Published on: May 7, 2025
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has floated a proposal to simplify the voluntary delisting process for public sector undertakings (PSUs) where the government or promoter entities hold 90% or more of total issued shares. The move is intended to address the challenges posed by low public float, outdated business models, and inflated market prices of certain PSUs due to investor confidence in government backing.
In a consultation paper released Tuesday, Sebi noted that many such PSUs are financially burdensome to delist under current norms, which rely on a 60-day volume weighted average market price (VWAMP) to determine the floor price. This often leads to elevated exit costs for the government due to higher-than-justified market valuations.
To address this, Sebi has proposed:
Fixed-price delisting at a 15% premium over the floor price, regardless of trading frequency
Waiver of minimum public shareholding (MPS) compliance
Elimination of the requirement for two-thirds public shareholder approval
Three pricing options for exit offers to ensure fairness for public shareholders
The regulator has also proposed that unclaimed delisting funds be transferred to a designated stock exchange for 7 years, after which they will be moved to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).
Public comments on the proposals are invited until May 26, 2025. If adopted, the framework is expected to ease the financial and procedural burden on the government while ensuring adequate safeguards for public investors.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Cooling products manufacturer Blue Star Ltd reported a 21% year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit to ₹194 crore for the March quarter (Q4 FY25), up from ₹159.71 crore in the same quarter of FY24. The growth was supported by higher revenue, which rose to ₹4,042.95 crore, compared to ₹3,340.16 crore in the corresponding period last year, as per a regulatory filing on Wednesday.
However, total expenses also increased to ₹3,793.73 crore from ₹3,126.38 crore in Q4 FY24. For the full financial year FY25, Blue Star posted a 43% jump in net profit to ₹591.28 crore, up from ₹414.31 crore in FY24.
The board recommended a final dividend of ₹9 per equity share of ₹2 each for the year ended March 31, 2025.
Additionally, the board approved the re-appointment of Vir S Advani as Chairman & Managing Director for another five-year term starting April 1, 2026. Advani, who has been associated with the company in various leadership roles since 2000, assumed his current position in April 2024. The re-appointment is subject to shareholders' approval.
Published on: May 7, 2025
MUMBAI, May 7 — Indian equity markets experienced significant volatility in early trade on Wednesday after India conducted missile strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attacks.
The BSE Sensex swung sharply, hitting an intraday high of 80,844.63 and a low of 79,937.48, reflecting heightened market nervousness. The NSE Nifty also mirrored this pattern, rising to a high of 24,449.60 before dipping to 24,220.
As of late morning trade, both benchmark indices remained range-bound amid the heightened uncertainty. The Sensex was down 87.81 points at 80,553.26, while the Nifty slipped 16.55 points to 24,365.05, as traders weighed the geopolitical developments and awaited further clarity on escalation risks.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Indian equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty ended modestly higher on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, overcoming early volatility triggered by geopolitical developments. The Ministry of Defence’s announcement of precision strikes by Indian forces in Pakistan and PoK, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks, initially rattled market sentiment. However, strong buying interest in auto, realty, financials, and consumer durables helped indices recover intraday losses.
The Sensex closed at 80,746.78, up 105.71 points (0.13%), while the Nifty50 settled at 24,414.40, rising 34.80 points (0.14%), after rebounding nearly 1% from its intraday low. Broader markets outperformed, with the Nifty MidCap100 and SmallCap100 surging 1.59% and 1.38%, respectively. Key gainers included Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, and Adani Ports, while Asian Paints, Sun Pharma, and ITC were among the laggards.
Auto stocks led the sectoral rally, with the Nifty Auto index up 1.66%, buoyed by strong performances from Samvardhana Motherson and Tata Motors. Conversely, FMCG, Pharma, and Healthcare indices ended in the red. Market breadth remained positive, with over 1,700 stocks advancing on the NSE.
Analysts noted that the restrained market reaction suggests geopolitical risks may be largely priced in, with attention shifting to global cues like the upcoming US FOMC meeting. Technical experts see Nifty in a consolidation range of 24,100–24,600, with directional clarity expected on a breakout from either side.
