Market Close Highlights : Sensex ends up 560pts, Nifty at 22,330; Broader market, PSU Bank, Cons., Pharma, Health gain

Sensex Today Live : The Indian benchmark indices climbed for the second straight session on on Monday, as market sentiment improved with investors' shifting focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to company earnings and data scheduled for release that could indicate the timing of US Federal Reserve's rate cut timeline.

Sensex, which had opened higher at 73,666.51, climbed to a high of 73,728.18 during intraday trades. At close, the Sensex was up 560.29 points, or 0.77%, at 73,648.62.

Meanwhile, the Nifty 50, which had also opened up at 22,336.90, touched a high of 22,337.10 during intraday trades. At close, it was up 189.40 points, or 0.86%, at 22,336.40.

Only three stocks, NTPC, JSW Steel, and HDFC Bank, out of the 30 on the BSE Sensex ended in the red, while Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, SBI and UltraTech Cement were the top gainers of the day.

Meanhwhile, only five stocks, NTPC, HDFC Bank, JSW Steel, IndusInd Bank, and Bajaj Auto on the 50-stock Nifty 50 closed in the red, while Tata Steel ended flat, and Tata Consumer Products, BPCL, Larsen & Toubro, Eicher Motors, and Shriram Finance, were the top gainers for the day.

The broader market outperformed the benchmark indices, with the BSE SmallCap index closing up 1.26%, and the BSE MidCap index up closing 0.93%.

Also, all the sectoral indices closed in the green on Monday, with the PSU Bank index gaining the most, up 3.07%%, followed by the Consumer Durables index, up 2.40%.

That apart, the Pharma index closed up 1.30%, followed by the Healthcare index, which closed up 1.08%, and Auto and FMCG indices, which closed up 0.94% and 0.84%. The Bank and Financial services indices closed up 0.74%, and 0.72%, respectively, while the IT and Oil & Gas indices closed up 0.51%, and 0.49%, respectively.

Sensex Today Live : All the sectoral indices were in the green, with the PSU Bank index gaining the most, up 2.96%, followed by the Consumer Durables index, up 2.36%.

That apart, the Pharma index was up 1.19%, followed by the Healthcare index, which was up 0.97%, and Auto and FMCG indices, which were up 0.87% and 0.79%. The Bank and Financial services indices were up 0.69%, and 0.71%, respectively, while the IT and Oil & Gas indices were up 0.41%, each.

Sensex Today Live : The broader market was outperforming the benchmark indices, with the BSE SmallCap index up 1.23%, and the BSE MidCap index up 0.89%.

Sensex Today Live : Only six stocks, NTPC, HDFC Bank, JSW Steel, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Auto and Tata Steel, on the 50-stock Nifty 50 were in the red, while BPCL, Eicher Motors, Tata Consumer Products, Larsen & Toubro, and Shriram Finance, were the top gainers. 

Sensex Today Live : Only five stocks, NTPC, HDFC Bank, JSW Steel, IndusInd Bank, and Tata Steel, out of the 30 on the BSE Sensex were in the red, while Larsen & Toubro, Axis Bank, UltraTech Cement, and Wipro, were the top gainers. 

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At 3 pm, Sensex was up 471.09 points, or 0.64%, at 73,559.42, and Nifty was up 170.55 points, or 0.77%, at 22,317.55.

Sensex Today Live : What does a sum of ₹70,000 entail? It could cover a month's lease for a 3-BHK in South Delhi or a 1-BHK in Mumbai. However, this amount might not suffice for even a single night's accommodation in certain hotels. Consider the current scenario in most five-star resorts across the country, such as AmanBagh, a vast estate tucked away in Ajabgarh, a remote area in Rajasthan's Alwar district. Even with advanced planning, a night's stay during the summer peak would cost at least ₹70,000, excluding taxes. During the holiday season, the same room's rate escalates to as much as ₹85,000 plus taxes, a significant increase from its pre-pandemic price.

