Indian shares on US bourses defy global gloom, gain USD 7 bn

Even as the Indian markets took a beating this week, their counterparts listed on American bourses gained nearly seven billion dollars, defying the worldwide market gloom.


Led by IT major Wipro and private sector lender ICICI Bank, the 16 Indian companies trading as American Depository Receipts coughed up about 6.86 billion dollars for the week ending 17th October.



Wipro witnessed a gain of 2.44 billion dollars while ICICI Bank scrip, which had taken a severe beating in recent times in the domestic market, rose as much as 1.25 billion dollars.



Another leading private sector lender HDFC Bank's market capitalisation rose 494 million dollars.



Swinging between the extremes, global markets including the American bourses had seen high volatility, with Japan's Nikkei touching a 20-year low.



Further, the US benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average witnessed one of the worst trading sessions in decades, before the closing the week in the green.



However, Indian benchmark index, Sensex plunged below the psychological 10,000 level on Friday last week, its lowest level in over two-years, with major bluechips taking a heavy beating.



In contrast, the 16 Indian shares listed on Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange collectively saw a value increase of over 11.54 billion dollars on 13th October (Monday) against the cumulative loss of 19.45 billion dollars they suffered during the week ending 10th October.



Other major gainers are IT bellwether Infosys which posted a jump of 1.17 billion dollars in market capitalisation and software exporter Satyam Computer Services gained 664 million dollars.



ICICI had recently announced mark-to-market losses to the tune of 93 million dollars, owing to its exposure in instruments of troubled financial institutions including the bankrupt Lehman Brothers.



Interestingly, in the domestic bourse, the scrip had touched an all-time high of Rs 1,465 in January this year before tumbling to a two-year low of Rs 364.



BPO firms - ExlService Holdings and Genpact; internet companies - Sify Technologies and Rediff; telecom entity Tata Communication, pharma major Dr Reddy's and copper producer Sterlite Industries, also gained during the week.



However, outsourcing firm WNS, IT company Patni Computer Systems, telecom entity Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and auto maker Tata Motors saw marginal declines in their market capitalisation.