Published on: August 18, 2025
Indian equities ended sharply higher on Monday as investor sentiment got a double boost from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s GST reform push and S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of India’s sovereign rating to BBB from BBB-, the first since 2007. The Sensex closed 676 points higher at 81,274, while the Nifty50 gained 246 points to settle at 24,877.
Auto stocks led the rally, with Maruti Suzuki surging 9% and Hero MotoCorp, Ashok Leyland, Bajaj Auto and M&M notching up strong gains. Buying also spread across FMCG, financials, consumer durables and metals, while midcap and smallcap indices rallied nearly 500 points each.
Only a handful of heavyweights, including L&T, Tech Mahindra and Infosys, ended in the red. The twin triggers of policy clarity and rating upgrade bolstered hopes of sustained market momentum.
Published on: August 18, 2025
Auto stocks surged on Monday after reports indicated the government is considering slashing GST on entry-level two-wheelers, small cars and hybrids from the current 28–31% range to 18%. The move, part of a possible two-tier GST structure, aims to simplify taxes and make vehicles more affordable for middle-income households.
The Nifty Auto index jumped over 4.5%, with Hero MotoCorp, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, M&M and Tata Motors among the top gainers. Brokerages, including Morgan Stanley, said the cut could spark a fresh demand cycle similar to the post-2008 boom, with Hero MotoCorp and Maruti Suzuki likely to benefit the most. If implemented, vehicle prices could fall by ₹8,000–₹50,000, offering buyers festive-season relief.
Published on: August 18, 2025
Indian equity benchmarks surged for a third straight session on Monday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to cut GST rates substantially by Diwali, lifting sentiment across consumption-driven sectors. The Sensex jumped 676 points to close at 81,274, while the Nifty50 rose 246 points to settle at 24,877.
Auto, consumer durables and realty stocks led the rally, with Nifty Auto clocking its best single-day gain in at least a year. Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Finance were among the top gainers, while ITC, Tech Mahindra and L&T ended lower.
Midcap and smallcap indices also outperformed, underscoring strong market breadth. Globally, muted cues from Europe and the U.S. did little to dampen domestic optimism as investors cheered the government’s tax reform signal.
Published on: August 18, 2025
Coal India Ltd (CIL) shares rose around 1% on Monday to ₹388 apiece as broader markets rallied after the government announced plans to cut GST rates by Diwali. The Maharatna PSU, among Dalal Street’s top dividend payers, saw thin trade volumes with 1.2 lakh shares exchanged on BSE versus a two-week daily average of 5.2 lakh.
Last month, the state-run miner reported a 20% year-on-year decline in Q1 FY26 net profit to ₹8,734 crore, with revenue slipping 4% to ₹35,842 crore. The board declared an interim dividend of ₹5.5 per share. While the stock has underperformed benchmark indices this year, brokerages remain optimistic: Sharekhan has a ‘buy’ call with a ₹450 target (17% potential upside), while Axis Direct maintains a ‘hold’ with a ₹400 target.
Published on: August 18, 2025
JSW Steel and South Korea’s POSCO Group have signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) to explore setting up a six million tonnes per annum integrated steel plant in India. The proposed 50:50 joint venture builds on an MoU signed in October 2024 and combines JSW’s strong domestic presence with POSCO’s global technological expertise.
The agreement was signed in Mumbai in the presence of JSW Steel CEO Jayant Acharya and POSCO Holdings President Lee Ju-tae. The venture, aligned with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, aims to serve both Indian and international markets, creating a globally competitive manufacturing hub.
POSCO, one of the world’s leading steel producers, has a crude steel capacity of 42 MTPA through its integrated plants in South Korea.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Warburg Pincus and Wipro Technologies are in advanced negotiations to acquire the India-based digital transformation solutions (DTS) business of Harman, a Samsung Electronics subsidiary, in a deal valued at around $500 million (₹4,375 crore), according to sources.
Deutsche Bank is advising on the transaction, which would mark Wipro’s latest addition to its acquisition-led growth strategy. Harman, known globally for brands like JBL and Harman Kardon, runs its DTS unit in India with over 9,000 employees across eight cities, serving sectors such as healthcare, communications, industrial automation, and consumer electronics.
The unit has collaborated with Wipro since its India entry in 2008, operating joint facilities in Bengaluru and Chennai. If finalised, the acquisition would bolster Wipro’s engineering and digital transformation capabilities while expanding Warburg Pincus’s footprint in outsourced technology services.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Indian equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty50 opened marginally higher on Thursday, tracking gains in Asian markets, though investor sentiment remained cautious ahead of Russia–US talks on the Ukraine conflict. At 9:18 am, the Sensex was up 90.24 points at 80,630.15, while the Nifty50 rose 9.20 points to 24,628.55.
Infosys led the Sensex gainers, rising 1.12% to ₹1,442 after announcing plans to acquire a 75% stake in Australia’s Versent Group for AUD 233.25 million. ICICI Bank added 0.32% after sharply reducing minimum balance requirements across account categories.
Other notable gainers included Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, TCS, Maruti Suzuki, and Bharti Airtel. Analysts see immediate Nifty support at 24,500 and resistance at 24,700. The cautious tone follows Wednesday’s rally, when softer US inflation data bolstered expectations of a September Fed rate cut, pushing the Sensex up 304 points and the Nifty higher by 132 points.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Infosys shares rose 2% to ₹1,449.90 on Thursday after the company announced it will acquire a 75% stake in Melbourne-based Versent Group, a wholly owned unit of Australia’s Telstra Group, for AUD 233.25 million (over ₹1,300 crore). The transaction, excluding management incentives and retention bonuses, is set to close in the second half of FY26 subject to regulatory clearances.
Versent, with 650 employees and FY25 revenue of AUD 211.4 million, serves blue-chip clients in sectors including finance, energy, government, and education. Telstra will retain a 25% stake while Infosys assumes operational control, combining Telstra’s connectivity, Versent’s local engineering expertise, and Infosys’ global AI and cloud capabilities via its Topaz, Cobalt, and cybersecurity offerings.
The move strengthens Infosys’s cloud and AI presence in Australia and New Zealand, with executives from both companies calling it a step toward accelerating regional innovation. U.S.-listed Infosys shares also rose 1.6% following the news.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Infosys will acquire a 75% stake in Australian cloud solutions provider Versent Group for AUD 233.25 million (over $150 million), with the remaining 25% retained by Telstra Group. The deal, expected to close in H2 FY26, marks Infosys’s third acquisition this year, following MRE Consulting and cybersecurity firm The Missing Link, bringing its 2025 acquisition spend to about $254 million.
Versent, with 650 employees, posted $138 million in revenue for FY25, potentially adding 0.72% to Infosys’s FY26 topline. The move strengthens Infosys’s partnership with Telstra and underscores a strategy shift toward acquisitions as large tech deals remain scarce and client spending stays muted.
Infosys outpaced its top five IT peers in sequential growth last quarter, aided partly by recent acquisitions, as rivals like TCS, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra struggle to secure big-ticket contracts.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty advanced in early trade on Thursday, tracking positive cues from US markets and sustained buying in heavyweight stocks. The Sensex rose 154.07 points to 80,693.98, while the Nifty gained 45 points to 24,664.35. Gains were led by HDFC Bank, TCS, Infosys, Sun Pharma, Asian Paints, and Maruti, while Tata Steel, Bharat Electronics, NTPC, and Adani Ports declined.
Asian market sentiment was mixed, with Shanghai trading higher but Nikkei, Kospi, and Hang Seng in the red. Brent crude rose 0.34% to $65.85 a barrel. FIIs sold equities worth ₹3,644.43 crore on Wednesday, while DIIs bought ₹5,623.79 crore. The uptick follows Wednesday’s rally, when the Sensex added 304 points and the Nifty climbed 132 points.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Indian equity benchmarks Nifty 50 and Sensex closed the week marginally higher, breaking a six-week losing streak, with gains of nearly 1%. The indices traded in a narrow range for most of the session as investors awaited the upcoming US–Russia leaders’ meeting. Wipro, Eternal, and HDFC Life topped the Nifty gainers, while Infosys and HDFC Bank were major contributors to the upside.
