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Indian equity markets rebounded on Monday, led by banking stocks, after testing key support levels. While the near-term bias remains positive, the market is expected to trade within a narrow range. Experts see improving technical signals in broader markets and recommend a selective buy-on-dips strategy, highlighting opportunities in IDFC First Bank and Britannia.

Andrew Freris criticizes the Federal Reserve's rate cut, deeming it based on outdated data and ignoring accelerating inflation. He maintains a negative outlook on US equities, particularly tech and AI stocks, citing earnings disappointments and uncertain future returns.

Nilesh Shah of Kotak Mahindra AMC advocates a pragmatic 2026 investment strategy, emphasizing earnings visibility and valuation comfort. He suggests a multi-asset allocation of 55% equities (midcap, largecap, smallcap), 20% precious metals (favoring gold), and 30% fixed income, balancing risk and return amid market shifts.

Foreign investors are selling Indian stocks at a record pace this year. They have offloaded $18.4 billion in equities, surpassing the previous high. While primary market inflows have slowed, secondary market sales have reached an all-time peak. Domestic funds, however, continue to invest consistently in local equities.

Sebi's board will discuss revamping mutual fund fee structures to enhance transparency and cost-efficiency for investors. Proposals include reducing total expense ratios and brokerage fees, alongside simplifying IPO disclosures and easing pre-IPO lock-in rules. The regulator aims to make investment more accessible and affordable for the public.

JM Financial is focusing on wealth management and private markets for growth. Private markets are expected to become a major business, potentially exceeding capital markets in profitability within three years. The company is allocating significant capital to private markets. This strategic shift aims to leverage existing strengths and capture new opportunities in India's evolving financial landscape.

In the upcoming election, the ailing former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's BNP are emerging as the main political force. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamist party, is also a significant contender in the election.

This would be the first time in recent years that Pakistan has served a demarche to an European envoy. European envoys are generally given red carpet welcome and treated with care by Islamabad given its financial dependence on Europe through GSP Plus and other schemes. Norway hosts sizeable number of Pakistani nationals.

India and France are nearing a revised tax treaty that will reduce dividend taxes for French parent companies holding over 10% stakes to 5%, while increasing it to 15% for minority shareholders. The agreement also proposes allowing India to tax share sales by any French entity, shifting to a source-based capital gains framework.

India and Oman are set to sign a free trade agreement. The pact will be signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Oman from December 17-18. This Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aims to boost trade and investment between the two nations. Oman is a significant export market for India in the Gulf region.

Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar cautioned against stablecoins, citing significant macroeconomic risks and their lack of unique utility compared to fiat money. He emphasized that these digital tokens do not offer benefits beyond what traditional currency can provide, and India will maintain a cautious approach to such innovations.

President Trump, who says the war has “gone on too long,” has been calling on European leaders to accept his plan. On Wednesday he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and hinted he might travel to Europe this weekend to push negotiations forward.

A NABARD survey reveals a significant boost in rural economic momentum, with 80% of households reporting higher consumption over the past year. This rise in prosperity is attributed to sustained welfare support, strong public investment, GST rate rationalization, and moderating inflation, leading to improved real incomes and purchasing power.

The Reserve Bank of India has relaxed norms for business accounts. Customers can now open current, cash credit, and overdraft accounts more easily. The aggregate exposure limit for opening these accounts without restriction has been raised. New rules will be effective from April 2026. Banks will have specific criteria for maintaining accounts with higher exposures.

The Reserve Bank of India has lifted all restrictions on banks opening and maintaining cash credit accounts, offering greater flexibility for short-term working capital loans. Additionally, the central bank eased norms for current and overdraft accounts, allowing banks to maintain them without restriction for customers with exposures under 100 million rupees.

While the Southeast Asian nation opened its economy to U.S. multinationals and technology after Washington lifted its embargo in the 1990s, it stayed cautious over China, after their 1979 war and disputes over South China Sea boundaries. Now Beijing's influence is rising and U.S. ties are strained by tariffs.

The surprise move, revealed in a one-paragraph note by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, did not give a reason for withdrawing the plan or a timeline for reissuing it, saying only it would do so in time to govern awards for the current fiscal year.

Kaynes has plunged 43.5% from its October peak, with Friday’s 12.5% drop marking the steepest single-day decline. Momentum indicators remain bearish, signaling a risk of further slide toward the year’s low of Rs 3,825. However, being nearly 26% below its 200-day SMA suggests potential mean-reversion, with a contrarian recovery target at Rs 4,541 and downside below Rs 4,300.

Warren Buffett and Michael Burry are taking opposing stances on the AI boom, highlighting investor uncertainty. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has added a major stake in Alphabet, signaling confidence in the AI-driven growth, while Burry shorts Palantir and Nvidia, criticizing Big Tech accounting practices. Their contrasting positions coincide with transitions in their careers and growing debate over whether AI hype is justified or a bubble.

SoftBank-backed digital-commerce ecosystem AceVector Ltd has filed updated draft papers with markets regulator Sebi for an initial public offering (IPO), which will include a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 300 crore.

The combined market valuation of five of the top-10 most valued firms surged by Rs 72,284.74 crore last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys emerging as the biggest winners.

