Stock market today: The NSE Nifty 50 declined 0.04% to 24,610.05 points, whilst the BSE Sensex remained unchanged at 81,510.05. Following three consecutive weeks of gains until Friday, the Nifty 50 has maintained a tight trading range of under 170 points.
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After a significant downturn, smallcap stocks are making a comeback, rising by 2% recently. Analysts remain cautious, debating if it's a genuine recovery or a temporary rise. Smallcap companies struggled with Q3 earnings, and foreign institutional investors’ outflows further impacted the market. Despite challenges, some see a long-term opportunity in strong management companies. The upcoming weeks will be crucial in determining the market's direction.
Jefferies recommends a 10-12% increase in government capex in the 2025-26 Union Budget to maintain infrastructure development and boost stakeholder confidence. Despite a 16% rise in FY25 capex, actual spending lagged, requiring a 32% surge in the remaining months of FY25. Defence spending is projected to grow at a 7-8% CAGR, driven by domestic manufacturing and exports.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recommends reducing excise duty on fuel and lowering personal income tax rates to boost consumption and tackle inflation. CII also suggests increasing benefits and unit costs under key government schemes like MGNREGS and PM-KISAN, and introducing consumption vouchers for low-income groups to stimulate demand.
India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed a staggering 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore between January and November 2024. UPI's global reach now extends to seven countries, solidifying India's position as a leader in digital payments. October saw a record 16.6 billion UPI transactions, highlighting its transformative impact on the nation's financial landscape.
The Reserve Bank of India has lifted the restrictions on Asirvad Micro Finance and DMI Finance, effective immediately, following their corrective measures and compliance with regulatory guidelines. The restrictions had been placed on 21 October last year, preventing them from sanctioning and disbursing loans.
NPCI extends the deadline for PhonePe and Google Pay to lower their market share in UPI by two years, lifting the onboarding limit for WhatsApp. Despite new players, PhonePe and Google Pay dominate the market. NPCI aims to avoid single-point failure risk and supports diverse UPI app growth.
RBI supersedes Aviom India Housing Finance's board over governance concerns and payment defaults, following National Housing Bank's recommendation. Former Punjab National Bank GM Ram Kumar is appointed as administrator, and RBI will seek to appoint him as insolvency resolution professional via NCLT. Audits revealed fraudulent transactions and governance lapses, sparking RBI's intervention.
Indian stock markets tumbled on Thursday, with Sensex closing below 80,000 and Nifty below 24,000 for the first time since late November. The sell-off, driven by hawkish US Fed statements and foreign fund outflows, wiped out Rs 3.8 lakh crore in investor wealth. Selling pressure was broad-based, with ICICI Bank, Reliance, and HDFC Bank leading the decline.
The UK pledged £20 billion ($26 billion) on Sunday to help exporters including those affected by US tariffs, as President Donald Trump's sweeping stop-start import taxes roil global markets. Britain's finance ministry said the move would expand the UK's export finance package by £20 billion to a total of £80 billion, with "thousands of UK businesses affected by tariffs set to benefit."
Public sector banks (PSBs) in India have seen their gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio fall to a historic low of 3.1% as of September 2024. This improvement is attributed to the 4R strategy, recapitalization efforts, and reforms. PSBs' profitability has surged, with net profits reaching ₹1.4 lakh crore in FY24.