The Economic Times News

Indias defence sector is in a strong multi-year upcycle, backed by record order books, rising indigenisation and export demand, says Nirmal Bangs Jyoti Gupta. While execution will remain milestone-driven and lumpy, structural growth, stable margins and higher budget support keep outlook positive. HAL, BEML, Data Patterns and Solar Industries remain key picks.

The Indian rupee hit a fresh record low against the dollar, nearing 90.79, amid stalled US trade talks and significant foreign investor outflows. Despite positive export data narrowing the trade deficit, the currency faces pressure. The Reserve Bank of India likely intervened to slow the decline, with traders anticipating continued gradual depreciation until a trade deal is reached.

Several NSE largecap companies reported strong year-on-year net profit growth in the September 2025 quarter, with gains exceeding 80%. The surge highlights improved profitability across sectors such as cement, metals, energy, telecom and real estate.

Urban Company shares declined sharply as the three-month anchor lock-in expired, bringing additional shares into the market. Despite strong listing gains and healthy anchor participation, the stock has corrected significantly from its post-listing peak amid heavy trading volumes.

Canadian home sales experienced a slight dip of 0.6% in November compared to the previous month, with prices also seeing a marginal decline. This marks a shift from the mid-year surge, settling into a more stable period. Annually, sales are down 10.7%, and the Home Price Index has decreased by 3.7% year-over-year, indicating a cooling market.

Indias global investing footprint is expanding rapidly, with participation spreading beyond metros to over 145 cities. Driven largely by young investors from Tier II and III towns, overseas investments have surged past $1.6 billion, with a clear shift towards long-term, diversified portfolios dominated by global stocks and ETFs.

Indian stock markets saw a modest decline on Monday. This ended a two-day rally. Weakness in auto and financial sectors pulled down the markets. Foreign investors continued to pull money out. Uncertainty over a US-India trade deal also impacted sentiment. The Indian Rupee reached a record low against the dollar. The Sensex and Nifty both closed lower.

China's yuan hit a 14-month peak against the dollar, buoyed by seasonal corporate demand and a weaker U.S. currency. Despite economic slowdown concerns, exporters' foreign exchange conversions are supporting the yuan. However, authorities appear to be managing its appreciation to avoid rapid gains, with analysts expecting it to hover around 7.05 by year-end.

Asking prices for British homes have seen a larger-than-usual monthly fall, potentially reflecting pre-budget market uncertainty. Rightmove reported a 1.8% decrease in new home asking prices in the four weeks to December 6. Despite this, early signs suggest a post-budget rebound in London's top-end market, with Rightmove forecasting a 2% rise in asking prices for 2026.

China's property sector continues to face challenges. Investment dropped 15.9% in the first eleven months of the year. Property sales by floor area also declined. New construction starts saw a significant fall. Funds raised by developers were also down. These figures indicate a widening downturn in the real estate market.

Domestic gold prices scaled lifetime highs, supported by rupee depreciation, global safe haven demand and rising COMEX prices. Analysts see bullish technical momentum intact, with higher highs, strong RSI and macro cues like US inflation data guiding near term direction.

The star investor tag offered little protection in 2025, with seven out of ten well-known stock pickers seeing portfolio losses amid a sharp smallcap downturn. Data shows heavy exposure to smaller stocks hurt returns, while investors with a largecap bias fared relatively better, highlighting the limits of reputation-driven investing.

ETMarkets identified 23 stocks held exclusively by a single mutual fund scheme with holdings above Rs 10 crore as of November 2025. While 17 stocks posted losses of 2566% in CY25, a few, led by Cupid, surged up to 420%, highlighting high-risk, high-reward opportunities in exclusive MF portfolios.

Mebigo Labs Pvt., the operator of Indias audio platform Kuku FM, has hired banks for an initial public offering that could raise as much as $200 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

Foreign investors offloaded Indian government bonds significantly last week, marking the largest selloff in over six months. This caution stems from fading interest rate cut expectations, persistent bond supply, and a weakening rupee. Despite this, some experts see potential for future inflows, especially with improved trade relations and index inclusion possibilities.