Reliance Industries and Tata Steel weighed on the index. Sectorally, Nifty Pharma surged 3.5% to lead the pack, while Nifty IT, Financial Services, PSU Bank, and Realty also snapped multi-week losing runs. The rupee closed 11 paise stronger at 87.55 per US dollar.
In corporate updates, Shipping Corporation of India received a favourable tax order worth ₹146 crore, and Rail Vikas Nigam secured a ₹90.64 crore contract from Southern Railway. Markets will remain shut on Friday for Independence Day celebrations.
Published on: August 14, 2025
ICICI Bank has rolled back its steep minimum average balance (MAB) hike for new savings accounts, lowering the urban requirement from ₹50,000 to ₹15,000 and the semi-urban threshold from ₹25,000 to ₹7,500.
The change follows widespread criticism from customers, civil society groups, and industry voices who argued the earlier five-fold increase was exclusionary and burdensome, particularly in a country where most earn less than ₹25,000 a month.
While the revised MAB remains higher than pre-August levels, the bank says the move reflects a strategic shift toward “premiumisation” in response to pressure on profit margins. The Reserve Bank of India reiterated that MAB decisions rest solely with individual banks, as long as zero-balance accounts remain available. Competitors like HDFC and Axis Bank maintain lower urban MABs at ₹10,000, while SBI has eliminated them entirely.
Published on: August 14, 2025
Bajaj Housing Finance shares surged up to 5.9% to ₹114.92 on the NSE Thursday, August 14, amid heavy trading volumes following reports of a likely offer for sale (OFS) by promoter Bajaj Finance Ltd. Dealers indicated the OFS, expected at a 10% discount to Wednesday’s close, is aimed at reducing the promoter’s 88.7% stake to comply with SEBI’s 25% minimum public shareholding requirement.
Retail investors currently hold 7.9% of the company’s equity. Trading volumes were 9.4 times the 30-day average, with shares worth ₹140.29 crore changing hands. Despite the day’s rally, the stock has fallen 31% since its September 2024 listing. Bloomberg data shows six ‘sell’, two ‘buy’, and two ‘hold’ recommendations from the 10 analysts covering the stock.
Published on: August 13, 2025
FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd, the parent of Nykaa, saw its share price rise after reporting a stellar first-quarter performance for FY26. Consolidated net profit surged 142% year-on-year to ₹23.32 crore, while revenue climbed 23.42% to ₹2,154.94 crore. EBITDA grew 46.52% to ₹140.68 crore, with margins improving by 102 basis points to 6.52%.
Strong momentum in beauty and personal care, along with fashion segment growth, led Citi Research and Jefferies to raise their target prices. The stock touched its highest level since July 24, gaining over 5% intraday, and is up 29% year-to-date. Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with 13 ‘buy’, four ‘hold’, and nine ‘sell’ ratings.
Published on: August 12, 2025
Indian equities will track a busy lineup of corporate developments on August 12, with focus on quarterly results from ONGC, Hindalco, Apollo Hospitals, Bharat Dynamics, NSDL, Zydus Lifesciences, Nykaa, Honasa Consumer, and several others. Pfizer has launched its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in India, while Indian Hotels will acquire controlling stakes in ANK Hotels and Pride Hospitality for ₹204 crore.
Medi Assist’s promoter Bessemer India plans to offload up to 16% stake via block deal, and Adani Enterprises’ Horizon Aero Solutions will acquire Indamer Technics. Bulk deal highlights include Warburg Pincus’ exit from Home First Finance via ₹1,307 crore stake sale and significant promoter transactions in Repco Home Finance, NPST, FlySBS Aviation, and Vineet Laboratories.
Highway Infrastructure lists on the mainboard today, while multiple stocks trade ex-dividend or ex-split. PG Electroplast, PNB Housing Finance, and RBL Bank remain in the F&O ban list.