The Economic Times

Jio Platforms is eyeing a staggering valuation of Rs 10 lakh crore for its upcoming IPO, sparking heated debates among analysts on whether to pursue Jio or Reliance Industries shares. The IPO holds the potential for investors to capitalize on India's booming digital economy, focusing specifically on Jio's telecommunications prowess, while Reliance offers broader sector diversification.

Japans Nikkei 225 rose 1.56% as renewed optimism over AI demand and gains on Wall Street lifted investor sentiment. Strong export growth and reports of major Chinese technology firms ordering Nvidia chips also supported the rally.

South Koreas KOSPI surged 3.03% after hitting a six-month closing low, supported by a rally in chipmakers, record semiconductor exports and optimism over sustained AI infrastructure demand. Foreign investor buying also aided the rebound.

Hindustan Zinc reported a 142% year-on-year jump in Q2FY27 net profit to Rs 6,412 crore, while revenue rose 77% to Rs 15,093 crore. Despite strong earnings, Jefferies cut its target price to Rs 650 from Rs 750, citing silver price volatility and lower price assumptions for the coming years.

Infosys, UltraTech Cement, TCS, HCLTech, Reliance Industries, Tech Mahindra and Bharti Airtel shares gained 2-3% to lead gains on Sensex. Bucking the trend, Bajaj Finance shares dropped more than 2% to lead losses on the benchmark index.

Vaibhav Vyapaar shares are scheduled to list on the NSE SME platform on October 21, with the IPO commanding a grey market premium of around 6%. The Rs 42.10 crore issue was subscribed 2.27 times. The NBFC plans to use Rs 32 crore from the proceeds to strengthen its capital base.

Aditya Khemani, Head Equity at Invesco Mutual Fund, discusses how investors can identify potential long-term compounders, why earnings growth, ROCE and cash-flow generation must go hand in hand, and the financial red flags to watch out for in small- and midcap companies. He also shares his outlook on market leadership, the long-term potential of mid- and smallcaps, and the opportunities emerging from Indias manufacturing push.

UltraTech Cements Q2FY27 results prompted Nomura, Citi and Jefferies to revise their target prices for the stock. While Nomura and Citi cut their targets, Jefferies raised its estimate, with all three brokerages retaining Buy ratings. UltraTech reported a 21% year-on-year rise in quarterly profit to Rs 1,494 crore.

Jio Platforms 30,213 crore IPO marks a significant shift toward technology-driven digital services. With a focus on leveraging its connectivity through AI and cloud technologies, the company is also highlighting its extensive patent holdings. While Reliance Jio Infocomm continues to generate substantial revenue, the company aspires to broaden its reach into enterprise solutions and diverse digital products.

Two Indias being created, one for rich and one for poor': Rahul Gandhi targets Govt on jobs

Adipurush' row: Manoj Muntashir, Om Raut decide to alter film's dialogues after public's backlash

Crux to making money in India is not anticipating next two years' growth: Manish Sonthalia, Motilal Oswal

There will be blood...': Casteist slogans surface on JNU walls; police complaint registered against 'unknown persons'

This agreement opens new doors for trade, investment, and partnerships, especially benefitting small and medium-sized enterprises. Companies are urged to seek pertinent information and ask crucial questions to thrive.

Major sugar-producing regions, including Brazil, India, and the European Union, struggle with adverse weather impacts from El Nio. Brazil's sugar production is significantly lower due to excessive rainfall affecting harvests at critical times.

Five NSE F&O stocks recorded significant increases in futures open interest on October 19, reflecting heightened trading activity and growing participation across wealth management, industrial, energy, and real estate sectors.

Will shut Twitter': Jack Dorsey claims pressure from India during farmers' protest; 'outright lie', India slams Twitter co-founder

Paras Healthcares Rs 1,450 crore IPO opens for subscription on October 21 and closes on October 23, with a grey market premium (GMP) of around 7%. The issue comprises a fresh issue of Rs 500 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of Rs 950 crore.

