Market sees fourth straight session of losses on P-Note worries:

The market posted losses for the fourth straight day, on sustained selling pressure triggered by worries that official attempts to moderate FII inflows would see foreigners pull out funds. The market declined sharply in first half of the trading session, but recovered some ground on value buying coupled with short covering at lower level later. Intense volatility was the hallmark of the day’s session, with the market swinging sharply. European markets and Asian markets were trading lower today, 19 October 2007.

FII selling hit the bourses for the third day in a row today following market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India's proposals to clamp down FII inflow through the participatory notes (PN) route.

After trading hours on Tuesday, 16 October 2007, Securities & Exchange Board of India issued draft proposals wherein the market regulator proposed restriction on use of the popular participatory notes (PNs) route of FII inflow and it also recommended unwinding of some PNs within 18 months. PNs are financial instruments used by foreign investors that are not registered with Sebi, to invest in Indian shares. FIIs and their sub-accounts buy Indian securities and then issue PNs to foreign investors with these securities as the underlying.

Given the large scale of the aggregate PN holding relative to new flows, even a partial unwinding of positions can put considerable pressure on stocks such as Reliance Energy, Reliance Petroleum, ONGC, IndiaBulls Financials, IndiaBulls Real Estate and Axis Bank which have had a significant run-up in the past few weeks or have high share of PN in their foreign holding, brokerage CLSA said in a recent note.

Further, analysts reckon that with restriction on participatory notes, the near term FII inflow may be affected given that the participatory notes contributed substantially to FII inflows on the bourses over the past few months and it will take some time for the FIIs currently using the PN route to get registered with the market regulator.

Franklin Templeton Investment (FTI), which operates one of the leading mutual funds in India, however, feels that inflow to India from long-term global investors will not be impacted due to these measures given that India’s economic and corporate fundamentals remain robust.

Volatility is expected to remain high for in coming few days ahead of expiry of October 2007 derivatives contracts on Thursday, 25 October 2007.

Meanwhile, the finance minister P Chidambaram said after market hours on 18 October 2007 that Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) can extend the 18-month window allowed for winding down of participatory notes already issued with derivatives as the underlying. Sebi will decide on 25 October 2007 on new rules to limit the use of offshore derivatives to invest in Indian stocks. He added that motivated rumours by Mumbai broker circles had brought down the stock market 18 October 2007.
Source:Capital Market