The past two years have seen a prosperous period for Indian hospitality firms. Hotel prices have skyrocketed, and occupancy rates have also returned to levels higher than those before the pandemic, thanks to a boost in domestic tourism demand. (Read the full story here.)

Sensex Today Live : Central Bank of India informed the exchanges on Friday that it will offer mutual fund product to its customers in partnership with Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC.

In an exchange filing, the company said, "We would like to inform that our Bank has entered into a distributorship Agreement with Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited (ABSLAMC) for distribution of their Mutual Fund Products to its customers on Do it yourself (DIY) model".

Sensex Today Live : Lloyds Engineering today informed the exchanges that it has secured of significant orders for naval equipment.

In an exchange filing, the company said, the orders, valued at over ₹81 crore, encompass ship steering gears system and ship stabiliser systems, and are slated for execution over the course of three years.

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At 2 pm, Sensex was up 382.69 points, or 0.52%, at 73,471.02, and Nifty was up 141.15 points, or 0.64%, at 22,288.15.

Sensex Today Live : Adani Green Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of the Adani Group, is on the verge of securing $400-500 million in funding from a minimum of two funds based in Europe, according to sources familiar with the transaction.

The Adani family, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, along with their associates, own a 53.67% stake in Adani Green Energy, which is the group's second-largest subsidiary and has a market capitalization exceeding ₹2.8 trillion. To raise the required funds, the company is expected to issue new shares equivalent to approximately 1.5% of its current stake, based on its present market price. (Read the full story here.)

Sensex Today Live : The stock markets are mirroring the growing influence of small and mid-sized firms as they reap the benefits of an annual GDP growth of 7.0-7.5%. This is the reason for the shift in market structure—15 years ago, the Nifty 50 companies represented 80% of the total market cap, but their share has now declined to 50-55%, particularly after the pandemic. The market cap of the remaining companies has risen, filling this gap, according to A. Balasubramanian, MD & CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC. He further notes that the initial results of top companies are marginally surpassing analyst predictions, which should maintain market optimism. (Read edited excerpts here.)

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At 1 pm, Sensex was up 314.66 points, or 0.43%, at 73,402.99, and Nifty was up 127.70 points, or 0.58%, at 22,273.70.

Sensex Today Live : Rating: BUY | CMP: ₹3,707 | TP: ₹4,100

Over FY24-26E we see healthy core income CAGR of 17.0% led by higher than industry equity growth. Stock is trading at 35x on FY26E core EPS. We maintain multiple at 39x but increase TP to Rs4,100 from ₹3,900 due to slight upgrade in earnings and increase in CPS. Retain BUY.

Sensex Today Live : HDFC Bank Rating: BUY

Target Price : ₹1,889

Upside : 23%

CMP : ₹1,531 (as on 19 April 2024)

HDFC Bank’s Q4 earnings were characterized by a few one-offs: a) transaction gains of ₹73.4 billion from stake sale in HDFC Credilla, b) ₹15 billion staff ex-gratia payment and c) floating provisions of ₹109 billion (to prop balance sheet). Adjusted for these, earnings were broadly steady.

Surprisingly, HDFCB has been able to improve NIMs (4bps QoQ) even on lower LDR and improvement in LCR, largely given yield tweak across the loan portfolio.

While deposit growth surprised – up 7.5% QoQ – monitor sustained momentum given this was partially attributable to year-end run. FY25 may be characterized by the nature of balance sheets & deposit franchises.

Valuation: Upgrade to BUY; TP unchanged at ₹1,889

Once known for consistency, HDFCB has seen it all – Covid, management transition, RBI ban, merger pangs. While merger challenges are close to bottom out, it lacks positive triggers. That said, it has corrected >6% post our downgrade (report dated 20 September 2023 Not so smooth after all) and risk-reward seems favorable even as near-term time correction may play through (till investors find merit in execution). So, upgrade to Buy from Accumulate with unchanged TP of ₹1,889.

Sensex Today Live : All sectoral indices were in the green, with gains led by PSU Bank, Consumer Durables, and Healthcare.