Published on: May 7, 2025
HDFC Bank has announced a cut in its Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rates (MCLR) by up to 15 basis points (bps) across select loan tenures, effective May 7, 2025. This move follows the Reserve Bank of India’s 25 bps repo rate reduction in April, aimed at easing borrowing costs. The revised MCLR now ranges between 9.00% and 9.20%, down from the previous 9.10% to 9.35% in April.
Key reductions include a 10 bps cut in overnight and one-month MCLR to 9.00%, a 15 bps drop in the three-month rate to 9.05%, and the six-month rate trimmed by 20 bps to 9.10%. The one-year MCLR has been lowered to 9.15%, while the two- and three-year tenures now stand at 9.20%.
This development benefits borrowers with floating-rate loans linked to MCLR—such as home, auto, and personal loans—potentially reducing their EMIs or loan tenure, depending on reset terms. Introduced in 2016, the MCLR sets the minimum interest rate for banks and ensures transmission of RBI’s monetary policy changes to end consumers.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Shares of Tata Motors are expected to attract attention on Wednesday after the company announced that shareholders have approved its demerger plan, separating its passenger vehicle (PV) and commercial vehicle (CV) businesses. The move, which aims to unlock value by enabling both segments to pursue independent growth strategies, was overwhelmingly approved with 99.9995% of shareholder votes in favor. Under the plan, shareholders will receive equal stakes in the newly formed listed entities.
The approval comes at a time when Tata Motors reported a 6.1% year-on-year decline in total vehicle sales for April 2025, with domestic sales and commercial vehicle (CV) sales dropping significantly. Passenger vehicle (PV) sales were also down, with electric vehicle (EV) sales experiencing a 5% decline.
Despite this, analysts are still optimistic about Tata Motors' future performance. Trendlyne data shows an average target price of ₹812, indicating a potential upside of 25% from current levels. The consensus recommendation from 30 analysts is a 'Buy'.
On Tuesday, Tata Motors' shares closed at ₹647.80, marking a 2.1% decline, while the broader market also saw a dip. The company’s market capitalization stands at ₹2,38,477 crore.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Shares of Tata Motors surged by 4% to ₹675 per share on May 7, making it the top gainer on Nifty 50 following shareholder approval for the demerger of its commercial vehicle business. The demerger proposal, which received an overwhelming 99.99% vote in favor, will see the commercial vehicle division become a separate listed entity. As part of the plan, existing Tata Motors shareholders will receive one share in the new commercial vehicle company for every share they hold in Tata Motors.
The stock has shown signs of recovery, rising nearly 15% in the past month, despite a 10% decline in 2025 so far. Additionally, the recent India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to benefit Tata Motors, particularly its Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) division. The FTA will reduce import tariffs on automobiles from over 100% to 10% for a specific quota, potentially boosting JLR’s sales in India due to lower import costs. This agreement is a significant catalyst for Tata Motors' growth, especially in the premium car segment.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Shares of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) gained 2% to ₹405 after reporting a strong Q4 FY25 performance with an 11% increase in net profit to ₹3,354.98 crore. The company also announced a final dividend of ₹10.5 per share for the financial year 2024-25, which further bolstered investor sentiment. HPCL’s gross refining margin rose to $8.44 per barrel from $6.95 per barrel last year, highlighting strong operational performance.
Tata Motors shares saw a 4.2% jump to ₹675.45 after shareholders approved the company’s demerger plan, separating its passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle divisions into two independent listed entities. The demerger proposal was approved with overwhelming support of 99.9995% votes. In addition, the company benefited from positive sentiment around the UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is expected to reduce tariffs on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) vehicles and support electric vehicle (EV) exports from the UK to India.
At 11:07 AM, Tata Motors traded at ₹669.65, up 3.37%, while HPCL was at ₹402.05, up 1.3%. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex remained muted, down by 0.10%.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) shares gained 2%, hitting an intraday high of ₹405 on the BSE after the company announced strong Q4 FY25 results and declared a final dividend of ₹10.5 per share. As of 11:51 AM, the stock traded at ₹402.05, up 1.3%, even as the BSE Sensex was marginally down by 0.06%.
The company posted a standalone net profit of ₹3,354.98 crore for Q4 FY25, marking an 11% rise over the previous quarter’s ₹3,022.9 crore. Gross refining margins improved to $8.44 per barrel, up from $6.95 in the year-ago period. HPCL's marketing segment also saw 2.7% domestic sales growth, outpacing the industry average of 2.4%.
HPCL's management emphasized leveraging its strong infrastructure and market position to adapt to the changing energy landscape. The board recommended a final dividend of ₹10.5/share, with the record date set for August 14, 2025.
With a market cap of ₹85,549.10 crore, HPCL stock has delivered a 15% return over the past year, outperforming the Sensex’s 9.6% gain. The stock’s 52-week range spans from ₹287.55 to ₹457.20 per share.
Published on: May 7, 2025
A total of 50 companies, including major names like MRF, Coal India, Dabur, and Punjab National Bank (PNB), are set to release their Q4 and full-year FY25 financial results this week. Other prominent firms announcing earnings include Voltas, Blue Star, United Breweries, Tata Chemicals, and Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO). These announcements will provide key insights into corporate performance for the quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, 2025.
This comes at a time when benchmark Indian indices are under pressure, with markets reacting to escalating India–Pakistan geopolitical tensions. On Tuesday, May 6, the BSE Sensex declined 155.77 points (0.19%) to 80,641.07, while the NSE Nifty50 lost 81.55 points (0.33%) to close at 24,379.60.
The downtrend extended into Wednesday morning, with the Sensex down 71.49 points at 80,569.58 and the Nifty50 lower by 11.20 points at 24,368.40 by 10 AM.
Meanwhile, the rupee weakened, opening 18 paise lower at 84.62/$, reflecting investor caution. Market volatility is expected to remain high as traders continue to monitor the geopolitical developments following India’s retaliatory strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK, conducted in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Punjab National Bank (PNB) reported a consolidated net profit of ₹4,642.9 crore for Q4 FY25, registering a 50% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase from ₹3,100.9 crore in the same quarter last year. On a sequential basis, the profit saw a marginal dip of 0.1% from ₹4,648.6 crore in Q3 FY25.
The PSU lender’s total income for the March quarter rose 13.1% Y-o-Y to ₹37,299 crore, compared to ₹32,976.5 crore in Q4 FY24. Sequentially, income rose 5.7% from ₹35,286.4 crore. For the full financial year FY25, PNB reported a net profit of ₹17,439.6 crore, more than doubling from ₹8,328.9 crore in FY24, marking a robust 109% annual growth.
The bank showed significant improvement in asset quality, with gross non-performing assets (GNPA) down to 3.95% in March 2025 from 5.73% a year earlier. Net NPA also improved, declining to 0.4% from 0.73% over the same period.
The board recommended a dividend of ₹2.90 per equity share for FY25, highlighting confidence in the bank’s financial strength. On the deposits front, savings deposits increased 3.8% Y-o-Y to ₹4,98,429 crore, while term deposits surged 21.5% to ₹9,93,080 crore, indicating strong customer trust and funding stability.
Despite the strong numbers, PNB shares traded slightly lower, down 0.21% at ₹94.35 on the BSE at 3:05 PM following the Q4 results announcement.
Published on: May 7, 2025
Housing & Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) posted a net profit of ₹727.74 crore in Q4 FY25, registering a 3.94% year-on-year growth compared to ₹700 crore in Q4 FY24. The company's revenue from operations surged by 37% in the quarter to ₹2,844.99 crore. For the full financial year FY25, HUDCO reported a net profit of ₹2,709.14 crore, up 27% from ₹2,116.69 crore in FY24, with total revenue reaching ₹10,311 crore, a 32.45% increase from the previous year.
The Board has recommended a final dividend of ₹1.05 per share, adding to the two interim dividends paid earlier in the year. HUDCO also reported a significant improvement in asset quality, with gross NPAs falling to 1.67% in FY25 from 2.71% in FY24, and net NPAs down to 0.25%. The company resolved six major NPA accounts worth ₹358.02 crore, with total recoveries from NPAs amounting to ₹659.54 crore, including recoveries from six government agencies.
