Press Room
Boosted by Bombay - Indian LSE stocks triple in 2009
In 2009, the share prices of Indian companies listed on the
London Stock Exchange (LSE) dramatically outperformed both the AIM
All-Share and the FTSE 100 according to the latest India
Watch, a quarterly review by the leading business and financial
adviser Grant Thornton.
The India
Watch index has soared by 212% in 2009, following a 23% rise in
the final quarter of 2009. In comparison, the AIM All-Share only
recorded gains of 66% in 2009, while the FTSE 100 has seen a modest
22% rise in the last twelve months.
"Indian stocks have soared leading our India Watch Index to end the
year more than 3 times higher than it was at the start of 2009.
This interest in London-listed Indian stocks parallels the
enthusiasm for the Bombay Stock Exchange, where the Sensex gained
81% in 2009. While the Sensex benefited from US$18 billion of
capital inflows by foreign funds, London-listed Indian stocks have
been boosted by their Bombay-listed sector peers," commented
Anuj Chande, Head of South Asia Group at Grant Thornton.
The index has also outperformed other indices in previous years:
Since its inception in 2007, the India Watch price index has gained
57%. By contrast, the AIM All-Share lost 38% over the last two
years, while the FTSE 100 recorded a 13% loss.
"Investor enthusiasm for Indian companies is further fanned by the
country's unrivalled growth of gross domestic product, which is
likely to amount to at least 7% for 2009/2010 in spite of the
global economic downturn."
The best performing India Watch stocks in 2009 were Naya Bharat
Property, OPG Power Ventures and Vedanta Resources with price
increases of 251%, 338% and 327% respectively. The best performers
vary dramatically in size: Vedanta Resources is the largest firm in
India Watch with a market capitalization of £7.1 billion at the
closing price of 2611 pence per share. OPG Power Ventures is in the
mid range with a value of £258 million at the closing price of 90
pence per share, while Naya Bharat Property is at the lower end of
the spectrum with its closing price of 24 pence per share
translating to a market capitalisation of £21.4 million.
For further information, please contact:
Alex Wessendorff, Grant Thornton Press Office, T +44 (0)20 7728
2048, M +44 (0) 7983 990837, E Alex.Wessendorff@gtuk.com