Sensex Today Live : The broader market was outperforming the benchmark indices, with the SmallCap index up 1.40%, and the BSE MidCap index up 0.99%. 

Sensex Today Live : Only five stocks, NTPC< HDFC Bank, JSW Steel, ITC, and ONGC, were in the red on the 50-stock Nifty 50, while BPCL, EIcher Motors, Tata Consumer Products, SBI Life and Wipro, were the top gainers. 

Sensex Today Live : Out of 30, only four stocks, NTPC, HDFC Bank, JSW Steel, and ITC, were in the red, while Axis Bank, Wipro, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, and UltraTech Cement, were the top gainers. 

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At 12 pm, Sensex was up 446.62 points, or 0.61%, at 73,534.95, and Nifty was up 158.45 points, or 0.72%, at 22,305.45.

Sensex Today Live : Private sector lender ICICI Bank on Friday, 19 April, said it is looking at raising funds via debt securities. The company, in an exchange filing, said the board will take up the matter on 27 April.

"We wish to inform you that the Board of the Bank at its meeting scheduled on April 27, 2024, will consider, the following fundraising by way of issuance of debt securities including by way of non-convertible debentures in domestic markets by way of the private placement and issuance of bonds/notes/offshore certificate of deposits in overseas markets; and buyback of debt securities within the limits that the Board is authorised to approve under applicable law," the lender said in a regulatory filing.

Sensex Today Live : On Sunday, Persistent Systems announced a 25.36% year-on-year (YoY) increase in net profit, reaching ₹315.3 crore for the quarter ending March 2024. The company's consolidated revenue for Q4FY24 also saw a rise, with a 14.9% YoY growth to ₹2,590 crore. In USD terms, this translates to a 13.2% YoY increase to $310.89 million.

The total contract value (TCV) of orders booked for the quarter ending on March 31, 2024, stood at $447.7 million, while the annual contract value (ACV) was at $316.8 million.

For the financial year 2023-24, the Board of Directors of Persistent Systems proposed a final dividend of ₹10 per share, based on a face value of ₹5 per share. This proposed dividend is pending approval from the members at the upcoming Annual General Meeting, as per the company's exchange filing.

Sensex Today Live : Pavna Industries, one of India’s leading automotive parts manufacturers, announced today that it has signed an agreement with OLA Electric to supply ignition switches and latches.

Under this agreement, Pavna Industries will provide high-quality ignition switches and latches to OLA Electric across its manufacturing plants in India, the company said in its exchange filing.

Sensex Today Live : For the quarter ending March 2024, Wipro reported a consolidated net profit of ₹2,834.6 crore, marking a 5.2% growth from the previous quarter. However, the revenue from IT services saw a slight dip of 0.3%, amounting to ₹22,079.6 crore. The EBIT for the same period rose by 2.2% QoQ to ₹3,619.5 crore, with a margin expansion of 40 bps, reaching 16.4% in Q4FY24, surpassing analysts' predictions.

In terms of dollars, the IT services revenue saw a marginal increase of 0.1% QoQ, amounting to $2,657.4 million for the quarter. However, when adjusted for constant currency, the revenue saw a slight decrease of 0.3% QoQ. For Q1FY25, Wipro anticipates revenue to be in the range of $2,617- $2,670 million.

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At 11 am, Sensex was up 343.84 points, or 0.47%, at 73,432.17, and Nifty was up 129.65 points, or 0.59%, at 22,276.65.

Sensex Today Live : Welspun Corp today informed the exchanges that it has bagged order totalling ₹872 crore since 22 March, when it made its last disclosure. In an exchange filing, the company said, "We are pleased to announce the receipt of multiple line pipe orders, both in India & USA, cumulatively valued at ~ ₹872 Crores since our last disclosure made on 22nd March, 2024".

The company said that among these orders, one is for the supply of Concrete Coated LSAW Pipes and Bends for a critical oil transportation project in the Middle East. It added that the execution of these orders will be during FY25.

