Share markets in India finished the day on a strong note on hopes of an interest rate cut ahead of RBI’s monetary policy. At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex closed higher by 199 points, whereas the NSE Nifty finished higher by 60 points. The S&P BSE Midcap and the S&P BSE Small Cap both finished up by 1.1% & 0.9% respectively. Barring metal stocks, all sectoral indices ended the day in green. Realty and FMCG stocks were among the top gainers on BSE.

ACC Ltd share price and Ambuja Cements share price rallied 4% & 5% respectively today as LafargeHolcim is mulling merger of the two companies. LafargeHolcim holds a 63% stake in Ambuja Cements and 50% stake in ACC. The merger had been on cards since 2013.

Asian markets finished higher today with shares in Hong Kong leading the region. The Hang Seng is up 0.95% while China’s Shanghai Composite is up 0.55% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 is up 0.31%. European markets are higher today with shares in London leading the region. The FTSE 100 is up 0.22% while France’s CAC 40 is up 0.27% and Germany’s DAX is up 0.1%.

The rupee was trading at Rs 67.21 against the US$ in the afternoon session. Oil prices were trading at US$ 53.89 at the time of writing.

Pharma stocks finished the day up by 1.3% with Sun Pharma being the most active stock (up 4.2%) on BSE. According to an article in a leading financial daily, Sun Pharma is recalling over 2.7 lakh bottles of bupropion hydrochloride extended-release tablets in the US due to failed dissolution specifications. The tablets are used for treatment of major depressive disorder.

As per the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Sun Pharma has recalled bottles of bupropion hydrochloride extended-release tablets, USP (SR) in the strengths of 150 mg and 200 mg. The tablets have been manufactured by Sun Pharma at its Halol plant in India.