The Economic Times

Indian equity benchmarks ended higher on Wednesday, with Nifty rising 0.50% and Sensex gaining 0.40% as buying emerged across sectors. Metal stocks led the gains, while IT stocks lagged. Bajaj Finance and Tata Steel topped the gainers, while HCL Tech and Titan Company featured among the biggest losers.

As investors look for distinctive opportunities beyond conventional stocks and bonds, there's a palpable shift toward alternative assets. Family offices and institutional investors now delve into sectors like private credit and venture debt, aiming for unique returns. The ET Alpha Wealth Summit 2.0, set for October 8 in Mumbai, will tackle these emerging investment trends, enabling attendees to grasp potential future opportunities and the risks involved.

NSE shares are set to make their much-awaited market debut on September 24, with trading scheduled on both BSE and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI). The listing follows a Rs 22,562 crore IPO that drew strong demand, with the issue subscribed nearly six times and QIBs bidding nearly 13 times their quota.

Surendra Singh Choudhry, also known as Bittu Tabahi, spearheaded an environmental cleanup initiative starting on World Cleanup Day. This campaign focused on eliminating waste from public areas across Delhi, Gurugram, and Noida. A remarkable 585 kg of trash was retrieved from the Yamuna in Delhi, and an impressive 2,435 kg was collected at Khedki Daula in Gurugram. This effort highlighted the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on local wildlife.

Savings accounts are crucial for achieving financial security and generating passive income. By routinely evaluating various savings options, individuals can benefit from higher interest rates. It's important to refrain from unnecessary withdrawals to fully capitalize on interest accumulation. Utilizing features like Auto Sweep can further optimize surplus funds while keeping them accessible, and establishing clear saving objectives can inspire effective savings growth.

Whirlpool of India shares surged 20% to hit the upper circuit at Rs 865.35 after reports indicated promoter Whirlpool Mauritius may sell its entire remaining 39.76% stake. The potential stake sale, reportedly involving major investors and a multinational consumer durables company, follows years of promoter stake reduction and drove strong buying interest.

AceVector, the parent company of Snapdeal, will launch its IPO on September 25 with a price band of Rs 3032 per share. The issue comprises a fresh issue of Rs 287 crore and an OFS of up to 4.16 crore shares. The IPO will close on September 29, with the anchor book opening on September 24.

A recent collaboration between IIT Kharagpur and upGrad reveals a dramatic increase in demand for AI executive programmes aimed at experienced tech professionals. In just a few months, the initiative has broadened its curriculum from four to seven targeted courses. With participants enrolling from diverse locations, the landscape of AI training is shifting towards practical, role-oriented education, underscoring the necessity for ongoing skill development in an AI-driven job market.

Gautam Adani has overtaken Mukesh Ambani to reclaim the top spot on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026, with wealth of Rs 9.23 lakh crore. The list now includes a record 391 dollar billionaires, while AI and quantum computing have emerged as new wealth-creation sectors and 70% of entrants are self-made entrepreneurs.

Jefferies has Buy calls on 11 NBFCs, with target prices implying up to 48% upside. The brokerage expects healthy disbursement growth and resilient asset quality, while tracking funding costs and near-term NIM trends.

The Finance Ministry has announced that all Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks will operate normally on September 27. This decision follows the United Forum of Bank Unions' proposal for a three-day nationwide bank strike. The government is focused on ensuring the banking needs of citizens are met without disruption. Customers can access banking services uninterrupted during this period for their convenience.

SS Retail shares extended gains after a bumper debut, rising over 6% following a 50.73% listing premium on the BSE. With the stock trading at around 46.5x FY26 P/E, Swastika Investmart maintained a Neutral view, citing demanding valuations and limited margin of safety despite strong growth and profitability.

Airtel Money plans to launch an IPO in London, having originally set its sights on the first half of 2026. Due to current market conditions affecting investor interest, the listing has been rescheduled for the second half. With projections valuing the company between $8 billion and $9 billion, the aim is to secure at least $800 million.

Hero Motors shares staged a dramatic recovery on Wednesday, surging 20% to hit the upper circuit at Rs 98.40 after listing at a 2% discount at Rs 82. Despite strong IPO demand, analysts recommend holding existing shares with a stop-loss or waiting for price consolidation before taking fresh positions.