Indian equity markets rebounded on Monday, led by banking stocks, after testing key support levels. While the near-term bias remains positive, the market is expected to trade within a narrow range. Experts see improving technical signals in broader markets and recommend a selective buy-on-dips strategy, highlighting opportunities in IDFC First Bank and Britannia.

The Reserve Bank of India's dollar-rupee swap will absorb $5 billion. Bankers expect full subscription. However, rising hedging costs are likely to reduce corporate interest. This swap aims to ensure ample banking liquidity. The transaction will reverse in three years. The rupee's weakness may further curb corporate participation.

Indian equities are poised for a constructive phase, with strategists anticipating earnings acceleration and a potential revival in foreign investor interest. While near-term earnings surprises are limited, FY27 is projected to see significant growth. Pharma is favored over IT, with selective opportunities in midcaps and other sectors.

The Nikkei slid 1.3% to end the day at 50,168.11, with artificial intelligence (AI)-focused startup investor SoftBank Group and chip-testing-tool maker Advantest - an Nvidia supplier - the biggest drags on the index by a wide margin.

While near-term market direction remains uncertain, Anshul Saigal emphasizes a long-term perspective, highlighting India's strong growth and macro stability. He anticipates accelerating earnings growth and sees attractive opportunities in sectors like IT, metals, and renewable energy, with limited downside for microfinance companies.

Indias move to raise the insurance FDI cap to 100% could attract fresh global capital, new entrants and greater innovation, says Aditya Birla Health CEO Mayank Bathwal. He expects the composite licence regime and wider distribution reforms to boost insurance penetration without triggering unsustainable price cuts, making coverage more affordable over time.

Matrimony.com announces a share buyback worth up to Rs 58.5 crore, planning to repurchase 8,93,129 shares at Rs 655 each via the tender offer route. The buyback, representing nearly 25% of paid-up capital and reserves, aims to return surplus funds to shareholders, with promoters opting out.

Wakefit Innovations shares slipped sharply on debut day after listing flat, as muted investor demand and concerns over profitability weighed on sentiment. Analysts flagged intense D2C competition, margin pressures and lack of near-term triggers, advising caution and disciplined risk management despite the companys omnichannel expansion plans.

Andrew Freris criticizes the Federal Reserve's rate cut, deeming it based on outdated data and ignoring accelerating inflation. He maintains a negative outlook on US equities, particularly tech and AI stocks, citing earnings disappointments and uncertain future returns.

Transformers and Rectifiers shares saw a significant jump of 11% reaching Rs 312. This rebound follows a recent 30% rally from a 52-week low. The company's stock had previously fallen due to weak quarterly results. The company recently won a Rs 53 crore order from Power Grid Corp on December 4

Silvers sharp rally is being driven by strong industrial demand from solar, EVs and data centres, along with persistent supply deficits, says market expert Ajay Bagga. While prices may consolidate after steep gains, long-term fundamentals remain supportive. Investors should limit gold and silver exposure to around 10% of portfolios, he advises.

The BOJ's closely watched quarterly ankan survey, released on Monday, showed sentiment hitting a four-year high among big manufacturers, reinforcing expectations for the central bank to resume raising rates on Friday.

The Reserve Bank of India will buy bonds worth 500 billion rupees ($5.52 billion) on Thursday and has included more liquid papers, including the 7.18% 2033 and former benchmark 6.33% 2035 bonds.

Corona Remedies shares rose sharply on December 15, extending gains after a blockbuster IPO debut. Strong institutional demand, consistent profitability and a focused chronic therapy portfolio have supported post-listing momentum, even as the stock trades at rich valuations, keeping investors watchful of execution and margin sustainability.

Shares of Kaynes Technology rebounded sharply after a prolonged correction, supported by a positive brokerage view from Elara Capital, which said recent concerns around accounting and cash flows were overstated and did not alter the companys long-term growth outlook.

