The Economic Times News

Indian equities closed nearly unchanged after three losing sessions as IT and financial stocks cushioned early declines. Global cues stayed mixed, trade deal uncertainty capped gains, and technical indicators kept Nifty vulnerable near key support levels.

Nifty extended losses for a fourth session, failing to reclaim the 200-DMA as bearish momentum persists. Analysts warn of downside below 25,700, while IT outperformed. Despite market weakness, technical setups suggest buying opportunities in stocks like TCS and Hindustan Zinc.

RBI injected Rs 50,000 crore via open market purchases, amid bids and persistent liquidity deficit caused by advance tax outflows. Despite OMOs and a dollar-rupee swap, system liquidity stayed tight, with deficit continuing as government securities were bought across maturities.

Bharti Airtel approved a first and final call of Rs 401.25 on partly paid rights shares, setting February 6, 2026 as record date. Proceeds will cut debt, potentially making India operations near net debt free despite short-term share price weakness.

Micron Technology's shares surged following an optimistic profit forecast, driven by a global memory chip shortage and strong demand from AI data centers. The company anticipates tight memory markets extending beyond 2026, with analysts predicting supply constraints could persist into 2027 despite increased investment.

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) will admit Swiggy, Waaree Energies, Premier Energies, and Bajaj Holdings & Investment to its Futures & Options (F&O) segment starting December 31, 2025. This move follows Sebi's tightened eligibility criteria for derivatives trading, emphasizing liquidity and market depth.

Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Thursday after softer-than-expected inflation data boosted expectations for more interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, while chipmaker Micron's blowout forecast briefly eased worries about tech-sector valuation.

The European Central Bank maintained its interest rates, signaling a more optimistic outlook for the Eurozone economy. Revised growth and inflation forecasts suggest a pause in rate cuts. Resilient domestic spending and exporters' ability to navigate trade shocks have bolstered economic activity, keeping inflation near the ECB's target.

Promoter Bhavish Aggarwal on Thursday sold 2.83 crore shares of Ola Electric through a bulk deal, marking the third consecutive day of stake offloading. The shares were sold at Rs 31.60 apiece, taking the total transaction value to Rs 90.27 crore, exchange data showed.

Travelstack Tech, backed by Goldman Sachs and Anupam Mittal, has filed DRHP for an IPO combining a Rs 250 crore fresh issue and offer for sale, with proceeds funding working capital, debt repayment and growth as corporate travel demand expands in India.

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath reveals that short delivery auctions are driving sharp post-listing IPO gains, punishing short sellers. These auctions, triggered when traders fail to deliver shares, force them to buy back at significantly higher prices, creating opportunities for existing shareholders to sell at a premium.

Nasdaq anticipates a surge in company listings next year. Several major startups are preparing to go public in the US. This signals growing confidence in the market for new offerings. Companies and investors are looking beyond recent market fluctuations. This trend suggests a strong start to the year for IPOs, with optimism for the latter half.

Seven NSE largecap companies, including HDFC Bank and Bajaj Finance, posted their highest quarterly profits in 10 quarters, reflecting strong growth and robust financial performance.

The Bank of England has cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%, citing faster-than-expected inflation decline and ongoing economic weakness. This move, supported by a 5-4 vote, aims to stimulate growth by lowering borrowing costs. The decision follows a weakening jobs market and precedes the European Central Bank's policy announcement.

Accenture has surpassed revenue forecasts for the first quarter. Strong demand for its artificial intelligence IT services fueled this growth. The company's AI strategy is showing positive results. Enterprises are increasingly adopting AI for cost reduction and productivity gains. New bookings also saw a significant rise. However, demand from public sector clients remains mixed.

Short sellers in newly listed Meesho were caught off guard as a sharp 100%+ post-listing rally pushed over one crore shares into the exchange auction. With just 6% free float and limited supply, bears failed to deliver stock on settlementunderscoring the growing risks of shorting momentum-driven, low-float IPOs.

