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.
WPI inflation data, trading activity of foreign investors and global cues would dictate trends in the stock market this week, analysts said.
Investors must account for currency depreciation in their financial plans and use instruments that can cushion the erosion in purchasing power.
Trump is confident the US will eventually emerge the winner from whatever turmoil his policies cause, notes T T Ram Mohan.
Fitch Ratings on Thursday cut India's GDP growth estimate by 10 basis points to 6.4 per cent for the current fiscal, but retained the projections for the next financial year, on concerns over a 'severe' escalation in global trade war. "It is hard to predict US trade policy with any confidence. Massive policy uncertainty is hurting business investment prospects, equity price falls are reducing household wealth, and US exporters will be hit by retaliation," Fitch said in its special update to quarterly Global Economic Outlook (GEO).
Gold prices slumped for the second straight session by Rs 1,150 to Rs 78,350 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday on frantic selling by stockists and retailers, the All India Sarafa Association said. The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity closed at Rs 79,500 per 10 grams on Friday.
Terming the Eurozone debt crisis as a "short term" phenomenon, IT industry body Nasscom on Wednesday said that the European bloc will continue to be one of the largest markets for the Indian IT-BPO industry.
Citizens of countries within the European Union can move and live in any of the countries within the group.
Describing the prevailing global situation as "complex", Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today attributed the sharp fall in the stock markets to uncertainty over resolving the Eurozone problems in the wake of the Greek crisis.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday hinted at financing for sorting out Eurozone crisis after a credible assessment of solvency problem is made.
The US Fed interest rate decision, ongoing quarterly earnings, macroeconomic data and FII trading activity are the major triggers that will drive stock markets this week, analysts said. Investors would also track global market trends and the movement in global oil prices for further cues. "This week, the focus will shift to global cues, particularly the US markets," Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart Ltd said.
Observing that economic performance in Europe is of great importance to the US, the White House has said the Eurozone crisis creates a headwind for the global economy, and as such any trouble there poses a challenge to the American economy.
"We welcome the important decisions made last night by the European Union which lay a critical foundation for a comprehensive solution to the Eurozone crisis," Obama said.
The Reserve Bank and the government has contingency plans to deal with the situation if Greece exits the Eurozone, RBI Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty said on Friday.
Measures adopted by the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund are sufficient to prevent the Eurozone crisis from spilling over to other parts of the globe, a senior Canadian minister said on Tuesday.
For IT czar Azim Premji, what's happening in the Eurozone facing a two-year debt crisis is something like new Bollywood films hitting silver screens every week in India.
Premji said, Wipro is not feeling the "effects" of the eurozone crisis.
As the results season kicks in, the quarterly earnings numbers of several blue-chip firms -- such as Infosys and Reliance Industries -- along with global trends and trading activity of foreign investors, will determine equity market movement in the holiday-shortened week ahead, according to analysts. The domestic WPI inflation data for June -- scheduled to be announced on Monday -- will also influence trading sentiments, traders said. Markets will remain closed on Wednesday for Muharram.
The RBI is fully aware that the high-cost loans and high indebtedness of the borrowers could pose financial stability risks, if not addressed by these NBFCs. Governor Shaktikanta Das has issued a stern warning, saying the RBI is closely monitoring these areas and will not hesitate to take appropriate action, if necessary, if the culprits don't opt for self-correction. Watch out for some action, soon, notes Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Airlines in Asia-Pacific expected to post losses worth $1.1 billion out of a total industry loss of $8.3 billion next year.
Speaking on Friday at the 44th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, warned that while the Eurozone was showing strong signs of recovery, the crisis was far from over.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy could not resolve their differences over further boosting the European Financial Stability Facility, recapitalisation of European banks heavily exposed to sovereign debts and a partial write-down of Greek government's debts at a two-hour emergency meeting in Frankfurt on Wednesday night.
The country's economic growth rate slipped to 5.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011-12, lowest in nearly 9 years due to poor performance of the manufacturing and farm sectors.
The Eurozone crisis is likely to bring down Hyundai Motor India's exports to 2.25 lakh cars this year against 2.47 lakh last year, a top company official said.
