Markets: Sensex gains 180 points on all round buying
Mumbai: The bourses ended the week on a bullish note with the FIIs had rolling over a significant amount of their futures and options positions on the settlement day on Thursday, giving the markets a much-needed confidence boost. In addition, investors have taken positions ahead of Budget announcements. Domestic institutional investors LIC and UTI were big buyers with the markets witnessing all-round buying.

International Markets
Gain (+) / Loss (-)

	Current	Change
NASDAQ	2,035.83	-11.32
FTSE	4,832.80	-20.60
Dow	10,427.20	-40.20
Nikkei	11,320.58	-20.73
CAC	3,870.35	-21.05
HangSeng	13,650.06	+21.15
DAX	4,201.81	-14.60

Market Counters
Figures in Rupees

BSE 30

Scrip Name	Open	High	Low	Last Price
TATA POWER	353.40	381.95	353.00	376.80
STATE BANK OF INDIA	581.50	629.80	580.90	622.75
GUJARAT AMBUJA CEMENTS LTD.	419.00	450.00	419.00	447.85
LARSEN & TOUBRO LTD.	920.00	985.00	917.90	963.45
RANBAXY LABORATORIES LTD.	1,026.00	1,081.00	1,026.00	1,073.00
BHARTI TELE	211.35	221.50	210.00	220.10
INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES LTD.-ORDI	1,960.00	2,048.95	1,958.00	2,039.20
HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM CORP. LTD.	337.00	353.00	330.00	349.75
WIPRO LTD.	674.00	704.00	672.00	699.95
RELIANCE ENR*	501.40	525.00	501.40	518.60
BAJAJ AUTO	1,010.00	1,059.70	1,009.00	1,043.40
RELIANCE*	505.00	523.90	505.00	522.75
ICICI BANK L	338.50	350.00	338.50	347.95
MARUTI UDYOG	435.00	449.00	431.10	447.30
CIPLA LTD.	269.00	275.45	269.00	274.95
TATA IRON AND STEEL CO. LTD.	373.00	381.25	371.00	380.60
TATA MOTORS	482.00	493.00	480.25	492.15
DR.REDDY'S LABORATORIES LTD.	733.80	751.00	731.00	744.50
GRASIM INDUSTRIES LTD.	1,298.00	1,330.00	1,297.00	1,316.50
SATYAM COMP	389.00	399.80	388.55	397.80
HDFC Bank				539.45
BHEL				722.05
Hindalco Industries Limited				1,287.10
HLL				153.10
ITC				1,400.65
ONGC				797.55
ACC				350.65
HEROHONDA M	538.05	539.00	528.00	531.25
ZEE TELEF LT	149.50	153.00	148.10	148.95
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CO	756.00	766.70	748.20	753.45

Last Update : 28 January, 2005, 16:08 PM

S&P CNX Nifty

Symbol	Open	High	Low	Last Price
SBIN	583.90	627.00	581.50	622.20
RELIANCE	507.00	523.45	490.00	522.25
INFOSYSTCH	1960.00	2047.85	1945.20	2037.65
SATYAMCOMP	393.00	401.60	388.30	400.00
SAIL	59.55	61.35	59.50	60.95
TISCO	372.00	381.20	371.25	380.55
RANBAXY	1049.00	1084.50	1032.00	1073.00
TATAMOTORS	480.25	493.00	480.25	492.00
MARUTI	438.60	450.40	430.00	448.70
ITC	1384.00	1417.00	1369.00	1399.30
ONGC	790.00	803.00	788.00	796.25
PNB	369.50	385.70	369.00	382.65
BHARTI	210.20	221.50	210.00	219.45
M&M	512.00	541.40	509.50	533.45
WIPRO	678.00	704.45	675.00	698.50
HINDPETRO	335.00	352.50	282.00	348.65
ACC	349.00	353.00	348.00	351.15
GUJAMBCEM	420.50	450.00	420.00	447.50
ZEETELE	148.90	153.00	147.60	148.50
GRASIM	1305.00	1327.40	1302.10	1316.30
LT	919.90	984.35	916.15	965.30
GAIL	219.90	223.40	218.80	220.40
HDFC	775.00	775.00	746.65	754.05
TATAPOWER	354.40	382.25	352.00	377.65
HINDLEVER	151.60	154.35	151.05	153.15
BPCL	396.00	424.90	395.00	413.95
MTNL	145.00	150.00	144.50	148.70
CIPLA	314.80	314.80	268.00	274.55
NATIONALUM	174.00	175.90	173.30	174.40
HDFCBANK	537.65	548.80	527.25	539.85
HEROHONDA	549.00	549.00	524.00	531.40
IPCL	168.40	172.70	168.15	171.90
BAJAJAUTO	1009.00	1060.00	1005.05	1041.45
ICICIBANK	344.00	349.10	339.00	348.05
ORIENTBANK	314.70	323.80	313.15	322.90
HINDALC0	1290.00	1295.00	1275.00	1288.35
HCLTECH	325.00	330.90	323.65	327.15
DRREDDY	734.00	747.00	731.25	743.00
REL	504.00	599.25	501.10	519.85
BHEL	711.00	730.00	711.00	721.60
SUNPHARMA	465.00	498.00	465.00	489.70
SCI	155.90	158.50	154.70	157.90
INDHOTEL	525.00	544.00	524.25	541.10
DABUR	99.80	107.25	97.30	97.75
TATATEA	480.90	487.95	478.60	484.35
ABB	950.00	960.00	946.05	952.80
GLAXO	680.90	694.70	671.05	691.95
VSNL	208.00	211.95	204.00	209.55
TATACHEM	158.40	160.90	157.30	159.55
COLGATE	180.00	183.00	179.50	182.45