Sensex Today Live : Hinduja Global Solutions today informed the exchanges that CelerityX, the enterprise networking solutions business of OneOTT Intertainment Ltd, a subsidiary of Hinduja Global Solutions, announced the launch of OneX, a unified network-as-a-service solution covering network management, security, and LAN-side control solution.

The company also announced the deployment of OneX to tackle the connectivity challenges faced by cooperative credit societies in Maharashtra. Through a strategic partnership with Maharashtra State Cooperative Credit Societies Federation (MAFCOCS), it aims to enable secure and high uptime banking connectivity for over 40,000 branches in the state, with the potential to serve over 100,000 branches nationwide, the company said.

Sensex Today Live : Star Cement informed the exchanges today that it has started commercial production at its new clinker line at Lumshnong, Meghalaya, with a capacity of 3.3 MTPA.

In an exchange filing, the company said, "We are pleased to inform you that the Company has successfully commenced commercial production today i.e. April 21, 2024, from its’ New Clinker Line of 3.3 MTPA Capacity situated at Lumshnong, Meghalaya".

Sensex Today Live : Vikas Lifecare today informed the exchanges that it has secured significant orders for its Agro Products Division.

The division has bagged an order for rice, valued at about ₹50 crore. Of this, ₹40 crore are attributed to premium rice varieties, while the remaining ₹10 crore represents orders for organic breeds of rice, the company said in its exchange filing.

Sensex Today Live : Zydus Lifesciences informed the exchanges today that it has launched Mirabegron Extended-Release Tablets, 25 mg in the US market.

The company had earlier received final approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Mirabegron Extended-Release Tablets USP 25 mg and 50 mg, the company said.

Zydus is among the first suppliers to launch the generic version of Mirabegron Extended-Release Tablets, USP 25 mg in the US market and is prepared to launch Mirabegron Extended-Release Tablets, 50mg imminently, the company added.

Mirabegron is indicated for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency and urinary frequency. The drug will be manufactured at the group’s formulation manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad SEZ, India.

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At 10 am, Sensex was up 228.8 points, or 0.31%, at 73,317.13, and Nifty was up 84.95 points, or 0.38%, at 22,231.95.

BankNifty produced a strong bullish candle, regaining from 46,600 levels to end on a positive note near the 47,600 zone, moving above the important 50EMA level of 47,180 zone, and with sentiment a little bit improved, we can expect further rises. Bankex has closed above 100 DMA and holds the level of 52,500, which is a 0.886% retracement of its recent rise. A decisive close above the 54,300 level will confirm the positive bias. Banknifty would have a daily range of 47,000–48,100 levels, with Bankex support at 53,000 and resistance at 54,300 levels.

Sensex Today Live : Nifty opened with a bearish outlook near the 21,800 zone, almost with a double bottom formation, and recovered strongly to move past the significant 50EMA level of the 22,110 zone to improve the bias and sentiment to some extent. With volatility still expected, the index needs to move decisively past the 22,350 zone to establish conviction and anticipate a further rise in the coming days. Sensex also recovered strongly after opening lower and closing above the 20 DMA level of 73,500, which will improve the bias. The support for the week is seen at 72,400/22,000 levels, while the resistance is seen at 73,800/22,350 levels.

Sensex Today Live : Suraj Estate Developers informed the exchanges today that it has acquired a freehold plot of land measuring 1,073.42 square meters situated off Lady Jamshedji Road, Mahim (West), Mumbai for a total consideration of ₹33.10 crore.

The company said it is a redevelopment project which entails redevelopment of 7 tenants/occupants who have vacated their respective premises and the plot is rendered vacant. After deducting the FSI required for rehabilitating the said tenants / occupants of the property and surplus area to be handed over to MHADA, the estimated balance carpet area available for sale is about 2,787 square meters (30,000 sq. ft.) with a GDV of Rs. 120 crores, the company said in its exchange filing.