In the wake of Dolly Parton's passing, legal battles have sparked concerning her estate and the actions of her security chief, Bryan Seaver. Following her death, Seaver is alleged to have made threats against those managing her estate, leading to former manager Danny Nozell seeking a restraining order against him. Seaver claims his communications were misinterpreted.

In a dramatic turn of events, Army jawan Gautam Adhikari has been arrested for facilitating the illegal entry of two Bangladeshi nationals, Joy and Baishakhi Barui, at the Bitahri-Hakimpir border. Caught by the vigilant Border Security Force personnel, the suspects are now under investigation to uncover their motives for entering India. All three individuals have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provide financial support to eligible individuals. SSI is designed for those with limited income, while SSDI is based on work history. The maximum monthly payments for SSI in 2026 are $994 for individuals and $1,491 for couples. Recipients of SSI typically qualify for Medicaid, while SSDI beneficiaries become eligible for Medicare after 24 months.

Mirabai Chanu secured a silver medal in the women's 49kg weightlifting category at the Asian Games. She lifted a total of 198kg, with 87kg in snatch and 111kg in clean and jerk. This accomplishment ends her wait for a medal at the event three years after finishing fourth. During the previous Asian Games, she faced an injury that hampered her performance.

Jay Meena made history by winning India's first bronze medal in soft tennis at the Asian Games. He reached the semi-finals after defeating Sherwin Nuguit from the Philippines in the quarter-finals. Meena's journey ended with a loss to Takuya Kurosaka of Japan in the semi-finals. His victory contributed to India's overall medal tally, which now stands at ten.

Meesho shares witnessed a dip on Wednesday after 3.86 crore shares changed hands in a block deal worth Rs 899.71 crore on the BSE. The transaction came a day after the stock surged nearly 10% following UBS

Clean Max shares: Macquarie initiated coverage on Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions with an Outperform rating and a Rs 1,700 target price, implying 24% upside from current levels. The stock has gained 13% in three sessions, making Macquarie the second brokerage to initiate coverage after JM Financial.

Indian benchmark indices gain up to 0.5% as metal and financial stocks support the market, while elevated crude prices and bond yields remain key constraints. Analysts highlight resistance levels and stretched midcap and smallcap valuations.

An Indian court has ruled that nicotine pouches sold at duty-free shops are subject to domestic laws. The Adani Group challenged the legality of their items, arguing they are not drugs and are innovatively classified. Authorities maintained that selling such products poses a public health risk and violates drug laws. The court concluded that regulations apply to goods sold within Indian territory, including duty-free areas.

Indias midcap stocks outperformed the Nifty 50 over six months, with 10 stocks gaining 50%-105%, alongside notable FII and mutual fund holdings.

Bajaj Finance shares jumped 3% on Wednesday following bullish brokerage calls. Global brokerages Jefferies and UBS issued positive outlooks, with Jefferies maintaining a Buy rating with a target of Rs 1,280, while UBS upgraded the stock to Neutral with a target price of Rs 1,100.

Growth has a way of changing the questions a founder needs to answer. In the early stages, the focus is often immediate: find customers, build the product, solve problems quickly, and keep the business moving. As the organisation grows, those questions become more complex. The challenge shifts from creating momentum to sustaining it.

A collaboration between The Economic Times and the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), High-Performance Leadership & Strategic Decision-Making is designed to equip 30 Founders, CXOs & Business Leaders from around the world with the insights and frameworks to make more deliberate, strategic decisions in complex business environments.

Wealth and asset management firm 360 ONE has appointed Aashish Agarwal as chief executive officer of 360 ONE WAM Group, according to a release. Agarwal joins the company from Jefferies, where he was MD and country head since April 2020. Karan Bhagat, currently MD and CEO, will become vice chairman and continue as managing director.

Mumbai's Elevate Campuses has completed a remarkable 945 crore fundraising round, attracting an array of anchor investors, including the prominent State Bank of India Mutual Fund. The initiative drew participation from 20 firms globally, with significant contributors like Norges from Norway. The full subscription of the anchor investors' segment showcases an increasing enthusiasm for the education sector among financial entities.

Elevate Campuses is set to generate 2,100 crore via an initial public offering aimed at fueling its expansion plans and repaying existing debts. The firm specializes in managing student accommodations under its brands Good Host Spaces and ScholarZ. Significant increases in revenue and net profits are expected between FY24 and FY26 due to rising student housing demand.

