Sensex drops 355 points; Nifty falls below 15,650

Equity benchmark Sensex tumbled 355 points on Tuesday, weighed by losses in HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel amid a weak trend in global markets.

The 30-share BSE index ended 354.89 points or 0.68 % lower at 52,198.51, while the broader NSE Nifty fell 120.30 points or 0.76 % to 15,632.10.

IndusInd Bank was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 3 %, followed by Tata Steel, NTPC, Bharti Airtel, HCL Tech, ICICI Bank, M&M and HDFC Bank.

On the other hand, Asian Paints rallied over 6 %, followed by UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Auto, HUL and Nestle India.

Domestic equities extended losses as weak global cues and continued selling pressure in financials dragged benchmark indices, said Binod Modi, Head – Strategy at Reliance Securities.

He noted that barring FMCG and IT, most key sectoral indices contracted, with financials, metals and realty witnessing steep correction.

"Strong earnings from Asian Paints during trading hours aided stock to sharp upmove,” he said, adding that midcap and smallcap stocks also witnessed heavy selling pressure as weak global trend led investors to book profits.

On the global front, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo ended with losses, while equities in Europe were largely trading with gains in mid-session deals.

Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude advanced 0.35 % to $ 68.86 per barrel.

ManpowerGroup Guides Q3 EPS Above Estimates – Quick Facts

While reporting financial results for the second quarter on Tuesday, workforce solutions provider ManpowerGroup, Inc. (MAN) said it expects earnings for the third quarter to be in the range of $1.86 to $1.94, which includes an estimated favorable currency impact of $0.04.

On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $1.73 per share for the quarter. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

“We are encouraged by the current momentum that we are experiencing across our offerings and confident in our team’s ability to continue to deliver value to all our stakeholders,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO.

This Is the State Where COVID-19 Cases Are Climbing Fastest

As a the Delta variant continues to spread, new cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in the United States. There were an average of 8.4 new daily cases of the virus for every 100,000 Americans over the past week, up from an average of 4.7 new daily cases per 100,000 the week before.

Nationwide, the average number of new daily infections has increased in 48 states, decreased in none, and remained effectively unchanged in two over the past week. The current increase in cases nationwide is being driven disproportionately by Arkansas and Florida, the two states where the average number of new daily cases is climbing the fastest on a per capita basis.

In total, there have been about 33,644,000 documented cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States since the first known infection was identified in Washington state on Jan. 21, 2020.

To date, North Dakota has had the highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita of any state, at 14,598 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there has been a total of 10,283 cases per 100,000 people.

All COVID-19 data used in this story is current as of July 18, 2021. It is important to note that in some states, weekly infection rates may include cases of the virus that occurred earlier but were not previously counted.

India government survey shows two thirds have coronavirus antibodies

(Reuters) – Two thirds of India’s population have antibodies against the coronavirus, the health agency chief said on Tuesday, citing the fourth national sero survey of nearly 29,000 people conducted during June and July.

Gold Rebounds On Safe-haven Demand

Gold rebounded from one- week low hit in the previous session, as a dip in U.S. Treasury yields and renewed concerns about the impact on growth from surging cases of the Delta coronavirus variant worldwide boosted the safe-haven appeal of the precious metal.

Spot gold edged up 0.2 percent to $1,816.26 per ounce, after having hit a low of $1,794.06 in the previous session. U.S. gold futures were up half a percent at $1,818.70.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hovered near five-month lows, while the dollar held firm near 3-1/2-month highs, limiting gold’s appeal.

On the COVID-19 front, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention placed the U.K. on its highest risk category, ordering U.S. citizens to “avoid travel to the United Kingdom”.

Brazil, South Africa and the Netherlands were also included on Level 4 category due to a spike in infections.

South Australia moved to a lockdown, joining Sydney and Victoria after identifying new cases of the Delta strain.

Australia’s most populous state New South Wales continued to struggle with the Delta outbreak, recording 79 new cases today.

On the economic front, U.S. building permits and housing starts figures for June are set for release in the New York session.

Ian King Business Podcast: Nightclubs U-turn, new HMV stores, and easyJet want COVID-19 testing to end

Ian King speaks to the owner of the biggest operator of nightclubs in the UK about the financial impact of government rules barring customers who’ve not been double-jabbed, easyJet’s chief executive wants an end to COVID-19 testing if people are fully vaccinated, and the chief executive of HMV talks about its plans to open new stores.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. Q2 adjusted earnings Beat Estimates

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) revealed earnings for its second quarter that increased from the same period last year.

The company’s earnings came in at $1.45 billion, or $4.36 per share. This compares with $1.08 billion, or $3.16 per share, in last year’s second quarter.

Excluding items, HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported adjusted earnings of $1.45 billion or $4.37 per share for the period.

Analysts had expected the company to earn $3.16 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

The company’s revenue for the quarter rose 30.4% to $14.44 billion from $11.07 billion last year.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. earnings at a glance:

-Earnings (Q2): $1.45 Bln. vs. $1.10 Bln. last year.
-EPS (Q2): $4.37 vs. $3.23 last year.
-Analysts Estimate: $3.16
-Revenue (Q2): $14.44 Bln vs. $11.07 Bln last year.

-Guidance:
Full year EPS guidance: $16.30 to $17.10
Full year revenue guidance: $57.0 to $58.0 Bln