Sensex Today Live : Escorts Kubota today informed the exchanges that it will be increasing the prices of its tractors from 1 May, 2024. in an exchange filing, the company said, "Escorts Kubota Limited – Agri Machinery Business Division, shall be increasing the prices of its tractors effective 1st May 2024 onwards. The increase in prices would vary across models/variants and geographies".

Sensex Today Live : The Securities and Exchange Board of India has rejected three candidates proposed by Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) for the position of a new chief executive. This role will be vacant from May 10 when the current leader concludes his five-year term. Instead, Sebi has instructed MCX to recommence the selection process and make temporary arrangements to manage the exchange after Padala Subbi Reddy steps down as the managing director and CEO next month. In other news, MCX has permitted Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) - including individuals, family offices, and corporates - to participate in oil and natural gas derivatives, which constituted 77% of MCX's turnover in March. This decision, effective immediately, coincides with a surge in global energy derivatives activity.

Sensex Today Live : The company, on Friday, 19 April, disclosed a 6% QoQ surge in its consolidated net profit, which amounted to ₹310 crore for Q4FY24, compared to ₹294 crore in the previous quarter. The company's consolidated PAT for FY24 was ₹1,605 crore. In the fourth quarter of FY24, Jio's standalone PAT rose to ₹78 crore, up from ₹71 crore in the preceding quarter. The standalone PAT for the entire fiscal year FY24 was ₹383 crore. Jio's total ex-dividend income escalated to ₹418.1 crore, a slight increase from ₹413.6 crore in the previous quarter. In the fourth quarter, Jio's interest income was ₹280.7 crore, marking an increase from ₹269 crore in the third quarter. The company's revenue saw a minor increase to ₹418 crore from ₹414 crore in the December quarter.

Sensex Today Live : All the sectoral indices were in the green, with PSU Bank, and Consumer Durables the biggest gainers.

Sensex Today Live : The broader market were outperforming the benchmark indices, with the BSE SmallCap index up 1.16%, and the BSE MidCap index up 0.93%. 

Sensex Today Live : Only two stocks, HDFC Bank and ONGC, out of the 50 stocks on the Nifty were in the red, while BPCL, UltraTech Cement, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, and Kotak Mahindra, were the top gainers.

Sensex Today Live : Only three stocks out of the 30 were in the red, with Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, UltraTech Cement, Larsen & Toubro, and ICICI Bank, emerging as the top gainers, while HDFC Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Reliance Industries, were the drags. 

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices opened in the green on Monday, as investors' shifted focus from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

At opening bell, Sensex was up 344.29 points, or 0.47%, at 73,432.62, and Nifty was up 150.75 points, or 0.68%, at 22,297.75.

Sensex Today Live : Indian benchmark indices were green at pre-open on Monday, as focus shifted from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

Sensex was up 582.99 points, or 0.80%, at 73,671.32, and Nifty was up 189.90 points, or 0.86%, at 22,336.90 during pre-open.

Sensex Today Live : The mining investment division of Abu Dhabi's most prestigious firm has proposed to acquire a controlling interest in Vedanta Resources' Zambian copper properties, according to two sources privy to the situation. This move is part of their ambition to establish a copper mining stronghold in Africa.

Recently, the International Holding Company's subsidiary made a bid exceeding $1 billion to purchase a 51% share in Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), owned by Indian tycoon Anil Agarwal's Vedanta, as per the sources.

The subsidiary, International Resources Holding (IRH), is swiftly expanding its emerging copper mining operations in Zambia. This follows their acquisition of a 51% stake in Mopani Copper Mines in a transaction valued at $1.1 billion. Last month, IRH announced its intention to bid for a stake in Lubambe Copper Mine, currently owned by EMR Capital and up for sale.

This flurry of deals is part of a broader initiative by the oil-rich nations of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia to secure essential metal resources from Africa. This strategy could also facilitate their involvement in the shift towards green energy.

Sensex Today Live : Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Adani Green, Jio Financial, MCX, are a few stocks likely to be in focus on Monday, April 22.

