Maruti Suzuki stock on track for 5th consecutive loss

Maruti Suzuki stock on track for 5th consecutive lossStock in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) slipped further in early morning trade on Tuesday as concerns over the company's plan to source cars from Gujarat plant continued to hound investors.

Maruti Suzuki shares slipped as much as 2 per cent in morning session on Tuesday. As of 09.25 a. m., the stock was trading at a loss of 1.4 per cent at Rs 1,560 apiece. Maruti Suzuki was the top loser on Nifty.

The stock is on track for a fifth day of losses in a row as the company has failed to allay investors' concerns over Gujarat plant.

In January, the company announced an arrangement with its Japanese parent firm Suzuki Motor Corp under which MSIL will procure cars from the Gujarat plant, which will be erected by the parent firm at an investment of $488 million (around Rs 3,050 crore).

Investors are concerned that the arrangement between MSIL and its Japanese parent firm will hurt minority shareholders.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) yesterday notified that the foreign share holding in MSIL by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) reached the trigger limit of 22 per cent. Thus, any further purchase of equity shares of the company would be permitted only after receiving the central bank's prior approval.

MSIL is the county's biggest car manufacturer. In February, it sold 1.09 lakh units of cars, up from 1.02 lakh units in previous month. Domestic sales jumped from 96,569 units to 99,758 units; while exports soared from 5,847 units to 9,346 units.