39.05 crore), Aban Offshore (Rs 38.17 crore) and NHPC (38.08 crore).

NHPC led the current volume chart with trades of over 103.02 million shares, followed by Unitech (60.31 million), Suzlon Energy (42.22 million), IFCI (38.62 million) and Mahindra Satyam (32.20 million).