Core Viewpoint - Amundi has reached an agreement in principle with Societe Generale to renew their long-term partnership in investment solutions distribution and securities services for another five years, pending regulatory approvals [1][2]. Group 1: Partnership Details - The new partnership agreement will take effect once contractual documentation is finalized and regulatory approvals are obtained [1]. - Amundi has been the primary provider of savings and investment solutions for Societe Generale's retail banking and insurance networks since 2010 [2]. Group 2: Company Overview - Amundi is the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players, managing over €2.3 trillion in assets for 100 million clients [3][4]. - The company offers a complete range of savings and investment solutions, enhanced with IT tools and services, covering the entire savings value chain [3]. - Amundi operates six international investment hubs and employs 5,600 staff across 35 countries, emphasizing responsible investment [4].

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UBS has entered a strategic partnership with Ant International, a leading global digital payment, digitisation, and financial technology provider, to explore innovations in blockchain-based tokenised deposits to support Ant International's global payments settlement and liquidity management. Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at UBS's flagship office at 9 Penang Road in Singapore. Under the MoU, Ant International will leverage UBS Digital Cash, a. ...

Core Insights - Retail investors in India demonstrated strong buying activity in the September 2025 quarter, investing over ₹18,000 crore across ten companies, indicating resilience amid market volatility [11] - The trend shows a shift in retail investor behavior, often acting contrarian to institutional investors, particularly in large-cap stocks [4][11] - Despite a decline in average stock prices of retail-heavy counters by 6.55%, the number of companies with rising retail participation exceeded 1,000, reflecting sustained interest [5][11] Retail Investment Trends - BSE Ltd attracted the highest retail inflow of ₹6,089 crore, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with ₹4,531 crore and Trent Ltd with ₹1,752 crore [11] - Retail investors were significant sellers in financial heavyweights, with HDFC Bank experiencing the largest outflow of ₹9,361 crore, followed by Adani Power and State Bank of India [11] - Retail ownership across NSE-listed companies stands at 7.43% by value and 16.38% by volume as of September 2025, highlighting their growing influence [3][11] Market Dynamics - The rise of domestic participation has reduced the share of foreign institutional investors (FIIs) to 16.7% of NSE companies by value, the lowest in 13 years [7][11] - Retail investors are particularly active in mid and small-cap segments, with retail ownership in these categories significantly higher than in Nifty-50 stocks [6][11] - The Q2FY26 earnings season revealed subdued trends in mass consumption but an uptick in select discretionary segments, with better-than-expected performance from metals, mining, and oil marketing companies [9][11] Analyst Perspectives - Analysts suggest a constructive market environment for long-term growth and quality investing, with a focus on domestic-oriented sectors such as consumption, domestic financials, healthcare, and telecom [10][11] - Caution is advised regarding IT, deep cyclicals, energy, and utilities sectors, reflecting a selective investment approach [10][11]

Market Reaction to U.S. Tariffs - The market's reaction to President Trump's tariff reversal on over 200 food products was muted, attributed to ongoing cost-of-living issues [1][14] - The U.S. dollar index rose slightly to 99.37, despite a broad selloff in U.S. stocks and bonds last week [6][14] Currency Movements - The Swiss franc remained around a one-month high at 0.7941 per dollar, supported by concerns over recent stock market selloffs [2][14] - The euro decreased by 0.11% to $1.1607, while the Australian dollar fell 0.15% to $0.6527, and the New Zealand dollar dropped 0.12% to $0.5673 [5][14] U.S. Economic Data Expectations - There is heightened market interest in upcoming U.S. economic data releases, particularly the September nonfarm payrolls report, due to a data vacuum lasting over 40 days [4][14] - Current market expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut next month have decreased to just over 40%, down from over 60% earlier in the month [6][14] UK Economic Concerns - The British pound traded 0.11% lower at $1.3161, influenced by Finance Minister Rachel Reeves' announcement of no plans to raise income tax rates, which raised concerns about fiscal shortfalls [8][14] - Reeves is expected to need to raise tens of billions of pounds to meet fiscal targets in the upcoming November 26 budget, with financial markets viewing income tax increases as a primary solution [9][14] Japanese Economic Data - Japan's economy contracted an annualized 1.8% in the July-September quarter, marking the first decline in six quarters, primarily due to the impact of U.S. tariffs on exports [11][14]

Economic Overview - Japan's economy contracted for the first time in six quarters, leading to a decline in Japanese and Australian equities, while South Korean equities rose [1][9] - US equity-index futures showed a slight increase amid cautious investor sentiment as they await key economic indicators, including employment figures [2][9] Market Sentiment - Investors are navigating mixed risks, including stretched valuations in AI-related stocks and renewed tensions between China and Japan, contributing to a fading risk appetite [2][9] - November has been characterized by volatility in share markets, with concerns about potential corrections due to stretched valuations and a softening US jobs market [2][9] Federal Reserve Outlook - A number of Federal Reserve officials have expressed skepticism regarding the necessity of a rate cut in December, with futures traders reducing the odds of a quarter-point cut below 50% [5][9] - The uncertainty surrounding interest rate cuts has led to an increase in expected bond-market volatility, which had previously been at a four-year low [5][9] Employment Data Expectations - Analysts expect the upcoming non-farm payrolls report for September to underperform expectations of a 50,000 increase, indicating potential weakness in the labor market [6][9] Commodity Market Trends - Oil prices started the week lower, while gold prices increased, with gold having risen over 50% this year, on track for its best annual gain since 1979 [6][9] - Gold was trading around $4,100 an ounce, having lost more than 2% in the previous session, as expectations for a rate cut diminished [7][9] Cryptocurrency Market - Bitcoin has erased over 30% of its gains since the start of the year, following a peak just over a month ago, as enthusiasm for the pro-crypto stance of the Trump administration wanes [8][9]

