The Interest Coverage Ratio (ICR) measures a company's ability to pay interest on debt using EBIT. A high ICR indicates strong financial health, while a low ratio signals potential financial strain. It guides investment decisions and risk evaluation.

The EV to MCAP ratio compares a company's enterprise value to market capitalization, offering insights into its debt, cash reserves, and overall valuation. A high ratio indicates potential risk and opportunity, while a low ratio suggests lower debt.

The Indian market closed lower for the fifth consecutive day, with sectoral declines in utilities and power stocks. Analysts recommend buying General Insurance, Newgen Software, and KPR Mill on dips due to bullish long-term trends.

Unimech Aerospace IPO opens on Friday, aiming to raise Rs 500 crore. The issue includes a fresh equity issue and an offer for sale, with a price band of Rs 745-785 per share.

India's growth in 2025 is driven by healthcare modernization, infrastructure development, and AI innovation. These sectors present promising investment opportunities, with rising demand for healthcare, technology, and building materials fueling long-term growth.

The combined market valuation of all the top-10 most valued firms plunged Rs 4,95,061 crore last week, in line with a bearish trend in equities, where Tata Consultancy Services and Reliance Industries faced the sharpest erosion. Last week, the BSE benchmark tanked 4,091.53 points or 4.98 per cent.

The US Feds interest rate cut and yield curve inversion signal potential recession and market corrections, with historical trends showing negative impacts on the S&P 500. Investors should exercise caution and rebalance portfolios.

Despite a 5% drop in Sensex, seven penny stocks gained 20-43%, with Franklin Industries, LGB Forge, and Enbee Trade & Finance showing notable increases.

Despite a bearish market sentiment, stocks like Agarwal Industrial, Religare Enterprises, KEC International, Titagarh Rail, and 360 One WAM show bullish momentum, backed by strong technical indicators, with recommendations for buying at specific prices and targets.

Investors should understand NAV and iNAV to make informed decisions, align investments with market trends, and optimize returns.

Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund is set to launch the Bajaj Finserv ELSS Tax Saver Fund, an open-ended equity-linked saving scheme offering a statutory lock-in period of 3 years along with tax benefits.

Equity mutual funds have offered negative returns in the last week upto 6%. Sectoral and thematic funds dominated the list of negative performers. Here are 10 worst performers.

Indian markets tumbled on Friday, mirroring global anxieties over the US Federal Reserve's projected slower rate cuts. Heavy selling in financial and IT stocks pushed the Sensex down 1.5% and Nifty 1.52%, as foreign funds flowed out. European markets also declined, while US stocks rebounded slightly after a positive inflation report.

Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) focused on selling financials and oil & gas stocks in 2024, resulting in significant sectoral outflows. Outlook for 2025 suggests moderate returns, with a focus on banking, pharmaceuticals, and FMCG amid India's slowing economic growth.

Twelve smallcap mutual funds have been identified as top performers. The selection considered one-year returns, fund size, and expense ratios. These funds offer potential for high rewards but also carry significant risk.

Nifty fell nearly 5% due to a hawkish US Federal Reserve, and several events are likely to influence markets next week, including GST council decisions, US stock movement, IPOs, FII/DII action, and crude oil prices.

Indian markets exhibit weakness, with the Nifty and Bank Nifty facing selling pressure. FMCG stocks underperform, and sectors like banking remain weak pending broader market recovery. IT, pharma, and real estate show relative strength. Analysts recommend selling Hero MotoCorp, buying United Breweries, and buying Dr. Reddy's.

In the near term, defensives like pharma, IT, and consumer sectors might act as safe havens. These sectors have underperformed over the past two to two-and-a-half years. During this time, markets were driven by real estate, capital goods, defense, railways, and other capital formation-related stocks, many of which have moved ahead of fundamentals.

Volatility spiked significantly, with the India VIX rising 15.48% to 15.07 over the week. The Nifty ended the week with a sharp decline of 1,180.80 points (-4.77%), underscoring several technical developments that emphasize the significance of key levels.

