Packaged food major Nestle India posted better than expected September quarter results led by strong volume growth across its key segments. While there were margin pressures due to elevated raw material costs, there could be some relief with easing prices in the near term.
JSW Steel Ltd (JSTL) has announced a restructuring that unlocks value from Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd (BPSL) and changes the balance-sheet. JSTL will do a slump sale of 50 per cent stake in BPSL to Japan's JFE Steel in two equal tranches, totalling Rs 15,700 crore in cash.
The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector has moved back into focus for investors this calendar year, after lagging the broader market for two consecutive years. BFSI stocks have outperformed benchmark indices in 2025 so far, driving a steady rise in the sector's weighting within the Nifty 50 index.
The Nifty 50 index could rise around 24 per cent from current levels to 32,032 by December 2026 in a bull-case scenario, Kotak Securities said in a recent note. "We value Nifty at a 10 per cent premium (at 22x) to the 10-year average price-to-earnings of 20x on 2027-28 estimated (E) earnings per share (EPS) of Rs 1,456, and arrive at a December 2026 Nifty target of 32,032," the analysts wrote.
Overall economic activity continued to hold up in November with demand conditions remaining robust, thanks to strengthening urban demand, but manufacturing and rural demand showed some signs of deceleration even as services remained strong, according to an article on the State of the Economy written by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials in the central bank's December bulletin.
Non-banking financial company (NBFC) Tata Capital is set to launch its much-anticipated $2 billion (Rs 17,200 crore) initial public offering (IPO) in the week beginning September 22, market sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday. The issue is expected to value the company around $11 billion, they added. Tata Capital is likely to make its stock market debut by September 30.
Analysts have sharply reduced cigarette maker ITC's earning estimates for the next two years, fearing a significant dent in the company's profitability and margins. This is owing to a steep hike in excise duty on tobacco by the government.
'I don't think it is right to remove him over one lapse. The focus should be on restoring operations, not on removing a key management personnel.'
Jio Platforms Limited is likely to have a valuation of $148 billion by the time it goes public on the back of strong free cash flow and potential deleveraging, ICICI Securities said.
LG Electronics India made a dazzling market debut on Tuesday, ending 48 per cent higher than its issue price and surpassing its South Korean parent in market value.
UBS has turned bullish on emerging markets (EM), including India, as it finds benign macro trends, positive momentum in earnings revisions, and resilient EM currencies helping these economies sustain higher valuations and attracting flows. Among regions, it has upgraded Mainland China to 'attractive' and China Tech to 'most attractive', while downgrading Philippines to 'neutral'.
Investing in gold trumped most other asset classes in terms of compounded annualised returns over the long term, suggests a report by FundsIndia.
Reliance holds 67.03% of Jio Platforms Limited and the public listing would provide an exit to many investors.
Life Insurance Corporation of India's (LIC) annualised premium equivalent (APE) growth remained weak in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024-25 (Q4FY25) and flat in FY25, but management expects growth to rebound in FY26. The focus remains on improving product mix by increasing share of non-participating or non-par products in the individual APE.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley have updated their outlook for the Indian markets, and they now expect the Sensex to hit the 107,000 mark by December 2026 in a bull-case scenario, translating into an upside of 26 per cent from current levels.
Asian Paints reported a good performance for the second quarter (July-September) of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), with some help from base effects, despite strong competition and extended monsoon. Volume grew in low double digits in the key domestic decorative paints, and value in that segment grew by 6 per cent. Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) grew 21 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), and PAT (profit after tax) grew 14 per cent. Asian Paints also defended market share better after several quarters where it had lost ground to Birla Opus.
'Her outstanding performance in the World Cup has definitely added to her brand value significantly. The high WPL bids validate it more.'
Among Sensex firms, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries, Eternal, State Bank of India, Tata Steel and HDFC Bank were the major gainers. However, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bharat Electronics, Infosys and Bajaj Finance were among the laggards.
Investor sentiment across Asian markets has shifted sharply in August, reveals the latest Bank of America (BofA) Fund Manager Survey, which found global growth expectations retreating after three months of improvement.
The surge in the market price is also attributed to demand by retail and high-networth individual investors ahead of the IPO.
Experts say the robust filing suggests the second half of the year will see large-scale issuances, provided the markets remain supportive.
A strong performance in the July-September quarter of 2025-26 (FY26) and expectations of growth from launches and acquisition-led synergies led to a 6.65 per cent jump in the share price of Torrent Pharmaceuticals.
Investors must account for currency depreciation in their financial plans and use instruments that can cushion the erosion in purchasing power.
'We have just scratched the surface because cricket has been around for the longest time.'
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.
Financial services giant HDFC Bank, carrying a brand value of $44.9 billion, has surged past IT consulting behemoth Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to reclaim its crown as the country's most valued brand, according to the 2025 Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Indian Brands report.
Foreign investors pulled out Rs 34,993 crore (around $4 billion) from Indian equity markets in August, making it the sharpest sell-off in six months, weighed down by US tariffs on Indian exports and pricey domestic valuations. The withdrawal was nearly double the Rs 17,741 crore outflow recorded in July.
'Investors should continue with their SIPs, especially during market corrections.' 'For those looking to start new SIPs, beginning with large-cap funds is a prudent strategy, followed by flexi-cap and value-oriented approaches.'
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) remained net sellers of Indian equities in September, withdrawing Rs 23,885 crore (around $2.7 billion) and taking year-to-date outflow to Rs 1.58 lakh crore ($17.6 billion).
Largecap equities are less volatile than mid- and smallcap stocks, making them suitable for risk-averse investors.
Even as concerns grow over the residential real estate market reaching its peak, the outlook for office real estate remains strong, with listed real estate investment trusts (Reits) standing to benefit from sustained demand in the segment.
Fund managers are divided on the prospects for beaten-down information technology (IT) stocks, reflected in the wide variance in equity mutual funds' (MFs) sector exposure. An analysis by Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research shows that while six large fund houses were overweight the sector relative to its weight in the Nifty 200 index, five were underweight as of October 2025. UTI MF had the highest exposure at 17.8 per cent, while SBI MF sat at the bottom with 5 per cent.
Marico reported consolidated revenue growth of 20 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) during the January-March quarter (Q4) of FY25. Domestic revenue surged 23 per cent Y-o-Y, while volume growth was 7 per cent. International growth stood at 11 per cent (16 per cent in constant currency growth).
Stock investors will track the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, Brent crude oil prices, inflation data and the US Fed interest rate decision for further cues this week, analysts said. Tariff-related news would also dictate trends in the equity market, experts noted.
Cash holdings of equity mutual fund (MF) schemes moderated in September amid a slowdown in fresh inflows. Equity MF schemes held cash worth Rs 1.76 trillion at the end of September 2025 - about Rs 400 crore lower than the previous month, according to a report by Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research.
The combined market valuation of eight of the top-10 most valued firms surged Rs 1,21,270.83 crore last week, with Reliance Industries becoming the biggest gainer, in line with an outstanding rally in benchmark equity indices. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 1,027.54 points or 1.21 per cent. The BSE Sensex hit its record high of 85,978.25 on Friday.
'When you have the best market at your doorstep, international diversification is a distraction.'
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.
This is the longest winning streak for gold in the last three decades.
Among Sensex firms, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharat Electronics, UltraTech Cement, Trent, Sun Pharma, Power Grid and Reliance Industries were the major laggards. However, Titan, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Tech and Tech Mahindra were among the biggest gainers.
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