Market Roundup

• Pre-budget meet: Ficci for lower direct tax burden; simplifying FBT
• ICICI Bank signs up Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador
• Reliance asks for compensation for selling petro products below cost price
• Maruti effects price hike of up to Rs.15,000
• GlaxoSmithKline launches vaccine to prevent whooping cough
• Assam Co. completes valuation
• Nagarjuna Const. gets Rs.520-cr order from NHAI
• TVS Tyres launches new variants
• Adidas AG too hike stake in Indian subsidiary to 100 pc
• H&R Johnson to expand capacity
• DaimlerChrysler India sells 2,000 vehicles in India
• Toyota having second thoughts about another plant in B'lore
• TV 18 Q3 net up 47 per cent
• BPCL incurs losses on LPG sales
• Dishman Pharma to set up facility in China
• Corporates not to use OneIndia
  

GENERAL

• Centre to set up SPVs for four mega power projects
• Stricter norms for Ayurveda medicines soon
• USEFI courts Indian students

• Rupee gains against dollar
• Federal Bank to takeover Ganesh Bank
• Remit2India offers NRI services
• YES Bank reports Rs.14.5-cr profits in Q3
• SBI Funds Mgmt., UTI and LIC AMC to be NIF fund managers

MARKETS

• SEBI exempts Pasupati Acrylon from making open offer
• Sanghi allots 2.89-cr shares to raise FDI
• Hythe Securities to subscribe to GV Films GDRs
• DCA calls for EGM to okay Kochi Refineries, BPCL swap ratio
• Sebi approves SPrEAD
• Citigroup arm offloads stake in VisualSoft
• JSW Steel may float Rs.1,200-cr rights issue
• Jagaran Prakashan to issue Rs.400-cr IPO

INTERNATIONAL

• Dow crosses the 11,000 mark — roaring start to 2006
• Shell sued by 26 Dutch pension funds for overstating oil reserves
• Saks puts up its Parisian chain for sale
• UK pensions liabilities now triple in size to £150bn