Take calculated, not blind risks, suggests Ramalingam K.
After two years of strong gains, smallcap stocks fell sharply in 2025, but the correction may be setting up opportunities for long-term investors.
Investors at this stage need to realise that a stable political situation at the Centre is always beneficial for them.
Market sentiment is likely to remain cautious as investors position themselves for the upcoming Union Budget and the US Fed's interest rate decision, where expectations are muted.
From the Sensex pack, HCL Tech, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Hindustan Unilever, Sun Pharma and Titan were among the biggest gainers. In contrast, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Maruti, Adani Ports and Bajaj Finance were among the laggards.
Among the Sensex firms, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Tata Consultancy Services, Bharti Airtel, Titan, Bajaj Finserv, Reliance Industries and Larsen & Toubro were the gainers. Trent Ltd, Eternal, Power Grid, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, Adani Ports, Hindustan Unilever and NTPC were the laggards.
Stock markets will be driven by inflation data, trade-related news, earnings and trading activity of foreign investors in a holiday-shortened week, analysts said on Sunday. Global market trends will also influence trading sentiment this week, they added.
Most first-time investors may be better served by diversified options such as flexicap or multi-cap funds, which already hold pharma and healthcare stocks.
The BSE Smallcap index hit an over eight-month low of 47,627.96, falling 3 per cent in Tuesday's intraday trade amid selling pressure due to ongoing tariff-related concerns and rising geopolitical tensions.
Building a good stock portfolio is not only about picking strong companies but also about understanding how corporate actions affect your holdings. Corporate actions such as stock splits, dividends, bonus issues, rights issues, mergers, and buybacks can change a company's valuation, share price, and your ownership.
The market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies eroded by Rs 9,40,581.75 crore to Rs 4,50,61,658.60 crore (USD 4.90 trillion) in a single day.
Flexicap fund performance depends heavily on the fund manager's decisions.
Get Ahead reader Shawn Francis has made five golden rules for stock market investing out of his own experience.
The tribunal granted partial relief to the appellants by modifying Sebi's directions on trading restrictions and account freezes, making them conditional on the deposit of the said amount.
The Indian government has directed oil refineries to increase LPG production to ensure a stable supply of domestic cooking gas, amidst concerns over potential disruptions from the escalating Middle East conflict and its impact on imports.
Speculation about rising competition from global majors has led to shares of major Indian automobile manufacturers such as Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Maruti Suzuki India, and Tata Motors taking a hit on the BSE.
Among Sensex stocks, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Trent, Infosys, Power Grid, HDFC Bank, HCL Tech, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank and Bajaj Finance were the major laggards. However, Bharat Electronics, State Bank of India, Tata Steel, Eternal, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries were the gainers.
Among the Sensex constituents, Asian Paints, Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki India, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Tata Consultancy Services, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles were the laggards. However, Eternal, Titan, Adani Ports, Bharat Electronics Ltd, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finserv, NTPC and Bharti Airtel were among the gainers.
Domestic mutual funds have infused the highest ever -- Rs 4.84 trillion -- this year amid strong inflows via SIPs.
Elections are round the corner and as a result, new policy initiatives will take a backseat. A stable government is extremely critical to sustain growth of the economy.
FPIs net sold equities worth Rs 1.7 trillion in 2025 -- the highest annual net sale on record.
Amid the volatile markets and price corrections, these 20 stock markets delivered good returns in 2013, according to CNN Money.
Ask rediffGURU and PF and MF expert Janak Patel your mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Stock markets are in for an event-heavy week ahead with a raft of Q1 earnings from blue-chips, the US Fed interest rate decision and foreign investors trading activity driving investors' sentiment, analysts said. Macroeconomic data announcements, monthly auto sales numbers and global market trends would also guide movement in the domestic equities, they said.
Prosus, the Amsterdam-based technology investor with net assets valued at over $200 billion spanning payments to e-commerce, has identified India as one of its most critical growth markets, and is increasing its strategic investments here.
Just over a year ago, India was investors' top pick among EMs. Its slide down the rankings follows $30 billion (over 2.5 trillion) of foreign selling over the past 12-13 months.
While Nifty 50 reflects changes in 40 years, it also shows what is missing: Low-cost manufacturers at one end, and deep-value players at the other. Also missing are technology players, observes T N Ninan.
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.
The decision has been taken following requests made in this regard by market participants as Budget contains several market-moving announcements.
Jane Street could do what they did because of the most fundamental flaw in the Indian stock market: a fragmented, fractured, fissured, fistula-ed liquidity stream, points out Shankar Sharma.
'There is a lot of euphoria in the country after a trade agreement is signed. But it is an illusion for us. What is more important is making it real.'
The decision to hike US H-1B visa application fee to $100,000, trade talks and the GST rate cut will be the key drivers for stock market movement this week, analysts said.
Weakness in the information technology (IT) sector hiring has weighed on Info Edge (India) over the past year, leading to a 13 per cent correction in the stock during this period. While the company's 2025-26 (FY26) third-quarter (October-December/Q3) performance showed a marginal improvement, brokerages believe the IT hiring outlook remains weak due to macroeconomic uncertainty in the US.
A record amount of pension money may be finding its way into the stock market, if buying figures in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) data are any indication. Category inflows touched Rs 37,409 crore for the three months ending September 2025, shows an analysis of NSE data.
Over 50 per cent, or 660 stocks, from the BSE 1000 index recorded negative returns during CY25.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said signals from stock markets and foreign investment flows are positive and the government will work towards maintaining an encouraging atmosphere for investors. "Be it FDI flows, investments in stock markets, investments in our knowledge economy, the signals are all positive. We will work to keep these positive," he said at the Fortune Global Forum meeting in New Delhi.
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