M o n d ay 3 0 , M a rc h 2015 News & Report Analysis Currency Market Precious Metal Base Metal Energy Market q Modi may announce Rs 36k cr expansion plan for RSP q Tata Steel notches 10 MTPA production milestone from single location q NMDC commissions 7-mtpa iron ore unit at Bailadila q DGS rejects plea for safeguard duty on steel import q Aluminium park draws proposals for 11 units Daily US equity markets appreciated on last Friday with major indices adding marginally backed by positive data from the country. The Dow ended Friday up 0.19 percent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.24 percent and the Nasdaq 0.57 percent. Asian stock markets got off to sluggish start on Monday in a week book-ended with Easter holidays across the globe and a U.S. jobs report that could affect the timing of the first hike in interest rates there. Also, weakness in Asian equities along with cautious stance ahead of approaching end of the financial year acted as negative factors. The currency touched a weekly low of 62.13 and closed at 62.51 on Friday. Among the global macro update include Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen reaffirmed that rates would likely start rising later this year but emphasized the pace of tightening would be gradual and data-dependent. The conditional outlook helped nudge longerdated Treasury yields lower and left the dollar listless for the moment. The market reaction will be complicated by holidays across much of the western world on Friday. Only some U.S. markets will be open and then only for shortened hours. Investors will again have to keep a wary eye on Greece and 2 Monday 30, March 2015 Currency Market The US Dollar Index weakened by 0.7 percent last week after the release of lackluster US economic data which hit the investor sentiment on showing slow growth of the U.S. economy less than forecast in the fourth quarter and another report showing that consumer sentiment deteriorated this month. Also tensions in Middle-East and rapid ascent of US Dollar led to companies pulling back their profits. Euro continued to slide on Friday with a minor recovery late Friday evening to trade at 1.0879. Pound had a continued appreciation to currently trade at 1.4872 after comments from the BOE governor indicated that rates can only appreciate from here on. Japanese yen remained stable at 119.23 even after industrial production data came in negative this morning. The Indian Rupee depreciated by 0.2 percent in the last week on month end demand for the American currency from banks and importers. Also, tensions in middle-east reduced the risk appetite, thereby hurting the demand for the currency. its talks with international creditors where the parties are struggling to come up with a list of 62.48 62.56 sparse, with Japan reporting a disappointing 62.64 decline in industrial output for February. Figures 62.72 in the session. Flash inflation data for the euro zone are due Tuesday and manufacturing surveys on China are out the day after. That should be just an appetizer for Friday's U.S. payrolls report. USD/INR Overnight VAR Data releases today 17:00 16:00 15:00 14:00 13:00 62.88 12:00 U.S. personal income and spending are due later 62.80 9:00 on German inflation, European confidence and 11:00 Besides, the data diary in Asia was rather 10:00 acceptable reforms. USD/INR - 27/03/15 62.40 0.3519 Forecast Previous USD Core PCE Price Index m/m 0.1% 0.1% USD Personal Spending m/m 0.3% -0.2% Source : Mecklai Financial 3 Monday 30, March 2015 Daily 6 mth LIBOR Major Currencies Today’s Crosses Spot Cash v/s INR Forward Rates v/s INR (Export/ Import) April May June September December March 62.56/ 57 62.38/ 40 63.05/ 08 63.45/ 47 63.87/ 90 65.09/ 12 66.22/ 25 67.27/ 30 - - - 0.41/0.41 0.62/0.62 0.80/0.81 1.20/1.25 1.51/1.61 1.77/1.94 EUR / USD 1.0871 68/ 01 67.80/ 84 68.57/ 59 69.02/ 05 69.51/ 55 70.95/ 98 72.33/ 36 73.65/ 67 0.14 USD / JPY(100) 119.20 52.48/ 48 52.33/ 35 52.91/ 93 53.26/ 29 53.64/ 67 54.74/ 78 55.82/ 86 56.84/ 88 0.68 GBP / USD 1.4859 92.95/ 96 92.68/ 72 93.69/ 74 94.24/ 29 94.84/ 90 96.61/ 66 98.28/ 33 99.85/ 90 -0.72 GBP / USD 0.9623 65.00/ 01 64.82/ 83 65.52/ 54 66.07/ 09 66.60/ 64 68.17/ 20 69.66/ 73 71.04/ 15 3.06 AUD / USD 0.7732 48.37/ 38 48.23/ 26 48.68/ 70 48.90/ 92 49.15/ 17 49.86/ 88 50.52/ 53 0.40 USD / INR - ATM Options (put/call) 0.15 51.16/ 17 Source : Mecklai Financial Precious Metal looming U.S. rate hike dims the appeal of a non- Gold prices dropped for a second straight session on Monday, slipping further from a threeweek high, after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen signaled that the U.S. central bank may be on course to raise interest rates later this year. Bullion may be set to give up recent gains fueled by the Fed's March policy statement that was prepared to move more slowly in hiking U.S. rates than the market expected. The metal rose for seven consecutive sessions after the Fed's meeting this month in its longest rally since 2012. On Friday, Yellen said an increase in the Fed's benchmark rate "may well be warranted later this year" given sustained improvement in U.S. economic conditions. Spot gold prices also followed the southward trends after rising for a second week in a row last week. It touched $1,219.40 on Thursday, its loftiest since March 2. Bullion is headed for a second consecutive monthly drop in March as a Market Highlights - Gold (% change) Gold Gold (Spot) Gold (Spot -Mumbai) Comex Gold MCX Gold (Apr’15) Unit Last Prev. day as on March 27, 2015 WoW MoM YoY $/oz 1198.8 -0.43 1.4 -0.8 Rs/10 gms 26500.0 -0.75 2.3 -0.4 -11.1 $/oz 1193.6 -0.52 0.5 -0.9 -7.8 Rs /10 gms 26569.0 -0.87 1.5 1.3 -7.0 -8.0 Source: Angel Broking interest bearing asset. Investors remained wary over gold's outlook, with continuing outflows from SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund. The fund's holdings fell 0.2 percent to 743.21 tonnes on Wednesday. Physical demand was also slowing, hit by the rally in prices. On today’s intra-day session gold prices to trade lower. Base Metal Base metals on the LME apart from Aluminium and Nickel traded higher last week owing to weaker dollar Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said rates would likely start rising later this year though she reinforced her point that the pace of tightening would be gradual and would depend a lot on data. However, concerns over China’s growth coupled with uncertainty in Greece restricted sharp gains. On the MCX, base metals except Aluminium and Nickel traded higher in line with international trends. Last week, LMEX hit its highest level since 12 Jan on Monday and then three metals spiked on Thursday. Yet the sector ended the week down 1% on average. Although gyrations of the USD and geopolitical tension (Yemen) played a role, Daily the price moves and divergence among metals showed once again that it is not always all about the macro picture. 4 Monday 30, March 2015 crude supplies. Crude prices had a blast last week as geopolitical tension in Middle-east region along Copper’s spike owed much to heavy rain in with fall in US Dollar and lesser than expected Chile, which now looks unlikely to have a large increase in US oil production drove prices impact on supply, while nickel’s losses owed higher. Crude prices had a blast last week as most to a growing sense that Indonesia will geo-political tension in Middle-east region ease its ore export ban (we still think not, but it along with fall in US Dollar and lesser than is a close call). The two key data releases in the expected increase in US oil production drove coming week are China’s NBS PMI and US NFPs. prices higher. Copper sharp upside was restricted after Crude oil registered strong weekly data showed that Chinese manufacturing performance though gains were trimmed activity swung into contraction this month, down by around 5% loss on Friday. Oil fell as underlining concerns over the health of the markets started looking at other supply related world's second largest economy. Also, orders variables excluding the problems going in the for durable goods unexpectedly dropped in Yemen region whereas speculation over the February, a sign the slowdown in global growth deal between Iran and western counterparts may be weighing on American manufacturers. too weighed the commodity. Oil commodity As per Angel Broking, LME Copper prices to recorded good gains in Thursday after Saudi trade lower today as Chile's Codelco, the world's Arabia said it did air strikes in Yemen along with No 1 copper producer, said it was gradually re- its Gulf Arab allies. Risk of supplies getting hit in opening mines in the north of the country that the