HD Fire Protect is set to debut on the BSE and NSE on October 21, with a grey market premium of around 26%, signalling expectations of strong listing gains. The Rs 712 crore IPO was priced at Rs 271 per share and comprised entirely an offer for sale (OFS) of 2.63 crore shares by promoters Harish Narshi Dharamshi and Kusum Harish Dharamshi. Since it was an OFS, the company will receive no proceeds from the issue.

Paresh Bhagat, Chairman of Mangal Keshav Financial Services, discusses where Indias next wealth creators could emerge from, why several mid- and smallcap stocks remain priced for strong future growth, and how investors can distinguish expensive growth stories from genuine long-term compounders. He also explains why valuation discipline matters, whether largecaps are becoming more attractive, and what investors should look for when identifying smaller companies that could grow into tomorrows mark

State Bank of India has flagged the suspected exposure of 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information on the dark web. The data reportedly includes names, mobile numbers, dates of birth and residential addresses. SBI has initiated incident response measures and engaged an independent cybersecurity agency to investigate the alleged compromise.

Three Nifty 500 stocks experienced notable price weakness on October 19, closing significantly below their volume-weighted average prices amid subdued trading performance and downward price pressure.

India has opposed attempts at the United Nations to turn unverified allegations and incomplete statistics into a negative characterisation of the country. Speaking at the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, MEA official Barkha Tamrakar said human rights should not be used for political pressure, amid criticism of police action against youth-led protests.

Three Nifty 500 stocks displayed positive price strength, closing above their Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP), reflecting favourable trading momentum and buying interest during the October 19 trading session.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Jamnagar, India, to discuss energy cooperation with Reliance Industries. His discussions will focus on processing Venezuelan oil amid ongoing international energy challenges. The Jamnagar refinery has significant capacity and could help stabilize global supply chains. Rubio's meeting with Mukesh Ambani highlights the strategic energy ties between the U.S. and India.

Four Nifty500 banking stocks showed strengthening momentum on October 19, with rising RSI values indicating improving price strength and potential bullish trends, according to StockEdges technical scan.

Shripal Shah, MD & CEO of Kotak Neo, discusses how investor behaviour has changed, why digital convenience alone is no longer enough, and how the next phase of broking will be shaped by connected investing, access to research and human expertise.

Elon Musk has expressed support for a potential merger between Tesla and SpaceX. This merger could create a technology and manufacturing powerhouse worth approximately $3.5 trillion. By combining their resources, both companies could streamline operations and enhance collaboration on projects like AI and robotics. However, there are challenges related to governance, regulatory scrutiny, and execution risks that need to be addressed.

Meta has taken steps to comply with a court order for equal treatment of presidential candidates in Brazil. The electoral court directed the company to ensure balanced platform coverage before the upcoming runoff election. This follows allegations from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign regarding biased algorithms favoring his opponent, Flavio Bolsonaro. Meta has implemented measures to uphold electoral advertisement regulations amidst growing tensions.

The Aam Aadmi Party alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was detained for three hours at Delhi airport after returning from Paris and fined Rs 50,000, with officials citing tremendous pressure from above. The party accused the Centre of obstructing Manns foreign visits and undermining Punjabs interests.

Julius BaerEYs Family Barometer Report 2026 shows that 65.9% of families believe the next generation is not yet ready, while emotional attachment, informal decision-making and weak family governance continue to complicate the transition. For Indias business families, the hardest part may not be transferring ownershipbut preparing the family to decide what comes next.

There is no contingency plan from government to deal with higher fuel price: RS Sharma

Ayush Verma won gold in the men's shot put F53 at the Asian Para Games 2026, taking India's gold tally to 10 and overall medal count to 38. Para-badminton star Suhas Yathiraj reached the semifinals, while Indian archers Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami narrowly missed bronze, finishing fourth.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised a massive police deployment ahead of fresh demonstrations scheduled for October 24. The French government is also extending the curfews and tightening security following days of violent unrest linked to nationwide protests over rising living costs and deteriorating school conditions.