Over 340 stocks from the BSE500 index have underperformed the benchmark index, which rose over 9 percent, in the first half of 2019.
Of this, 280 stocks gave negative returns as market sentiment remains exposed to the slowdown in the economy, concerns around liquidity woes for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and a slowdown in consumption on the domestic front. Political uncertainty due to the general elections in May 2019 also impacted sentiment.
Reliance Communications (RCom), Reliance Power, Reliance Infra, Jet Airways, Dewan Housing, Reliance Capital, Jain Irrigation, Jaiprakash Associate, HEG, Eveready Industries and Graphite India fell over 50 percent this year on increase in loan defaults and pledged shares.
PC Jeweller, Central Bank of India, Yes Bank, Glenmark Pharma, Venkys, IDBI Bank, IFCI, Shipping Corporation of India, Varroc Engineering, were some of the other stocks that slip between 30-50 percent in 2019.
Debt-ridden RCom tanked over 90 percent in the first half of this year. The company owes Rs 57,382.5 crore to debtors, including new entities, with the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) admitting claims worth Rs 49,223.88 crore, the company said in a filing. In Q4, it reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 7,767 crore as against a net loss of Rs 19,776 crore in the corresponding period of 2017-18.
Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) fell 70 percent on loan defaults resulting in rating downgrades. The non-banking finance company has been facing liquidity crisis and has recently defaulted on its repayment obligations. DHFL earlier this week said it will shortly divest its full stakes in subsidiary firms DHFL Pramerica Asset Managers and DHFL Pramerica Trustees.
Grounded Jet Airways declined 75 percent after the airline went bankrupt and the lessors took away most of its operational aircraft. The Naresh Goyal-led company grounded all its fleet and ended operations on April 17.
Among gainers, 33 BSE500 stocks rose over 30 percent in the first six months of this year. Aavas Financiers rose over 75 percent, while Adani Gas was up 68 percent and DCM Shriram added 67 percent. Godrej Properties, Just Dial, Info Edge, SRF, Manappuram Finance, AstraZeneca Pharma, Titan, Reliance Nippon AMC, Bajaj Finance, HDFC AMC, SpiceJet and Oberoi Realty also gained between 35-55 percent.
