Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Market wide circuit breaker for Jan-Mar quarter

MUMBAI: Bombay Stock Exchange has set out the index based market wide circuit breaker for the January-March quarter. The system is applicable at three stages of the index movement either way--at 10 per cent, 15 per cent and 20 per cent, and brings about a coordinated halt in trading in all equity and equity derivative markets nationwide.

The circuit breakers would be triggered by movement of either the Sensex or National Stock Exchange’s S&P CNX Nifty, whichever is breached earlier.

In case of a 10 per cent movement of either of these indices, there would be a 1-hour market halt if the movement takes place before 1 pm. If the movement takes place at or after 1 pm but before 2.30 pm, trading will halt for half an hour. In case 10 per cent circuit is hit after 2.30 pm, there will be no trading halt and the market will continue trading.

In case of a 15 per cent movement of either index, there will be a two-hour market halt if the movement takes place before 1 pm. If the 15 per cent trigger is reached on or after 1 pm but before 2 pm, there will be one hour halt. If the 15 per cent trigger is reached on or after 2 pm the trading will halt for the remainder of the day.

The percentages are calculated on the closing index value of the quarter. These percentages are translated into absolute points of index variations. At the end of each quarter, these absolute points of index variations are revised and made applicable for the next quarter.

On December 31, 2007, the last trading day of the quarter, the Sensex closed at 20286.99 points. The absolute points of Sensex variation (over the previous day's closing) which would trigger market wide circuit breaker for any day in the quarter between January 1 and March 31 would be as under:

No comments: