In a volatile trading session, the broader Nifty fell 317.90 points, or 1.25%, to close at 25,178.65. The 30-share Sensex tumbled 961.42 points, or 1.17%, to settle at 81,287.19.Meanwhile, the volatility gauge India VIX ended at 13.70, up 4.89% from the last closing.Here's how analysts read the market pulse:Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities, said the index has declined sharply after remaining below its key short-term moving average for three consecutive sessions. It has also slipped bene ...

Think of Singapore, Dubai or even Morocco and their image as world-class financial hubs is matched by the sheer number of global majors making their presence felt in these cities and their special economic zones. The vast breadth and depth of activities around the financial markets is worthy of emulation.In addition, these cities and economic zones also happen to be tax havens or low-tax regions making them all the more attractive for global investors and financial institutions to set up and run operations, ...

Market Performance - The Nifty 100 index has shown no returns since June 27, 2025, while the Midcap 150 index has increased by 1.1% and the Smallcap 250 index has decreased by 9% [1][2] - Since September 27, 2024, the Nifty 100 index has declined by 3.8%, the Midcap 150 index by 1.2%, and the Smallcap 250 index by 12.8% [2][18] Fixed Deposit (FD) Rates - Many banks and small finance banks are offering FD rates between 7% and 7.9%, despite some banks cutting rates following the Reserve Bank of India's repo rate cut [2][18] - Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks are offering FD rates above 6.5%, while private banks are providing rates up to 7.85%, and small finance banks are offering the highest rate of 7.9% [6][18] Investor Sentiment - In the current investment climate, capital protection is prioritized, making FD returns appear favorable [8][18] - Investors are favoring safety and guaranteed returns over higher but uncertain returns in volatile markets, leading to a psychological advantage for FD investors [9][18] Asset Allocation and Strategy - FDs are seen as stabilizing portfolios, providing liquidity, and protecting capital during market downturns [13][14] - Long-term investors are advised to maintain a disciplined asset allocation strategy, focusing on rebalancing rather than panic selling during market corrections [16][17]

Apple is reportedly holding discussions with Indian banks and international card networks to launch its payment service in the country. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank are among the lenders involved in the talks, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the report, the iPhone maker is targeting the launch of Apple Pay around the middle of 2026. The schedule may change, but the talks indicate preparations are underway. Apple is also in conversations with Mastercard an ...

The pilot is being implemented by the Puducherry government, the RBI, the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and Canara BankCurrently being piloted in Puducherry, the Centre plans to expand the initiative to three to four states and UTs, including Chandigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, “soon”Beneficiaries will get digital coupons in their CBDC wallets, which can then be used to redeem the entitled quantity of foodgrains at merchant outletsThe Centre yesterday rolled out a central bank digital currenc ...

HDFC Bank’s share edged up to 28.4%, while Despite this spending concentration, the share of active cards among the top five banks remained stable at around 74–75%, suggesting consumers increasingly rely on top banks for high-value purchases. January 2026 also saw total credit card spending decline 2.7% month-on-month to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore, but HDFC Bank and SBI recorded smaller contractions than the overall industry, lifting their combined market share to 47.5%. Online transactions dominated with 61.8 ...

Group 1 - Apple is in discussions with several Indian banks and global card networks to launch its Apple Pay service in India [1] - The company is negotiating with ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank, aiming for a service introduction around mid-2026 [1]

Banking Sector - Caution expressed regarding IDFC First Bank following a fraud episode, indicating a need for thorough system and process checks [1][4] - IDFC First Bank may not recover for one to two quarters, with expectations for the stock to remain range-bound until uncertainties are resolved [1][4] - Possible deposit outflows and near-term growth impact flagged for both IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank, with a recommendation to avoid AU for now [1][4] - PSU bank returns are cyclical and near peak levels, but they may continue to perform well over the next couple of years [1][4] - Preference reiterated for private sector banks, with confidence in large private lenders such as ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, particularly due to margin recovery at HDFC Bank [1][4] IT Sector - Negative sentiment around the IT sector is viewed as overdone, with falling valuations creating attractive opportunities for long-term investors [1][4] - Large-cap IT companies trading at 10-15 times earnings are considered compelling, supported by dividend yields of 2-3% [1][4] - The sector has been beaten down due to the artificial intelligence wave, but companies are expected to adapt and use AI as a growth lever [1][4] Cigarette Industry - Government tax tinkering remains a significant overhang for cigarette companies, keeping stocks like ITC largely range-bound and increasingly cyclical [1][4] - While attractive valuations and dividends can make these stocks appealing at lower levels, policy uncertainty limits their potential as long-term compounders [1][4] Market Outlook - Overall market conditions emphasize the importance of valuation discipline and selectivity, with opportunities emerging in beaten-down sectors like IT [1][4] - Investors remain cautious on banks facing governance questions and sectors exposed to policy risks [1][4]

Analysts said any migration of low-cost current and savings accounts (CASA) from private lenders is likely to benefit large state-sector banks, particularly "There will be greater scrutiny of government deposits in private sector banks, and some balances could migrate to PSU banks over the medium term, particularly impacting CASA," said Suresh Ganapathy, head of Financial Services Research at Macquarie Capital. "Post-Covid, CASA ratios across the system have already declined by 500-600 basis points from pe ...

Analysts said any migration of low-cost “There will be greater scrutiny of ET had reported that the Haryana government has de-empanelled IDFC First Bank and “We have deep relationships with our government clients. We do not believe this will pose a systemic issue, but we are committed to further strengthening our processes and service standards,” said V Vaidyanathan, Managing Director of IDFC First Bank, on an analyst call.Live EventsMost large private sector banks have meaningful exposure to state and cen ...