Bengaluru-based Unimech Aerospace will launch its Rs 500 crore IPO on December 23, with a price range of Rs 745-785 per share. The offering includes a fresh equity issue of Rs 250 crore and an OFS of Rs 250 crore by promoter shareholders. Bidding will close on December 26.

The US Dollar Index surged to 108.541, its highest since November 10, 2022, driven by the Fed's hawkish stance and strong US GDP data. It eased to 107.82 on Friday, down 0.55%, but gained 0.82% for the week. Ten-year US yields hit a high of 4.59%, closing at 4.53%, up 3% weekly, while two-year yields peaked at 4.37% before settling at 4.31%, a 2% weekly gain.

After a muted earnings performance in the first half of FY25, a recovery is anticipated in H2, fueled by higher rural spending, a strong wedding season, and increased government expenditure. MOFSL projects earnings to grow at a 16% CAGR over FY25-27E.

As 2024 comes to a close, PSU stocks have outshined, with the BSE PSU index delivering nearly 29% returns over the past year, far exceeding the BSE Sensex's 11% gain. Among these, the top 10 stocks posted impressive returns ranging from 48% to 139%.

The top 10 performers came from sectoral/thematic, ELSS, flexicap, smallcap, and large & midcap categories.

Over the five trading sessions leading up to December 20, the Sensex dropped by approximately 5%, losing 4,092 points to close at 78,042, marking declines across all sessions.

An analysis by ETMarkets of BSE-listed stocks with a market cap above Rs 500 crore reveals that five stocks have shown consistent growth in price, trading volume, and delivery volume over the past three sessions (December 18-20), signalling increased investor interest.

The Sensex rebalancing by Asia Index Pvt Ltd ensures it reflects Indias evolving market trends. Nuvama projects notable fund flows as institutional portfolios adjust to the changes. Zomato could see $513 million in inflows, highlighting strong investor interest, while JSW Steel's exit may lead to $252 million in outflows.

After the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement on Wednesday, global indices sharply declined. Despite the Fed's decision to lower interest rates by a quarter point, as anticipated, the projection of fewer rate cuts next year than previously estimated dampened investor sentiment. Nifty's benchmark index has tumbled nearly 5%, marking its steepest weekly fall since June 2022. This decline has wiped out the gains of the past four weeks.

The launch of Bitcoin ETFs has been a game-changer for the crypto market. A K33 Research report shows U.S.-listed Bitcoin ETFs, including leveraged products, have surpassed Gold ETFs in assets under management (AUM). Since their January debut, Bitcoin ETFs have reached $129.25 billion in AUM, overtaking Gold ETFs at $128.88 billion, which have been in the market for over two decades.

Bitcoin's impressive performance has outshined all other asset classes, surging 115% this year to reach a market capitalization of $1.8 trillion. This positions it above silver and at roughly a tenth of gold's market value. Smaller nations like El Salvador and Bhutan, which strategically invested in Bitcoin, are now reaping significant profits from the recent crypto rally.

Base metal prices are shaped by global economic trends and industry-specific factors, with China's economic conditions playing a pivotal role. As the largest consumer and producer, China significantly influences global pricing dynamics.

Smart-beta investing, a rule-based strategy, blends active and passive approaches to achieve better risk-adjusted performance than traditional indices. With large-cap stocks offering valuation comfort, the Nifty 200 Quality 30 stands out as a strong benchmark for the quality factor.

A loan against mutual funds allows investors to use their mutual fund units as collateral to secure financing. Lenders evaluate the value of the pledged units and usually provide a loan based on a percentage of their market value. This option is appealing as it enables investors to address financial needs without liquidating their investments, allowing them to retain the potential for future growth.

Pharma and healthcare funds delivered the highest average return of 38.05% in 2024. Among the 13 schemes in the category, HDFC Pharma and Healthcare Fund led with a 46.16% return, while Nippon India Pharma Fund recorded the lowest at 30.94%.

After a subdued 1HFY25, the hospitality sector rebounded strongly, fueled by a vibrant wedding season and thriving MICE activities. Key players are expected to post 10-12% YoY RevPAR growth this quarter, driven by an 8-10% rise in Average Room Rates (ARR).