Sensex Today Live : The Indian equity indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are anticipated to commence Monday's trading session on a positive note, mirroring the upward trend in Asian markets despite varied global indicators. The Gift Nifty trends also suggest a gap-up opening for the Indian benchmark index, trading around the 22,240 level, nearly 110 points premium from the previous close of Nifty futures.

Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities, noted that the current chart pattern indicates a formation of a bullish piercing line type candle pattern, signaling a short-term bottom reversal for the market. The Nifty maintained support around 21,750 levels, close to the previous swing low of March 20th, suggesting a potential double bottom type formation. After breaking below the lower end of the channel at 22,000 levels, the Nifty regained the lost ground and closed above that support on Friday. (Read the full story here.)

Sensex Today Live : The Indian equity indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are projected to commence trading on a positive note on Monday, influenced by the upward trend in Asian markets despite mixed global indicators. Last week, while Asian markets experienced a surge, the US stock market concluded on a lower note due to geopolitical tensions inducing risk-aversion.

This week, the focus will be on China's loan prime rates and new data from Japan and South Korea. On the previous Friday, the Indian stock market indices broke a four-day losing streak and closed with substantial gains. The Sensex surged by 599.34 points or 0.83%, closing at 73,088.33, while the Nifty 50 increased by 151.15 points or 0.69%, settling at 22,147.00.

Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, stated that the markets are expected to experience volatility within a wider range due to contrasting cues. Negative factors include the escalation of geopolitical tension in the Middle East, hawkish comments from the US Fed, and selling by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), which are causing investor unease. On the other hand, the anticipation of robust earnings from index heavyweights and buying at lower levels demonstrate market strength. The primary focus this week will be on the earnings season and global cues. (Read the full story here.)

Sensex Today Live Updates : Markets in India were likely to open on a positive note as focus shifted from the easing tensions between Israel and Iran to the company earnings.

Benchmark indices were also likely to open in the green, with the Gift Nifty trading at 22,273 at 8:30 am, more than 100 points ahead of Nifty 50's Friday close of 22,147.

The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed sharply lower on Friday and Treasury yields dipped as investors juggled lackluster earnings, uncertainties surrounding central bank policy and geopolitical strife.

Gold and crude oil prices advanced as market participants kept an uneasy eye on unfolding turmoil in the Middle East.

The Dow was the lone gainer among the three major U.S. equity indexes, while the Nasdaq, weighed down by megacap tech and tech-related momentum stocks, slid 2.05%.

The session marked six straight daily declines for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, the longest losing streak since October 2022.

The S&P 500 and the Dow registered their steepest weekly percentage losses since March 2023, while the Nasdaq saw its largest weekly drop since November 2022.

Mounting tensions in the Middle East appeared to plateau after Tehran downplayed Israel's retaliatory drone strike against Iran, a move that seemed geared toward averting regional escalation.

While first-quarter reporting season is still in its early stages, expectations have dimmed. Analysts now see aggregate S&P 500 earnings growth of 2.9% year-on-year, down from the 5.1% estimate on April 1, according to LSEG.

Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said on Friday that the Fed's restrictive policy is "appropriate" given economic strength and the slower-than-expected process of bringing inflation down closer to its 2% target.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 211.02 points, or 0.56%, to 37,986.4, the S&P 500 lost 43.89 points, or 0.88%, to 4,967.23 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 319.49 points, or 2.05%, to 15,282.01.

European shares touched their lowest level in more than a month but closed well off their intraday trough as anxieties over strife in the Middle East eased and solid earnings provided some support.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 0.08% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 0.84%.

Emerging market stocks lost 1.30%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed 1.61% lower, while Japan's Nikkei lost 2.66%.

Crude oil prices dipped earlier as supply concerns eased. U.S. crude rose 0.50% to settle at $83.14 per barrel, while Brent settled at $87.29 per barrel, up 0.21% on the day.

Gold advanced, putting the safe-haven metal on track for its fifth straight weekly gain. Spot gold added 0.4% to $2,386.49 an ounce.