region pushed prices higher internationally were closed on Wednesday due to heavy rains. and locally in India. However, on actual ground, Also, estimates of weakness in Pending Home investors note that total contribution from Sales data will exert pressure. Yemen on supply is almost negligible, just Among the other base metal update, Japan's matching 125,000 BPD last month as per data aluminium product demand, including for from Bloomberg against world supply of over 90 exports, is expected to grow 1.8 percent in the MBPD. Prices rise is backed by fears that Yemen financial year starting April 1, backed by rising being a major trade centre could see shipments demand for cans for coffee beverages and a getting hit. rebound in construction market, an industry body said on Friday. Energy Market Oil prices traded higher on both sides of the Atlantic with a U turn in WTI as well as Brent crude. Air strikes in Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies sparked fears that escalation of the Middle East battle could disrupt world Market Highlights - Crude Oil (% change) as on March 27, 2015 Crude Oil Unit Last Prev. day WoW MoM YoY Brent (Spot) $/bbl 56.3 -1.0 6.0 -9.2 -47.0 Nymex Crude (Apr’ 15) $/bbl 48.5 -0.9 2.1 -4.1 -52.3 ICE Brent Crude (Apr’15) $/bbl 56.4 -4.7 2.0 -6.1 -47.3 MCX Crude (Apr ’15) Rs/bbl 3152.0 -3.1 6.9 3.2 -47.8 Source: Angel Broking Daily Monday 30, March 2015 News & Report Analysis deliberate upon the need and his government's Modi may announce Rs 36k cr expansion plan for RSP of RSP on April 1," a source said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce a Rs 36,000-crore capacity expansion plan for SAIL's Rourkela steel plant when he inaugurates the modernised unit of the stateowned firm on April 1. During his maiden visit to the Odisha-based plant, where a Rs 12,000 crore modernisation and expansion programme has recently been completed to raise capacity to 4.5 million tonne per annum from 2 mtpa earlier, Modi may also unleash SAIL's "Vision-2025". Sources said SAIL has finalised its blueprint for future expansion which envisions raising the capacity of the company further to 50 mtpa by 2025 with an approximate investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore in sync with the country's plan to treble its installed capacity from 100 mtpa now. This is over and above the ongoing Rs 72,000 crore investment that will take its capacity to 23.46 mtpa from 13.8 mtpa now. This phase will be completed by the middle of the next year. "The Prime Minister is very hopeful of the potential that can be tapped in the iron and steel sector of the Eastern region. He may commitment to unfurl that potential in his speech after inaugurating the expanded facility As per Vision-2025, SAIL plans to enhance RSP's capacity further to 10.8 mtpa entailing a Rs 36,000 crore investment in the plant in Odisha. After completion of this phase, RSP will be SAIL's second largest after Bokaro. Work on the next phase of expansion will also immediately start. The state-run steel maker also plans to undertake further expansion in its two other integrated steel-making facilities in the eastern region taking the cumulative capacity to 25.8 mtpa taking into account company's plan to raise capacity of the Durgapur unit to 9.3 mtpa and IISCO at 5.7 mtpa. SAIL also plans to enhance capacity of its Bokaro unit to 14.1 mtpa and Bhilai's to 10.5 mtpa in its Vision-2025. RSP is the country's first integrated steel plant in the public sector. It was set up in 1960 with German collaboration. It is SAIL's only plant that produces silicon steels for power sector, pipes for the oil and gas sector and tin plates for the packaging industry. Among the new facilities that are installed as part of the RSP's modernisation and expansion plan in the current phase is a blast furnace, named "Durga", with a capacity of 4,060 cubic metres. 