Indian markets closed marginally lower as select stocks like TCS, Meesho and Crompton Greaves gained on positive triggers, while Ola Electric, Hitachi Energy and Sun Pharma declined amid company-specific concerns.

Six BSE 200 stocks, including United Breweries and PFC, slid to fresh 52-week lows as market weakness dragged shares down by up to 11% over the past month.

Japan's Sumitomo Realty and Development is making a unique foray into India's real estate market, focusing solely on Mumbai. Instead of selling properties, the developer plans to manage and rent out apartments in its upcoming super-high-rise projects. This strategy aims to capitalize on Mumbai's rising rents and its perceived stability, differentiating Sumitomo from other international players.

The Indian rupee saw a slight gain on Thursday, recovering from a record low after the Reserve Bank of India's market intervention. Traders noted increased dollar sales and reduced speculative bets against the rupee. Analysts at HSBC recommend selling USD/INR, forecasting the rupee to reach 88 against the dollar by March 2026.

Markets are bracing for volatility ahead of the Bank of Japans policy decision, as a potential unwind of the yen carry trade could trigger foreign selling, pressure emerging markets and test Indian equities, though strong domestic participation may limit deeper downside risks.

Pernod Ricards new Xclamat!on spirits launch is set to intensify competition in Indias premium alcohol market, says Karan Taurani, Executive Vice-President at Elara Securities. While innovation boosts premiumisation, Radico Khaitan remains the top stock pick. The India-UK FTA could further accelerate luxury spirit demand and improve margins across the alcobev sector.

Indian markets ended mostly flat on Thursday, with the Sensex down 78 points and Nifty 50 nearly unchanged. IT and financial stocks led gains, while metals, pharma, and energy lagged. Mid- and small-caps outperformed. The rupee strengthened slightly, global cues remained mixed, and investors eyed central bank decisions and U.S.India trade talks.

India's housing finance sector is set for a historic boom, with projections indicating Rs 150 trillion in home loan disbursements over the next decade. Demographics, urbanization, and government policies are fueling this growth, with mortgage penetration still significantly low. This presents a substantial, multi-year opportunity for sustained expansion.

Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd is aiming for approximately Rs 1,900 crore in revenue from its newly launched housing project, 'Mahindra Blossom,' in Bengaluru's Whitefield. This project contributes to the company's extensive portfolio of residential and integrated developments across India.

ICICI Securities sees Niftys recent correction as mean reversion, not weakness, projecting a potential rise to 29,500 by 2026, supported by historical support levels, easing US rates, possible trade clarity and sectoral rotation improving foreign investor flows

Jefferies has said that the Indian rupee, though down sharply, is undervalued and fundamentals remain strong. With contained current account risks, recovering FDI, ample reserves, and stable macro buffers, the brokerage expects INR to stabilise around 9091, urging investors not to panic amid recent volatility.

European shares were muted on Thursday as investors adopted a largely cautious stance ahead of a series of central bank announcements across the region and crucial U.S. inflation data.

Mark Matthews of Julius Baer highlights silver's fundamental strength driven by industrial and defense demand, while gold's support comes from Indian household wealth. He anticipates foreign investors returning to India next year, with a stronger rupee expected. Matthews favors private banks, NBFCs, energy, engineering, and IT sectors for long-term growth.

Ola Electric shares remain under heavy pressure in 2025 after sustained promoter selling and weak technical signals. The stock has fallen sharply to fresh lows, with analysts flagging a strong downtrend, broken supports and limited upside potential, urging caution until key resistance levels are reclaimed.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Securities Markets Code Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, proposing a comprehensive overhaul of Indias securities laws. The Bill seeks to merge and replace the SEBI Act, Depositories Act and Securities Contracts Regulation Act into a single code to strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance investor protection, and improve ease of doing business.

MCX has fixed January 2, 2026, as the record date for its first-ever 1:5 stock split. Eligible shareholders will receive five shares of Rs 2 each for every Rs 10 share held. The move aims to improve liquidity and broaden investor participation in MCX shares. The company had earlier secured shareholder approval for the stock split in the month of September.

