Trade deals ease risks for Indian equities, but weak demand and stretched valuations raise questions over whether optimism -- especially in smallcaps -- can turn into a sustained bull run, points out Debashis Basu.
Investors have put money in Ambuja Cements shares as the cement major has moved to consolidate its operations. The Adani Group company has proposed to merge its subsidiaries ACC and Orient Cement into the parent entity.
Adani Ports, NTPC, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, HCL Technologies and Sun Pharma were among the other big gainers. However, Larsen & Toubro, Bajaj Finance, State Bank of India, Axis Bank and HDFC Bank were amonh the major laggards.
Analysts predict a surge in gold and silver prices as investors seek safe-haven assets due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The impact on domestic prices will depend on the conflict's duration, with geopolitical factors and macroeconomic data also playing a role.
Shares of tyre manufacturers have outperformed broader equity benchmarks, buoyed by multiple tailwinds. Softer raw material prices, an uptick in demand from automakers following the reduction of the goods and services tax (GST) rates, and steady replacement demand have lifted sentiment toward the sector.
'Given that India underperformed emerging markets by 28 per cent in 2025, the worst performance in over 30 years, the timing of the sharp STT hike could have been better.'
'The move to remove indexation benefits on LTCGs presently available for property, gold, and other unlisted assets may have a negative impact as it directly impacts real estate investors.'
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
Over 50 per cent, or 660 stocks, from the BSE 1000 index recorded negative returns during CY25.
Activity in the corporate bond market is set to gain momentum following a 25-bp policy repo rate cut by the rate-setting panel of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). State-owned public cebPower Finance Corporation (PFC) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) are planning to raise up to Rs 11,500 crore through bonds on Tuesday as issuers expect borrowing costs to ease.
Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
'Increasingly, they treat gold as a financial asset in their portfolio rather than just as jewellery.'
Filing a belated return is far better than not filing at all.
The exemption of individual life and health insurance premiums from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) enables the insurance industry to make products affordable and attractive, said Ajay Seth, chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025.
'We expect modest returns in 2026 versus the steep gains seen over the past few years.'
Errors in filing income-tax returns frequently lead to scrutiny notices, additional liabilities, or delayed refunds.
'It takes time and the experience of a few market cycles to develop awareness about one's true risk appetite.'
Investors can sell a part of the stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other securities held in their portfolios at a loss and use this loss to offset tax on the capital gains made on the sale of other securities.
The old tax regime remains unchanged. 'Taxpayers opting for it will continue to follow the existing slab rates and deductions.'
Despite similar tax treatment, debt MFs enjoy certain advantages over FDs.
The lowest FMCG index valuation has been around PE 27, while the highest have been above 42PE.
The convergence of artificial intelligence, evolving labour regulations and rising employee expectations will redefine how organisations manage pay, people and performance in the coming year, a report says.
Since the first Reit listing in 2019, the sector has grown to a market capitalisation of about $18 billion as of August 2025, and is projected to cross $25 billion by 2030.
Invest in bonds and another property to save tax on capital gains.
'For those in for the long haul, this is a God-given opportunity.' 'Your market is falling despite strong fundamentals, and such a clear roadmap has been announced.'
'The pace of gold's ascent is striking, with prices rising from $3,500/oz to $4,000/oz in just 36 days -- far quicker than the historical average of 1,036 days taken to achieve similar $500/oz gains.'
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
rediffGURU Yogendra Arora answers readers' personal income tax queries.
Usually, in the western view, corporate success is attributed to efficiency, organisational structure, and scale. R Gopalakrishnan and Harish Bhat argue that philosophy, culture, and the transmission of values are more important for sustaining growth and profitability of an enterprise over a period of time.
'The first time India has seen two consecutive blockbuster IPO years.'
'When markets go into a budget with excessive optimism, the risk of disappointment is higher.'
The systematic withdrawal plan stands out as a superior option, providing steady income despite market fluctuations and inflation, says Ramalingam Kalirajan.
Pepsico's Indra Nooyi claims she remains bullish on India, while Sebi's Sinha makes the case for using pension money to pump capital into the market, reports Faisal Kidwai.
While the minimum holding period for LTCG taxation has now been lowered, the tax outgo could be a bit higher under the new structure.
Investors can meet cash needs without selling their securities.
From Rs 73k to over Rs 1.2L between January-December 2025 -- is buying gold in 2026 still sensible?
The key question is how much of the latest growth record represents recovery from the 2020-2021 downturn, and what is the sustainable growth rate now, asks T N Ninan.
'Earnings growth will be the main driver of India's market in 2026, with profits expected to rise 9% to 10% in H2 FY26 and accelerate to 12% to 15% in FY27.'
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