Last Update : 28 January, 2005, 16:08 PM
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No opening charges for demat accounts from Feb 1
Mumbai: The Securities and Exchange Board of India has directed that from February 1, 2005, investors who open new demat accounts will not have to pay opening charges, other than statutory charges. These new account holders will also not have to pay towards any custody charges for shares that are held in the demat account. Existing demat accounts will have the provision of not paying custody charges from April 1, 2005, according to a SEBI circular.

Any purchase of shares, that are credited to demat accounts will not attract any fee, though selling the same would entail debit charges that are currently being levied.

Most depository participants currently charge Rs100 for opening of accounts. However, since this is towards stamp paper and other legal costs, this charge is not expected to come down.

SEBI expects this move to result in larger number of retail investors participating in the Indian markets.
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Provident funds may invest up to 5 per cent in equities
New Delhi: In a landmark development the Government has allowed all non-Government provident funds, superannuation funds and gratuity funds to invest in the equity market.

As per the revised guidelines on the investment pattern to be followed, these funds can now invest up to five per cent of their total portfolio in shares of companies that have an investment grade debt rating from at least two credit rating agencies.

The new guidelines would come into effect from the beginning of the 2005-06 financial year. This would mean that the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which is the largest PF fund in the country managing close to around Rs 1 lakh crore of workers' money can now take a decision to invest in corporate equities if they should so wish to.

As per the revised pattern, these funds have also been permitted to invest in Term Deposit Receipts (TDRs) of the public sector banks up to three years as against the existing limit of less than a year.

The new guidelines further allows these funds to invest in the bonds of the public financial institutions and public sector companies if these are rated as investment grade by two credit rating agencies. It has also been decided to allow investment in Collateral Borrowing and Lending Obligations (CBLO) issued by Clearing Corporation of India Limited and approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

It further allows an investment of up to 10 per cent in the debt instruments bearing investment grade rating and/or equity-linked scheme of mutual funds regulated by SEBI. The maximum exposure of any fund for investments in any gilt fund has been restricted to 5 per cent of its portfolio at any point of time.
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DSQ scrip transactions: SEBI bans Harish Biyani for five years
Kolkata: SEBI has banned Harish Biyani, one of the prime accused in the last scam on the Calcutta Stock Exchange, from the market for five years.

DSQ Industries, now known as Jardine Overseas, had a paid-up capital of Rs20.04 crore, chiefly held by various corporate bodies, including foreign outfits. SEBI, however, noticed that there were discrepancies in the distribution schedule filed by the company with the CSE and with the regulator.

SEBI observed that there was creation of artificial market and artificial volumes as a result of synchronisation in logging in/matching of buy and sell orders amongst few brokers. Orders were purchased within a gap of few seconds by Harish Biyani for the same quantity and same rate to ensure that buyers get the desired sellers and vice versa. Thus, there was circular trading also. There was price manipulation as the orders were placed at successively higher prices than the last traded prices.

Both Harish Biyani and Biyani Securities were declared defaulters on in March 2001 by CSE.
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