ONGC shares fell over 3% after Axis Capital initiated coverage with a sell rating and a Rs 205 target, citing production decline, weak oil price outlook, and high subsidiary debt, implying about 14% downside from current levels.

Auto stocks declined as investors assessed the impact of Mexicos proposed tariff hikes on Indian exporters. With autos and auto components forming a large share of Indias exports to Mexico, concerns over higher duties, margin pressure and trade risks weighed on sentiment, dragging the Nifty Auto index lower at the weeks start.

PVR Inox shares jumped after the strong box office performance of Dhurandhar, which collected Rs 351.75 crore in 10 days, boosting sentiment around the multiplex operator.

Hindustan Copper shares dipped 2% as investors booked profits after a recent surge driven by record copper prices. Copper prices have seen a significant rally this year, fueled by supply disruptions and strong demand from AI data centers and the energy transition. Analysts anticipate prices to dip in the near term, with potential for further increases beyond 2026.

Four Nifty200 stocks, including JSW Energy, appeared in the White Marubozu bullish scan on December 12, signalling strong buying interest. The candlestick pattern reflects firm buyer dominance throughout the session, suggesting potential continuation of the upward trend as improving sentiment and renewed momentum support near-term trading opportunities.

Silver prices tested $65 per troy ounce levels on Friday and also hit a record Rs 2,00,000 level in the domestic markets before showing profit taking from higher levels

Defence stocks face continued selling pressure, with technical indicators suggesting further weakness. Geojit Investments' Anand James advises caution against premature bottom-fishing in the sector. Meanwhile, the Nifty Metal index shows bullish signs with strong upside potential, and specific stock recommendations are provided for Anantraj and Sequent.

In the Nifty200 segment, four stocks witnessed a 5-year swing high at the close on December 12, suggesting bullishness in counters, according to stockedge.com's technical scan data.

ETFs are low-cost, exchange-traded investment funds that offer real-time pricing, diversification and transparency, making them a popular choice for Indian, US and global investors seeking efficient, long-term wealth creation.

The government's 100% FDI in insurance is expected to boost sector penetration rather than disrupt established players, according to Nitin Raheja. While smaller insurers may benefit from capital infusion, larger ones are well-capitalized. The move also allows combined life and general insurance operations, offering scale benefits and a positive outlook for the sector.

Global markets face a crucial week as political negotiations in Europe, a wave of delayed US economic data and key central-bank meetings converge, shaping expectations for growth, inflation and monetary policy in the year ahead.

Markets await a backlog of US economic data, including jobs and inflation reports, which could shape investor sentiment and Federal Reserve policy expectations as equities navigate year-end volatility after recent tech-led losses.

Tata Steel shares: The company announced plans to boost domestic capacity by nearly 50%, including a 4.8-million-tonne addition, aimed at strengthening market leadership and securing long-term raw material supplies.

Wakefit Innovations listed flat on Monday, debuting at Rs 195 on the NSE and slightly lower on the BSE, in line with muted grey market expectations. The Rs 1,289-crore IPO saw moderate demand, with investors cautious amid aggressive valuations and a limited profitability track record despite strong brand presence.

Corona Remedies Share Price: Corona Remedies debuted on Dalal Street with a significant 38.42% premium, opening at Rs 1,470 on NSE and Rs 1,452 on BSE. The Rs 655 crore IPO, entirely an offer for sale, was oversubscribed 144.5 times, highlighting strong investor confidence in its business model and niche market leadership.

Indian equity markets could see earnings surprises over the next one to two years as Nifty valuations hover near long-term averages, says Complete Circle Capitals Aditya Kondawar. Banking, manufacturing and autos may lead gains, while small and midcaps could recover as trade deals progress and credit growth accelerates Indias push toward a $8 trillion economy.

Hindustan Zinc shares surged after Jefferies initiated coverage with a 'Buy' rating, targeting Rs 660. Record silver prices and strong cost efficiency are driving growth, with earnings projected to expand significantly. The company's robust cash generation and healthy returns are expected to continue, making it a key beneficiary of metal price trends.