If we look at the constituent heavyweights like SBI, Bank of Baroda, PNB, IOB, Canara Bank and Indian Bank, which form around 75% of the index, they are trying to make a base around the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level and the average RSI of these stocks is around 44. All these are hinting at a near-term bounce back which could possibly gain pace in the second half of next week.

In the largecap segment, 15 companies saw block deals worth Rs 2,477 crore. RIL led with Rs 461 crore across eight deals, followed by Zomato (Rs 343 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 312 crore), and Bajaj Auto (Rs 241 crore). Other key players included Godrej Consumer (Rs 171 crore), Kotak Mahindra Bank (Rs 160 crore), Nestle India (Rs 137 crore), and HDFC Bank (Rs 114 crore).

The record date is a key reference point determined by companies to identify shareholders eligible for benefits like dividends, stock splits, or bonus shares. To qualify for these corporate actions, investors must ensure their shares are credited to their demat accounts on or before this date.

In November, mutual funds offloaded over 1 crore shares across seven stocks. Additionally, mutual funds sold shares in approximately 367 stocks during the month, as per data from Prime Database.

Venture Global, a major US LNG producer, has filed for an IPO, aiming to raise about $3 billion on the NYSE. The company, with two Louisiana plants, competes with industry giants like Cheniere and Sempra. Founders will retain majority voting power after the offering. Revenues reached $3.45 billion in the first nine months of this year.

Oil prices saw minimal change on Friday as markets assessed Chinese demand and interest rate cut expectations following cooler U.S. inflation data. Brent crude futures and WTI futures both experienced slight increases, yet ended the week down. A weaker dollar and potential rate cuts could boost demand, while concerns linger over China's peaking oil consumption and OPEC+'s demand outlook revisions.

U.S. stocks, despite a strong 2024, face a potential December slump. The 'Santa Claus Rally' is threatened by the Fed's rate cut signal, a looming government shutdown, and rising Treasury yields. While November's gains offered early cheer, narrowing market breadth and high valuations raise concerns for the year's end.

Amid overall weak market sentiments, 22 smallcap stocks stood out by delivering impressive double-digit returns. Leading the pack was Fairchem Organics with a remarkable 49% gain, followed by Tanfac Industries at 28%, and Vakrangee and Five-Star Business, both posting 18% returns.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) flocked to Indian markets in early December, pouring 22,766 crore, primarily into financial services, IT, and real estate. However, oil and gas, auto, and FMCG sectors witnessed outflows. While financials saw significant withdrawals throughout 2024, telecom and services experienced renewed interest after November's outflows.

Capital goods stocks stumbled on Friday, led by Siemens' 10% drop, after the company reported a lack of significant private capital expenditure growth in India. Despite this, analysts maintain a positive outlook for the sector, driven by government spending and a private capex cycle focused on decarbonization and energy transition.

The US dollar fell from a two-year peak. It was still set for a third weekly rise. Inflation slowed. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates. The Fed signaled fewer cuts in 2025. Inflation remains above target. The US government faced a potential shutdown. The dollar weakened against several currencies.

U.S. stocks rebounded on Friday following a cooler-than-anticipated inflation report and dovish Fed commentary, easing rate hike concerns. The PCE index rose 2.4% annually, slightly below estimates. Despite the rally, major indexes closed the week lower. Traders now anticipate Fed rate cuts in March and October 2025. Congressional efforts to avoid a government shutdown also influenced market activity.

Wall Street rallied and the dollar weakened as cooler-than-anticipated inflation data eased fears of runaway price growth. This positive news overshadowed concerns about a potential government shutdown and new tariff threats. Major U.S. stock indexes climbed over 1%, while gold prices surged and Treasury yields retreated. European stocks, however, experienced their worst week in months due to tariff concerns.

Gold prices rallied on Friday, boosted by a weaker dollar and falling Treasury yields following U.S. economic data pointing to slowing inflation. However, the Federal Reserve's hawkish interest rate outlook limited gains, keeping gold on track for a weekly loss. Weaker personal consumption expenditure data also contributed to gold's rebound.