Markets became jittery over the Spanish government's take-over at the weekend of regional savings bank Cajasur, which raised speculation that more unhealthy financial institutions may have to be bailed out to prevent a meltdown of the country's banking system.
Outflow of portfolio investment, and consequential decline in the stock market and the value of the rupee are effects of the problems in Eurozone.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said Indian markets cannot remain immune to the Eurozone debt problems and will feel the impact if the $1 trillion bailout package by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund does not inspire confidence.
The unemployment rate in the 16- nation euro area stood at 10 per cent in July, indicating that the region's labour market continues to remain shaky.
Expressing concern over the crisis that has ravaged Eurozone, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that the developing world may be hit by these recessionary trends and urged the rich nations to adopt quick and effective measures 'to prevent the global economy from slipping into a double-dip recession'.
Shortly before the commencement of the Sixth G20 Summit in Cannes, France, leaders of the emerging, but powerful, economies -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- met with the intention of designing a joint strategy on how to tackle the Eurozone debt tsunami that could overrun the developing nations causing havoc.
Fitch Ratings on Thursday raised its forecast for India's economic growth to 7 per cent for the next fiscal year starting April 1 on the back of strong domestic demand and sustained level of business and consumer confidence. With a stronger-than-expected 8.4 per cent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) during the third quarter (October-December) of the current fiscal year, Fitch saw the Indian economy expanding 7.8 per cent in 2023-24 financial year (April 2023 to March 2024), marginally higher than the government's estimate of 7.6 per cent.
Extending full support to Europe, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday that a quick solution to the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis was required but it should not be at the cost of growth of the developing nations like India.
US's terrible political and economic leadership will ultimately cost the dollar its value. India must act early to avoid being dragged down, suggests R Jagannathan.
Investors' desire for companies to prioritise returning cash to shareholders through share buybacks, dividends or mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is at the highest level since July 2015, said a survey by BofA Securities (BofA). Nearly 30 per cent of respondents wanted companies to do so. As many as 226 respondents with $572 billion worth of assets under management (AUM) participated in the March fund manager survey (FMS), said BofA.
Selling in index heavyweights, including Infosys, TCS, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries, dragged the benchmark indices into the negative for the second straight session, analysts said. Among the Sensex shares, Asian Paints fell the most by 3.9 per cent as analysts expressed concerns over rising competition in the domestic paints market following the entry of Aditya Birla group company Grasim Industries into the paints segment. IT shares Infosys, TCS, HCL Tech, Wipro and Tech Mahindra continued to slide amid inflation concerns in the US market.
In the Sensex pack, HCLTech rose the maximum by 3.12 per cent, followed by ITC which gained 2.73 per cent and M&M went up 2.61 per cent. TCS climbed 2.44 per cent. Tech Mahindra, Wipro, L&T and Maruti were among the other major gainers.
Indian stock markets are expected to be driven mostly by global factors this week amid a lack of local triggers and earnings season largely coming to an end, say analysts. Crude oil prices, rupee movement and US Federal Reserve meeting minutes to be released this week will also influence the market sentiment. "With the earnings season behind us, global cues would largely dictate the trend in the coming week," Ajit Mishra, SVP - technical research, Religare Broking Ltd, said.
Among the Sensex firms, Nestle rose the most by 4.66 per cent. NTPC rose by 2.16 per cent, Reliance Industries by 1.53 per cent, State Bank of India by 1.04 per cent and Hindustan Unilever by 1.03 per cent. ITC, Power Grid and Bajaj Finance were the major gainers. Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finserv and Maruti were among the laggards.
Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finserv, IndusInd Bank, Infosys, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Wipro, and Reliance Industries were among the other laggards. On the other hand, Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Unilever, Power Grid, Asian Paints, Nestle and Mahindra & Mahindra were the major gainers.
'The prime minister's comment on 'revdi culture' was welcome. But I am disappointed he did not follow up on that.' 'All political parties, including the BJP, have been guilty of this.' 'Now, Modi's guarantees, the Congress's 'nyay' path and both ruling and Opposition parties are vying with each other for freebies in my home state Andhra Pradesh.'