In FY25, HUDCO achieved its highest-ever fundraise at ₹51,133.41 crore, more than doubling the ₹21,975.13 crore raised in FY24. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) increased their stake in the company from 1.91% to 2.46%. HUDCO’s loan book remains heavily government-focused, with 98.47% of loans extended to government entities and agencies.
The company also reported earnings per share (EPS) of ₹3.63 for Q4 and ₹13.53 for the full year, both basic and diluted. Despite rising expenses and market volatility, HUDCO’s operational performance, asset quality improvement, and capital-raising ability underscore a strong financial year.
Published on: May 6, 2025
US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose new tariffs on pharmaceutical imports within the next two weeks, signaling a major policy shift in the nation’s healthcare and trade agenda. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump criticized foreign nations for “unfair” drug pricing practices and pledged to strengthen domestic medical manufacturing. This announcement comes alongside a sweeping executive order aimed at reducing American reliance on foreign pharmaceutical production.
The executive order instructs the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accelerate approvals for domestic drug manufacturing plants and increase scrutiny of overseas producers, including enhanced enforcement of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) sourcing transparency. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been directed to fast-track construction approvals for new pharmaceutical facilities.
Although Trump did not name specific countries or drugs, the move could significantly impact India, which is the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals to the US, accounting for over 31% of its total pharma exports valued at around $8.7 billion in FY24. Europe and Asia are also key suppliers of prescription drugs to the US, which imports over $200 billion worth annually.
The tariffs are being proposed amid a broader national security probe into America’s dependency on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Industry experts warn that setting up new pharmaceutical facilities domestically may take up to five years, but the White House has dismissed this timeline as inadequate for national security. In parallel, major pharma players such as Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Roche have already begun shifting operations to the US in anticipation of a more protectionist landscape.
Published on: May 6, 2025
State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, is preparing to raise up to ₹10,000 crore through infrastructure bonds in June, two merchant bankers familiar with the matter told NDTV Profit. The bond issuance, expected to have a 15-year maturity, will likely be launched after the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled from June 4–6. The move aims to support SBI’s long-term infrastructure lending.
According to one of the people involved, the issuance will likely carry a base size of ₹5,000 crore with a greenshoe option of an additional ₹5,000 crore. The bank is targeting a coupon range of 6.85–6.90% for the bonds, although final details are still being worked out.
In FY2024, SBI had already raised ₹30,000 crore through three tranches of similar 15-year infrastructure bonds. It also secured ₹10,000 crore each via tier-I and tier-II bonds during the same period. As of March-end, the bank’s infrastructure loan book stood at ₹3.97 lakh crore, up 0.7% year-on-year. Gross advances rose by 12.03% to ₹42.20 lakh crore, while deposit growth lagged at 9.48%, reaching ₹53.82 lakh crore.
Infrastructure bonds, with a minimum tenure of seven years, offer regulatory benefits including exemptions from statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) and cash reserve ratio (CRR) mandates. Proceeds from such bonds typically finance infrastructure and affordable housing projects.
Published on: May 6, 2025
JSW Steel and the Committee of Creditors (CoC) are preparing to file review petitions in the Supreme Court in response to its recent judgment ordering the liquidation of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd., according to sources familiar with the matter. This development comes just ahead of the scheduled National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) hearing on the case on May 14.
The review pleas are expected to focus on correcting what JSW Steel and the CoC believe are factual inaccuracies in the Supreme Court’s May 2 ruling. Specifically, the petitioners argue that the court’s observation that the resolution professional failed to file required Section 29A clearance forms, as well as applications related to disputed transactions, is incorrect. The CoC, led by State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, plans to join JSW Steel in filing the petitions within the 30-day window allowed under Supreme Court rules.
The apex court had previously ruled that JSW Steel’s 2019 acquisition of Bhushan Power & Steel, valued at ₹19,700 crore under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, was not legally valid and must be reversed. As a result, both financial and operational creditors will be required to return the funds they received, and the company will enter liquidation.
While the review petition process may help clarify factual errors, it cannot overturn the court’s final verdict. Whether the Supreme Court will revise its stance on the transaction remains uncertain.