5 Daily Tata Steel notches 10 MTPA production milestone from single location Monday 30, March 2015 NMDC commissions 7-mtpa iron ore unit at Bailadila The National Mineral Development Tata Steel has achieved a milestone by Corporation (NMDC) has commissioned Bailadila producing 10 million tonne per annum (mtpa) of iron ore deposit 11B in Dakshin Bastar district of hot metal from a single location. In a statement Chhattisgarh on Sunday. This has a production issued on Saturday, the company said it has capacity of 7 million tonne per annum (MTPA). The become the first Indian plant to do so, adding corporation put an investment of Rs. 600 crore. that it was a significant achievement in its iron making journey which started in 1911. Starting from a capacity of only 0.16 mtpa ('A' With the launch of the new front, the production capacity of the corporation has gone up to 32 MTPA from 25 MTPA from Bailadila Sector. Blast Furnace) in 1911, the company today stands After inaugurating the project NMDC Chairman at 10 mtpa, a growth of 63 times in its production and Managing Director Narendra Kothari has said capacity since inception. that this was an important milestone in achieving The modernisation journey in 1992 began the dream of producing 100 mt of iron ore and with the commissioning of G Blast Furnace, which realising the nation’s dream of producing 300 increased the rated capacity from 2.4mtpa to 3.15 million tonnes of steel. mtpa. The working volumes of C, D and E Blast The new project has a 3.5-km long single flight Furnaces were also increased in the following regenerative downhill belt conveying system with years. The capacities of F and G blast furnaces horizontal and vertical curves, NMDC said here in a were augmented soon after from 0.6 mtpa to 1 statement on Sunday. mtpa and 1 mtpa to 1.8 mtpa, respectively. Meanwhile, the company has set a production The commissioning of H and I Blast Furnace target of 35 million tonne (mt) and sales target in 2008 and 2012, respectively, took Tata Steel's of 38 mt for 2015-16 and a three-fold increase in hot metal production to 2.5 mtpa and 3 mtpa, production by 2021-2022. respectively. The hot metal production in this The miner, which is in the process of phase (since 1992) took a quantum jump from diversifying into couple of new areas, including 2.4 mtpa to 10 mtpa. steel production, coal mining and manufacture of potash for fertilisers, through joint venture entities, is planning a major production boost targeting volumes of 65-75 mt by 2018-19 and 100 mt by 2021-22. Narendra Kothari, Chairman and Managing Director, NMDC, said that the sales target of 38 mt planned during 2015-16, includes 3 mt of iron ore produced during the current financial year. NMDC has recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Steel pertaining to its performance for 2015-16. 6 7 Monday 30, March 2015 Daily on imports of cold rolled flat product of stainless steel of chromium type, 400 Series to "protect the domestic producers against serious injury caused by the increased imports". However, DSG has said: "The applicant industry has presented no credible evidence to make out a case of serious injury. Furthermore, it has withheld crucial injury information on a number of factors apart from the fact that the facts presented in the Referring to the perspective plan for its growth application itself do not make out a case of serious and expansion, the NMDC CMD said that a Vision injury." The DSG order dated March 23 said that Document is being readied and is likely to be "injury" to JSL is not because of increase in imports completed by April-May and submitted to the but several internal factors like new plant set up in Government. The state owned iron ore major Odisha -- leading to high startup costs and excess will complete the construction of its 3-million capacity leading to extra inventory and sales at tonne per annum (mtpa) integrated steel plant at lower price. It further said that "India has already imposed Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh by 2016. “The plant is in an advanced stage of erection. anti- dumping duty on imports of Cold Rolled The erection will be completed by December 2016,” Flat Products of Stainless Steel - 400 series from Kothari, told mediapersons on the sidelines of the Korea RP, Thailand, China PR, EU, USA, South Africa Movement for Efficiency and Transparency (MET) and Taiwan". event held here recently by e-commerce company DSG's examination included written submissions from Maruti Suzuki, Hero Motocorp, mjunction services limited. The country’s largest iron-ore producer and Japan's Nippon Steel, Korean major POSCO and exporter is setting up the steel plant as part of its several government and industrial bodies of expansion, value addition and