Sensitive issues remain. Water sharing of the Ganga and Teesta rivers. Treatment of minorities, particularly Hindus. Border management. Trade imbalances. Connectivity projects.What happens next will shape not just bilateral ties, but the balance of South Asia itself, points out Ramesh Menon.
Cigarette-to-soap conglomerate ITC on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit (attributable to owners) of Rs 4,931.19 crore for the third quarter (October-December/Q3) of 2025-26 (FY26), affected by a one-time provision related to the new labour codes and a base effect from an exceptional item in Q3 of 2024-25. In the year-ago period, net profit had stood at Rs 4,934.8 crore.
Macroeconomic data, global geopolitical developments and rising concerns over AI-related disruptions are likely to dictate sentiment in the stock market next week, even as investors may remain cautious amid ongoing volatility, according to analysts.
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Thursday reported a two-fold jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 6,603 crore in the December quarter of FY'26, on a year-on-year basis, driven by a one-off positive impact from the demerger of its ice cream business.
Silver and gold prices snapped a two-day rebound and declined sharply up to 10 per cent in the futures trade on Thursday amid weak trends in the international markets and a strong US dollar.
India's U-19 World Cup triumph completes historic ICC sweep
Tarique Rahman is Bangladesh's first male prime minister in more than three decades, ending an era of female leadership that began in 1991.
Strong performance in the beauty and personal care (BPC) segment, margin gains, and expectations of a breakeven in the fashion business lifted sentiment for FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa). The consumer technology platform's stock rose 7.5 per cent on Friday, extending gains over the past week to more than 17 per cent. Most brokerages have upgraded the stock following its third-quarter (October-December/Q3) performance and higher profit expectations ahead.
Bharat Electronics, Power Grid, NTPC and HDFC Bank were among the other major gainers. However, Infosys, Tata Steel, Eternal and Tech Mahindra were among the laggards.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a fiscal deficit target of 4.3% of GDP for FY27, continuing the path of fiscal consolidation. The government aims to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 55.6% by BE 2026-27 and further to around 50% by March 2031.
State Bank of India on Saturday reported an all-time high profit of Rs 21,028 crore in December quarter FY26 on a standalone basis.
Inflation data, trading activity of foreign investors and global trends would dictate sentiment in the stock market this week, according to analysts.
The forthcoming Budget could think of maintaining public capital expenditure at 3 per cent so that domestic resources are available for private investments, points out N R Bhanumurthy.
Diversified conglomerate ITC Ltd on Thursday reported a 2.6 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 5,187 crore for the second quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal (FY'26) as compared to Rs 5,054 crore in the same period last year. However, the current quarter's figures exclude the hotels business, which was demerged into ITC Hotels Ltd effective from January 2025 and is no longer part of the company's continuing operations.
Stocks of fast-moving consumer goods companies have taken it on the chin in calendar year 2026 (CY26) with the Nifty FMCG index falling over 6 per cent compared to the Nifty 50 dipping 0.8 per cent. Nifty FMCG is one of the worst-performing sectors on the NSE in CY26.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), paving the way for the country's biggest exchange - currently valued at 5 trillion in the unlisted market - to file draft documents for its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO).
Brokerages were divided on Bajaj Finance after its 2025-26 (FY26) third-quarter (October-December/ Q3) results, with a few raising targets on valuation comfort, while others flagged concerns over the credit cost trajectory.
Trading pattern in the stock market this week will largely depend on the ongoing Q3 earnings announcement from corporates, global trends, and foreign fund movement, analysts said. Moreover, geopolitical developments and any update on trade negotiations would also be keenly tracked by investors, experts noted.
'Among corporates, about 60% of income is now reported under the new tax regime.'
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that stem cell therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can only be offered within approved and monitored clinical trial settings, deeming any other use unethical and potentially malpractice.
New Zealand aims to solidify their Group D lead with a victory against the United Arab Emirates in their T20 World Cup match, following a win against Afghanistan. The Kiwis will look for strong performances from Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra, while the UAE seeks to gain experience against a top team.
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Thursday, snapping a three-day rally, amid a weak trend in global stock markets.
Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:
'We believe the truth is in the middle, and that India is at an important crossroads.'
Highlights of the Economic Survey 2025-26
Infosys on Wednesday reported a one-time exceptional hit of Rs 1,289 crore on account of the impact of the implementation of new labour codes, as India's second-largest IT services firm announced its December quarter earnings.
Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh prevailed in a marathon doubles rubber, outlasting David Pel and Sander Arends 7-6 (0), 3-6, 7-6 (1) as India edged ahead 2-1 in their Davis Cup Qualifiers Round 1 tie against the Netherlands, in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
The new labour Codes, notified by the central government in November 2025, have pushed up employee costs for private-sector banks and insurance companies, with these firms reporting higher operating expenses in the October-December quarter (Q3FY26) due to the statutory impact of the new labour Codes.
The rupee appreciated 13 paise to close at 90.34 against the US dollar on Thursday, on trade deal optimism and overnight decline in commodity prices, even as the upside remained capped as investors look for more clarity on the India-US trade deal.
The country's primary capital markets delivered a robust performance in FY26, emerging as a global leader in initial public offerings (IPOs) despite an uncertain environment, the Economic Survey said on Thursday.
Mumbai recovered from a batting collapse to take a 136-run lead over Karnataka on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
'When markets go into a budget with excessive optimism, the risk of disappointment is higher.'
Driven by GST reforms, robust festive demand, and softening raw material prices, the FMCG industry expects volume-based growth, supported by a mid-single digit revenue rise and improved operating margins in the December quarter.
The bull-market in gold is not yet over and prices can rise to $6,200 an ounce (oz) by mid-2026, up nearly 25 per cent from current levels, according to UBS.
Fifth seed Elena Rybakina booked her place in the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a dominant second set display to hand six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek a 7-5, 6-1 defeat at Melbourne Park.
Medvedev had said he did not like playing Tien after a trilogy of matches that went the distance last year and the 20-year-old American proved him right with a clinical performance that included 33 winners.
Uttarakhand delivered a ruthless all-round performance to hammer Jharkhand by an innings, with the pace-spin duo of Abhay Negi and Mayank Mishra ripping through the opposition lineup on Day 3 to book a Ranji Trophy semifinal berth, in Jamshedpur, on Sunday.
2027's housing census trims questions but adds digital-age indicators like Internet and smartphones.
The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on a complex 84-point reform package.
Bharat Electronics, Reliance Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, InterGlobe Aviation, ICICI Bank and UltraTech Cement were among the other major gainers. Axis Bank, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Trent and Titan were the laggards.
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