Indian equity markets are poised for steady, healthy growth, driven by the gradual payoff of fiscal and monetary stimulus. While global markets face volatility, India's lack of an AI boom may position it as a favored diversification destination for cyclical exposure. Expect earnings-led returns rather than valuation rerating.

Mutual funds added over 1 crore shares to six stocks in November 2025, helping them rally up to 28%, even as four others slipped despite strong institutional buying.

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals shares jumped after Motilal Oswal initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a target price of 350, implying about 40% upside. The brokerage cited strong growth prospects, highlighting Cromptons 75% acquisition of Butterfly.

Japan's Nikkei share average ended at a three-week low on Thursday, pressured by heavyweight tech stocks as investors weighed the outlook for artificial intelligence and data centre businesses.

India's InvIT and REIT market delivered robust growth in payout distributions for Q2 FY2026, driven by strong operating metrics across roads, power and energy, commercial real estate, telecom infrastructure and warehouse and logistics, a report has said.

Euro zone government bond yields were steady on Thursday, with investors bracing for the European Central Bank to reaffirm its higher-for-longer rate stance later in the day.

Foreign weekly inflows into Japanese long-term bonds surged to an eight-month high in the week to December 13, ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy decision on Friday.

Market expert Neeraj Dewan identifies pockets of opportunity in IT, automobiles, and asset management. He favors integrated auto players over pure-play EV companies. The paint sector requires patience for entry. Dewan prefers integrated power generators over solar equipment manufacturers. He remains optimistic on asset management firms despite regulatory concerns. Disciplined stock selection is key for investors.

Japanese government bond (JGB) yields edged higher on Thursday as investors awaited signals on future interest rate hikes from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda's comments at his post-policy meeting news conference on Friday.

InterGlobe Aviation shares climbed after IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers reassured employees that the airline has moved past recent operational disruptions. In an internal message, Elbers said the worst is behind us and praised staff across functions for stabilising operations during a challenging period, helping restore investor and passenger confidence.

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals shares surged 6% after Motilal Oswal initiated coverage with a 'Buy' rating and a Rs 350 price target, implying 40% upside. The brokerage highlighted the Butterfly acquisition's synergy and the 'Crompton 2.0' program's strategic pillars for future growth and profitability.

SEBIs latest mutual fund expense circular is progressive, investor-friendly and will have a negligible impact on AMCs profitability, says Aditya Birla Sun Life MF CEO A Balasubramanian. The new rules bring clarity on expense segregation, cap brokerage costs, encourage innovation and reduce interpretational ambiguity, while offering marginal cost benefits to investors.

Hero MotoCorp shares fell for a fifth straight session after Jefferies downgraded the stock to Underperform and cut its target price to Rs 4,950. Analysts flagged fading GST-led demand, persistent market share erosion and valuation-driven gains as key concerns, warning of limited earnings upgrades and downside risk in the near term.

As 2025 draws to a close, markets face a pivotal 2026 marked by risks from a potential AI stock correction and opportunities from Indias growth rebound. While global equities surged on the AI boom, India lagged, but improving GDP growth, easing inflation, and a possible reversal in FII flows could support stronger returns next year.

Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki has warned of an impending economic crash driven by Fed rate cuts and renewed money printing. Calling the current system a fake economy, he says he is buying more gold, silver, Bitcoin and Ethereum to hedge against hyperinflation and expects to grow richer when traditional assets falter.

Shriram Finance shares rose for a second straight session after reports that its board will meet to consider a possible equity stake sale to Japans MUFG. The company said the board will evaluate fundraising options including a rights issue, preferential allotment or QIP.

US President Trump's optimistic inflation comments contrast with consumer affordability concerns. While markets anticipate policy support and potential Fed easing, a stagflationary scenario remains a risk. Looking ahead to 2026, fiscal incentives and political compulsions are expected to drive economic momentum.