forward integration different nations from which India imports. programme. The project, coming up some 16 km The DSG order said that though the demand from Jagdalpur, would be set up with an estimated has gone up, domestic players could not increase Rs 15,525 crore outlay. production in spite of installing significant DGS rejects plea for safeguard duty on steel import capacities as a result of which imports surged. The Directorate General of Safeguards Aluminium park draws proposals for 11 units (Customs & Central Excise) has rejected a plea for The aluminium park at Angul being developed imposing safeguard duty on imported stainless jointly by navratna firm National Aluminium steel products saying there is no credible evidence Company (Nalco) and state owned Odisha to show that imports have hurt domestic players. Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation In November, Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL) made a plea to the watchdog for imposing safeguard duty (Idco) has received 11 proposals for establishment of downstream units. Daily Monday 30, March 2015 "The Industrial Promotion & Investment power and steel plants, and higher prices in spot Corporation of Odisha Ltd (Ipicol) and the Angul markets. Private companies that secured 16 District Industries Centre (DIC) have received 11 such mines during auction are yet to complete applications for setting up downstream units in the negotiations with previous owners of the blocks for aluminium park. A memorandum of understanding taking over the mine infrastructure and manpower. (MoU) has been signed between Nalco and Idco for A senior government official admitted that the aluminium park. For the park, 160 acres of land there will be stoppage of work at most mines for has been acquired," Jogendra Behera, minister, some time despite the government's best efforts. MSME (micro, small & medium enterprises) said in a written reply to the state assembly. "The procedural formalities would be done in some time. States are expected to play a proactive It may be noted that the department of industrial role in mines development as they have been policy and promotion (DIPP) under the Union incentivised with auction proceeds," the official ministry of commerce and industry has given final said, requesting anonymity. "Labour, contracts, nod for the aluminium park under the modified transfer of equipment, their valuation, and industrial infrastructure upgradation scheme negotiations between previous and new allottees (MIIUS). A sum of Rs 46 crore will be provided in are expected to take some time. The coal ministry four tranches for infrastructure development of could not have moved faster than this." the park. The hub is being developed by a special While private firms that won producing mines purpose vehicle (SPV) called Angul Aluminium got vesting orders facilitating takeover on March Park Private Ltd (AAPPL), with shareholding of 23, the staterun companies are yet to receive them. 50.50 per cent and 49.50 per cent between Idco All the companies have to sign fresh mining and Nalco respectively. It will come up over 450 leases with state governments and seek fresh acres of land, out of which 160 acres will be taken approvals for mine operation from the Director up for development in the first phase. General of Mines Safety. There are a number of A wide variety of industries using aluminium conductors, extrusions, castings, foils, powder other procedural formalities, pending which, mining at such blocks cannot continue. and paste can be set up at the aluminium park. Transfer of some mines and associated Nalco has already agreed to supply 50,000 tonne infrastructure also depends on the outcome of per annum (tpa) of molten metal for promoting cases in the Delhi High Court filed by previous downstream industries coming up in the complex. owners, seeking higher compensation for the Procedural formalities to halt output at 16 captive coal blocks assets deployed at the blocks. Production at captive coal blocks whose ownership has changed after the recent auctions will come to a halt for at least two months starting Wednesday, as the new owners are yet to complete procedural formalities for the takeover of mines. This could result in lesser fuel availability for 8
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