Benchmark indices faced pressure and closed negatively on Tuesday. The Nifty is expected to continue its consolidation in a broad range. Foreign portfolio investors were net sellers, while domestic investors bought shares. The Indian Rupee appreciated against the US dollar on Tuesday. Several stocks were placed under the F&O ban for Tuesday's trading.

The Indian stock market closed lower on Tuesday, with profit-taking affecting investor sentiment. Adani Group companies resolved their SEBI adjudication issues tied to potential infractions. Focus turned to oil marketing firms in light of a sharp fall in crude oil prices. Persistent Systems expanded its stake in Nagarro, eyeing a potential delisting, alongside numerous companies announcing expansion and corporate milestones.

This month has also seen a sharp increase in fundraising, with mainboard IPOs raising around

The Adani Group has settled with Sebi, with companies like Adani Enterprises and Adani Green Energy collectively paying

The Securities and Exchange Board of India is seeking to alleviate concerns related to derivative settlement prices. Among the proposed options are a blended VWAP model and a return to the previous VWAP method. Sebi is open to public feedback on these alternatives, which are intended to enhance market structure. Currently, market participants have shown favor for the older VWAP technique.

In situations where banks are inundated with liquidity, the natural tendency among many lenders is to push loans and go down the credit matrix. The fear is that such aggressive lending to generate returns that cover the interest outgo on deposits and other costs may show up as sticky assets a few years down the line.

The state-owned general insurer holds 35.2 million shares, representing a 1.42% stake, in the country's largest stock exchange that closed its 22,562-crore initial public offer (IPO) on Monday.

Its composition is being finalised and is likely to include a former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor, industry leaders from the fintech sector and an Indian Banks' Association (IBA) nominee, said people familiar with the matter.

With a smaller share of customers carrying balances month to month, interest-bearing receivables are growing more slowly than transaction volumes, pushing issuers to convert purchases into EMIs, deepen personal loan-on-card offerings and extract more fee income from a business that is increasingly being used as a payment product rather than a borrowing product.

German Proverb of the Day: If you speak of the devil, he comes crawling is a humorous expression used when someone appears soon after being mentioned. Related to the English Speak of the devil, and he appears, the saying draws on older beliefs about invoking the Devil but is now generally used to describe an amusing coincidence in everyday conversation.

Sahil Wakode's mobile phone, recovered from his hostel room, has been sent for forensic examination, while a clone of the data on the device has been taken for investigation. The police are also examining CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events, a senior police officer said.

The Competition Commission of India has approved LOral Indias acquisition of 100% of Onesto Labs, the parent company of digital-first personal care platform Innovist, which owns brands including Bare Anatomy, Chemist at Play, SunScoop and Anecdote. The approval comes after LOral announced plans in June to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, strengthening its presence in Indias personal care market.

Indian equities reversed morning gains on Tuesday, with Sensex falling 330 points and Nifty closing lower after sharp volatility during the closing auction session. F&O expiry, foreign outflows, geopolitical uncertainty, IT pressure and elevated crude prices weighed on market sentiment.

Hillhouse-backed Elevate Campuses raised Rs 945 crore from 20 anchor investors, including major mutual funds and Norges. The amount represents 60% of its QIB allocation ahead of its Rs 2,100 crore IPO, which opens Wednesday and closes Friday.

Runwal Enterprises has set its IPO price band at Rs 290-305 per share, with the Rs 500 crore fresh issue opening Friday and closing September 29. The Mumbai-focused developer has 88.37 million square feet of developable area across residential and non-residential projects.

Falling crude oil prices and Brent slipping below $100 a barrel helped Indian markets recover from intraday lows. Analysts highlighted BlueStone Jewellery, JSW Infrastructure and Finolex Cables as three stocks showing breakout setups, bullish momentum and positive technical indicators for Wednesday.

Dalmia Bharat Refractories sold 2.29 crore RHI Magnesita India shares, or 11.11% of equity, through a Rs 826 crore block deal at Rs 360 apiece. SBI Mutual Fund led purchases, while RHI Magnesita shares gained 3.04% to Rs 379.20.

Having successfully established the Closing Auction Session as an important market structure reform, we intend to address concerns in respect of settlement price for derivatives on expiry days and other related issues. A consultation paper has already been issued inviting public comment, Pandey said at the 11th JP Morgan India Conference.

InGovern has warned that the Delhi High Courts Fortis Healthcare forensic audit order could set a wider precedent, potentially exposing listed companies to enforcement proceedings over promoters personal liabilities and challenging the established separation between companies and their owners.