Priya Nair's appointment as HUL's first woman MD & CEO has boosted investor confidence, with the stock rising by 5%. Nair is expected to revitalize the company amidst slowing growth and competition from D2C brands. Analysts are optimistic about her track record of improving profit margins and driving growth through premiumization and strategic shifts, leveraging her extensive experience within HUL.

RBI data reveals banking credit grew 9.5% and deposits 10.1% in the June quarter year-on-year. Despite a slowdown in fiscal 2025, analysts anticipate a credit growth recovery to 12-13% in FY26, fueled by cheaper loans and repo rate cuts. Easier liquidity may boost consumption and retail inflation with a lag, according to ICICI Bank.

Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries (RIL) will announce its June quarter earning on Friday, July 18. The company will also hold an analyst meet, post the board meeting to discuss the financial result for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Defence stocks like BDL, GRSE, and Mazagon Dock fell for the second day as investors booked profits amid easing geopolitical tensions and valuation concerns. A recent downgrade on BDL added to the pressure. The Nifty defence index dropped 2.3%.

Indian equities closed lower on Thursday, with analysts anticipating near-term market consolidation influenced by India-US trade discussions and earnings season cues. Technical indicators suggest a weakening trend, while the India VIX, a measure of market fear, decreased. The rupee strengthened slightly against the US dollar amid trade deal optimism.

Markets declined on weekly expiry day, with several companies in focus due to earnings and news. TCS reported a 6% profit increase, while IREDA's profit fell by 36%. Zee failed to secure shareholder votes for fundraising. HUL appointed Priya Nair as CEO, and Glenmark Pharma partnered with AbbVie for ISB 2001.

Smartworks Coworking IPO: The offer attracted bids for 11.64 lakh shares compared to the total issue size of 1.04 crore shares. Non-institutional investors (NIIs) led the demand, subscribing to 18% of their allocated portion, followed by retail investors at 15%.

Uday Kotak highlighted that India accounts for 80% of global index and stock options contracts, amid concerns over high retail losses and market manipulation flagged by SEBI. His remarks follow SEBIs study showing 91% of retail traders lost money in FY25.

Monolithisch India shares surged 43% in three sessions, hitting an all-time high after ace investor Mukul Agrawal acquired a 2.3% stake. The stock has soared over 200% since IPO, driven by strong earnings and rising client base.