GECs
Media and tech stocks set bourses on fire
Zoom. The stockmarket polevaulted today on a manic Monday which proved to the best in the past three months. The Bombay Stock Exchange sensitive index (BSE Sensex) ended firm at 3,322.77, up 70.57 points at the end of the day. The National Stock Exchange Nifty Index rose 21.60 points to end at 1,080.60.
Institutions went berserk as they went about picking selective counters and speculators ploughed into second rung media and tech stocks. Media and tech stocks were at the forefront. Infosys was the top gainer with a close to 10 per cent rise to Rs 3,910. The next highest climber was top media stock Zee Telefilms, which scampered up 9.8 per cent to Rs 132.80 till close of day. The reason: the buzz that Zee TV has offloaded equity to a foreign media major continues to add buoyancy to the stock, even though the company has denied the rumour outright. Additionally, Zee Telefilms advisor UBS Warburg has placed a buy recommendation on the stock, which has been fuelling the upward run, say market sources.
The market expects viewers to respond well to the mythological serials such as Ramayan and Mahabharat which are slated to launch soon on struggling mother channel Zee TV. Finally, the perception is that Zee Telefilms has successfully transitioned from a free to air to a pay TV regime.
Other media stocks also joined the party. Sri Adhikari Brothers skyrocketed 20 per cent to close at Rs 78, while Jain Studios zipped up 14 per cent closing at Rs 49. TV18 closed stronger by 12 per cent at Rs 98 while Pentamedia was up 10 per cent at Rs 70. Tips notched up gains of 8 per cent when trading ended, with its price at Rs 99. Saregama India went up 11.91 per cent to Rs 155. Cinevista Communications (Rs 46.10), Padmalaya Telefilms (Rs 106.50), Adlabs Films (Rs 56.30), Creative Eye (Rs 34.65), Mid-Day Multimedia (Rs 23.90), Pritish Nandy Communications (Rs 30.90), and Crest Communications (Rs 70.15) hit their individual upper limits of their circuit breakers.
On the tech front, software major Satyam Computers gained 5 per cent to close at Rs 224 while second line techs attracted considerable buying and closed with huge gains. Rs Software was up 16 per cent at Rs 60 while Visualsoft gained 15 per cent at its close of Rs 162. Polaris was up 15 per cent at Rs 148 while Aptech closed at Rs 79 with a gain of 12 per cent. Wipro gained 10 per cent at Rs 1,462.
Momentum stocks Global Tele and HFCL also notched up neat increases. Global Tele was up 4 per cent at Rs 123 while HFCL gained 6 per cent at its close of Rs 103.
While new economy stocks rose, old economy stocks such as FMCG declined with keen selling taking place.
Stockmarket sources say that the movement in certain new economy stocks can also be attributed to Ketan Parekh, who has supposedly become active again in his favourite stocks once again. Additionally, observers point out that the ripple effect of an Asian recovery in the wake of better tidings on Wall Street on Friday helped the Indian stockmarkets go up.
Asian bourses were singing with the Hang Seng index up by 69.65 points, Tokyo’s Nikkei up by 367 points to 11,064, Seoul’s Kospi by 29.38 points to 675. The Straits Times’ Index and Taipei’s Taiex also showed northward movements.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
