Market Outlook: Indian markets are expected to open sharply lower

Market Outlook: Indian markets are expected to open sharply lower on the back of weak global cues. The crucial support on the downside for the Nifty is 5350 and resistance at 5440.

Global events to watch:

Þ ICSC-Goldman Store Sales

Þ Chicago PMI

Þ Consumer Confidence

Global indices Update @ 8:

Dow Jones : 10009 (- 140.9)

NASDAQ : 2119 (- 33.66)

Nikkei 225 : 8912 (- 236.9)

Hang seng : 20581 (- 156.0)

SGX CNX Nifty : 5386 (- 43.00)

INR / 1 USD : 46.84

Stocks in action for the day: HPCL, Gitanjali, DRL, Kingfisher, EIH, RIL, ONGC, PNB...

ONGC: -ONGC seeks details of Vedanta's Cairn India deal -Details sought to protect company's pre-emptive rights

Big positive for airline companies: Bankers say -RBI gives clearances to banks for restructuring aviation loans -Aviation loans to be treated as regular loans post restructuring -RBI has allowed restucturing of unsecured aviation loans -Banks to make same amount of provision as for regular restructured loans -Claim provisioning to be around 5-7% of Kingfisher's debt -Total debt of Kingfisher around Rs 7000 crore -Promoters can make upfront payment as loans, instead of equity -Under restructuring guidelines, promoters have to bring 15% upfront equity

L&T Finance IPO likely later this year: AM Naik: Larsen and Toubro recently concluded its annual general meeting, wherein, the company projected it long-term and short-term outlook. Talking about short-term outlook, AM Naik, Chairman and Managing Director, L&T said the revenue from the project at hands will start flowing in from the third quarter of 2010.

Kingfisher board meets today on GDR Issue

In T2T from September 3: Elder Healthcare, House of Pearls, Jagson Airways, Saregama India, Galaxy Entertainment

Pharmac to fund Dr Reddy's Quetiapine brand

Kwality Dairy board approves fund raising up to Rs 1000 crore via rights, QIP, GDR, FCCB (Market Cap: Rs.1351 crore)

Kalindee Rail : Bags order worth Rs 180 crore from Vedanta Group

Infosys plans extreme offshore model to tide over visa crisis – BS

M&M ends contract with US distributor to sell pick up trucks – BS

Gitanjali plans to acquire Italian Jewellery house – BS

JK Cement top brass held talks with Holcim for possible JV, acquisitions– DNA

HPCL to buy out 50% in Prize Petro JV and merge with itself – DNA

Cement price cut by Rs 2-4/kg in western India

Ex-Dates -GHCL : Ex-Dividend @ Rs 2/share -Radico Khaitan : Ex-Dividend @ Rs.0.6/share -Harrisons Maly : Ex-Scheme of Arrangement ((Demerger of Investment Undertaking of Harrisons Malayalam to Sentinel Tea and Exports, Ratio of Allotment in ratio of 1:1))

RIL buys 14.12% in EIH for Rs 10.21 bn Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries today said it has acquired 14.12% stake in EIH that runs the Oberoi brand of hotels and resorts, for Rs 10.21 billion. The purchase is through RIL`s wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Industries Investment and Holding, from Oberoi Hotels and certain other promoters of EIH, RIL said in a statement. ``RIL`s investment in EIH Limited has been made as the Oberoi family had developed the `OberoiHotels ` brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector and as a result EIH Limited has excellent future prospects,`` the statement said.

ONGC claims consent must for Cairn deal ONGC has indicated that it is ready to play hardball with Cairn Energy Plc over the sale of the Scottish oil explorers Indian unit, but the state-owned company declined to say if it is an interested buyer. On Monday,ONGC broke nearly a fortnight of official silence to say its consent is necessary for Cairn India to be sold to Vedanta Resources, invoking what it said were `pre-emptive rights` under agreements that Cairn has with it and the government. In a statement to the stock exchanges, ONGC said it has asked Cairn Energy to provide it `full details` and copies of all agreements related to the proposed transaction with Vedanta. The government, too, has insisted that it has the right to decide about approval for Vedanta’s plan to buy an up to 60% stake in Cairn India for as much as USD 9.6 billion (Rs 450 billion).

PNB, Union Bank hike deposit rates by upto 1% Two major public sector lenders, Union Bank of India and Punjab National Bank on Monday increased their term deposit rates by up to one percentage point depending on the maturity. Interest rate for deposits from 91 days to less than six months has been increased by 1% to 5.50% while for deposits of one year but less than two years` maturity has been increased by 0.25%, the bank said in a release issued here. Earlier in the day, Punjab National Bank hiked its deposit rates on two maturities by 25 basis points. The new rate for 180-270 days term deposit would be 6% from the existing 5.75% while 1-2 years fixed deposit would be 7%, the bank said in a statement.

Jindal Steel to re-bid for 70% in Zimbabwe`s Zisco Jindal Steel and Power plans to re-bid for a controlling stake in Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company, or Zisco, more than two months after the African company rejected the Delhi-based firm`s earlier bid. Jindal Steel renewed its offer after the Zimbabwe government recently invited fresh bids for selling 70% equity stake in the state-run Zisco which also owns iron ore reserves of 100 million tonnes. Worries over Zisco`s high debt of USD 300 million may be behind the second offer for a controlling stake sale, said people connected with the development.

Nalco scouts for buyouts to step up metal focus National Aluminium Company, or Nalco, has started the process to extend its metals business, by looking for prime buyout targets in copper, uranium and coal in Africa and Afghanistan, in a strategy aimed at insulating the company from price fluctuations in aluminum. Nalco - which has witnessed stiff employee opposition to any efforts to sell government stake - will also search for assets overseas that can convert its surplus alumina into aluminum metal, said a senior company executive. Electricity accounts for almost three-fourths of the total cost in an aluminum smelter.

Jubilant signs USD 33 mn contract with US co Drugmaker Jubilant Organosys said on Monday it has signed a long-term contract worth USD 33 mn with a US life sciences company for its custom research and manufacturing services (CRAMS) business. ``Going forward we continue to see strong traction in the CRAMS business and expect to sign few more contracts during the year which will further drive the momentum in revenues and profitability,`` it said in a press release.

Gitanjali Gems plans to acquire Italian jewellery house Gitanjali Gems, the country`s largest integrated diamond and jewellery manufacturer and retailer, plans to acquire a leading Italian jewellery house by the end of next month. ``We are looking to acquire 100 per equity in a leading Italian jewellery house, which has presence across Europe and Arabian markets. Talks are in an advanced stage and the final decision will be taken by the end of next month,`` said Chairman Mehul Choksi said. Gitanjali Gems runs over 130 retail jewellery shops in the US and 2,500 sales points in India.