Core Insights - The New York Federal Reserve President John Williams held a meeting with Wall Street dealers to discuss the standing repo facility, a key lending tool for financial institutions [1][2][4] Group 1: Meeting Details - The meeting occurred during the Fed's annual Treasury market conference and included representatives from the 25 primary dealers of banks involved in underwriting government debt [2] - Participants were members of banks' fixed income market teams, indicating a focus on the implications for bond markets [2] Group 2: Purpose of the Standing Repo Facility - Williams sought feedback on the standing repo facility, which allows eligible institutions to borrow cash from the Fed against high-quality collateral like Treasury bonds [3] - This facility acts as a backstop for markets, enabling institutions to sell securities to the Fed with an agreement to repurchase them later [3] Group 3: Context and Concerns - The meeting was prompted by concerns regarding stress in parts of the U.S. financial system and signs of tighter market liquidity [5] - Roberto Perli emphasized that firms should utilize the standing repo facility when it is economically sensible, highlighting its importance in current market conditions [5]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the valuation of National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB) shares, highlighting the importance of understanding their true worth, especially for dividend-seeking investors. Group 1: Valuation Methods - The Price-Earnings (PE) ratio is a common tool for valuing shares, comparing a company's share price to its earnings per share, with NAB's current PE ratio at 18.4x compared to the banking sector average of 19x [4][6] - A sector-adjusted PE valuation for NAB, based on its earnings per share and the sector average PE, results in a valuation of $42.27 [6] - The Dividend Discount Model (DDM) is highlighted as a more effective valuation method for banks, relying on recent or forecasted dividends and a risk rate [7][8] Group 2: DDM Valuation Insights - The DDM formula calculates share price based on full-year dividends, risk rate, and dividend growth rate, with an average valuation of NAB shares at $35.74 using a blended rate for growth and risk [10][11] - Adjusting for an 'adjusted' dividend payment increases the valuation to $36.16, while considering gross dividends (including franking credits) raises the valuation to $51.66 [11][12] Group 3: Market Context - The Australian banking sector, including NAB, operates in an oligopoly, with large banks favored by investors for their dividend income and franking credits [2][3] - Despite attempts by international banks to enter the Australian market, their success has been limited, reinforcing the strong position of the 'Big Four' banks [3]

Group 1 - Recent months have seen credit fears dominating the stock market, with frequent discussions surrounding the bankruptcies of First Brands and Tricolor [1] - Rida Morwa, a former investment and commercial banker with over 35 years of experience, has been advising clients on high-yield investment strategies since 1991 [1] - The Investing Group High Dividend Opportunities, led by Rida Morwa, focuses on sustainable income through high-yield investments with a targeted safe yield of over 9% [1] Group 2 - The service includes features such as a model portfolio with buy/sell alerts, preferred and baby bond portfolios for conservative investors, and regular market updates [1] - The service philosophy emphasizes community, education, and the belief that investors should not invest alone [1]

Group 1: South Africa Crypto News - Discovery Bank partners with Luno, becoming the first major lender in South Africa to allow users to trade cryptocurrency directly from its banking app starting in December [2][3] - Discovery CEO Hylton Kallner emphasizes the evolution of the financial world and the maturation of crypto assets, noting that 1 in 10 South Africans hold crypto assets [3] Group 2: Nigeria Crypto News - Obiex, a crypto exchange in Nigeria, has achieved profitability after bootstrapping and restructuring to focus on high-volume retail customers [4] - The exchange reports that swap volumes have exceeded $800 million in 2025, with total processed transaction volumes in the billions [4] Group 3: Ghana Crypto News - GFX, a brokerage firm in Ghana, is collaborating with Libeara, a tokenization platform, to enable the tokenization of government-issued financial instruments and investments [6]

Market Performance - The BSE Sensex increased by 1,346.5 points, or 1.62 percent, while the NSE Nifty rose by 417.75 points, or 1.64 percent, indicating a strong market rebound after a recent phase of weakness [1][5]. Company Market Capitalization - Reliance Industries Ltd's market capitalization surged by Rs 54,941.84 crore, reaching Rs 20,55,379.61 crore, maintaining its position as the most valued company [2][5]. - Bharti Airtel's market capitalization increased by Rs 55,652.54 crore to Rs 11,96,700.84 crore, making it one of the biggest gainers [5]. - Tata Consultancy Services saw its market cap rise by Rs 40,757.75 crore to Rs 11,23,416.17 crore [5]. - ICICI Bank's market valuation climbed by Rs 20,834.35 crore to Rs 9,80,374.43 crore [5]. - State Bank of India's market capitalization rallied by Rs 10,522.9 crore to Rs 8,92,923.79 crore [5]. - Infosys advanced by Rs 10,448.32 crore to Rs 6,24,198.80 crore [5]. - HDFC Bank's market cap increased by Rs 9,149.13 crore to Rs 15,20,524.34 crore [5]. - Hindustan Unilever's market valuation rose by Rs 2,878.25 crore to Rs 5,70,187.06 crore [5]. - Conversely, Bajaj Finance's market cap declined by Rs 30,147.94 crore to Rs 6,33,573.38 crore, and Life Insurance Corporation of India's valuation fell by Rs 9,266.12 crore to Rs 5,75,100.42 crore [5]. Top Valued Companies - The combined market valuation of the top 10 most valued companies surged by Rs 2,05,185.08 crore last week, with Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel being the largest contributors [5].