China has regained global investor confidence in a stellar year for stocks, with the MSCI China Index rising about 30%, adding $2.4 trillion in value and outperforming the S&P 500. Fund managers including Amundi, BNP Paribas, Fidelity and Man Group expect further gains in 2026, driven by AI innovation and market resilience, as both passive and active inflows fuel the rally.

The Election Commission's 'Special Intensive Revision' of Bihar's electoral rolls has ignited political debate, differing from past revisions. While intensive revisions aren't new, the timing of Bihar's SIR, months before assembly elections, is unusual. Unlike previous 'de novo' exercises, it builds upon the 2002-03 roll, incorporating new enumeration forms and document submission.

BJP has accused Arvind Kejriwal of orchestrating hoax calls to mislead voters, alleging that the AAP is claiming votes are being cut by the BJP to support AAP. They also allege distribution of money in slum areas and raised concerns about voter data confidentiality, demanding an investigation.

Lok Sabha election 2024: ​​The BJP-Shiv Sena won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 polls, but the Sena has split since and a vast majority of the Bal Thackeray-founded party is now allied with the BJP. The Nationalist Congress Party also split as well with Ajit Pawar joining the ruling alliance in the state, led by Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP emerged the top party with 23 seats, followed by the undivided Sena with 18.

Gujarat's upcoming Lok Sabha elections are influenced by PM Narendra Modi's charisma, anti-incumbency, unemployment, inflation, education, healthcare challenges, and BJP's endeavor to secure all 26 seats. ​​Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. Anti-incumbency, unemployment, inflation, education and healthcare facilities are some of the other important issues in the election, where the ruling BJP in Gujarat will attempt to retain all the 26 Lok Sabha seats it won in 2019.

The BJP, riding high on its growing voter base in Telangana, is now aiming to win over 12 out of the total 17 seats and 35 per cent vote share, in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The party doubled its vote share to nearly 14 per cent resulting in eight seats in the assembly elections held on November 30, last year. BRS, which ruled the state for about a decade since its emergence, is low on morale following the defeat, even as its founder and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha was arrested on the eve of poll dates announcement, adding insult to the injury.

Kavitha's arrest before Lok Sabha elections may psychologically impact BRS party. Meanwhile, fomer minister Harish Rao announced protests in the state. Moreover, desertion of MPs and leaders who are not contesting polls adds to party's troubles. Nagesh Kumar predictsed that more desertions could happen due to Kavitha's arrest.

Anita Nariani Schulze is part of the Sindhi minority. Her complaint alleges that her senior and direct managers, both male, consistently excluded her from meetings while inviting her male counterparts, criticised her, micromanaged her work and deprived her of bonuses, despite positive performance evaluations and significant team contributions.

But two senior envoys who attended said there was no direct response from the ministers gathered in Brussels when Blinken said: "We must push back on China together and show strength in unity."

This comes as the San-Francisco based firm is at the receiving end of the Indian government over an issue of blocking and unblocking certain handles tweeting about farmer protests.

Foreign companies looking for incentives under the scheme may have to invest Rs 500 crore over four years, while the threshold for domestic firms is likely to be around Rs 20 crore for five years, the source who did not wish to be named said.

Growth More than in MetrosAccording to companies like Aisle and Truly Madly, which have millions of users and position themselves as “serious” dating apps, and bespoke high-end dating services like Sirf Coffee, a lot more users from such places are not only keen on using these apps, but also willing to pay for it.

“Indian companies need to re-skill, train, and acquire more relevant talent, if they are to successfully integrate AI technologies. Most importantly, they should be willing to make the continued investment. It is an uphill race in which there will be winners and losers,” said Deloitte India CEO N Venkatram.

Ambassador Joao Cravinho, head of the EU delegation, led Ambassadors of various European countries to a quiet lunch with Modi at the capital last year.

"It is the collective wisdom of the marketplace that there is action and we will move with speed. That improves the confidence level of industry."

Directives from the Centre have to be executed at the state level. So, there are many things that are not in Modi’s hands, says Raamdeo Agrawal.

"The fact that we are the world’s largest democracy and we are all aware that power and a role in global affairs for a nation comes from economic strength."

"Now there is a stage three and stage four of digitisation, we will take a call on this only after taking all things into account."

"There is a leadership vacuum in the company, because they made the wrong choice of CEO three years ago and that is playing out right now."

Rupee#CAD#Economic crisis#Food Bill

The team behind The Artist will have spent the first day of the rest of their lives conforming to the grandest, and most lucrative, of Hollywood traditions.

It's the World Book fair, which comes around once every two years sprawling across the giant halls of Pragati Maidan. This is the fair's 20th edition.

An elephant figurine gifted by the then HM LK Advani to US Secretary of State Colin Powell in 2002, has made its way to the State Department hall.

Statistical models used by IMD will still be used for monsoon forecast, but the ministry of earth sciences is putting more emphasis on dynamic models.

Newly discovered documents have revealed the first telegraph messages and joy when England was linked for the first time with India on 23 June, 1870.

Hundreds of worried fans of ailing Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan today performed a yagna here to pray for his speedy recovery.

Alfa Laval (India) today said its parent firm has raised the delisting offer price to Rs 2,850 a share.

The stocks of DB Realty and Unitech rose after top executives of these companies were granted bail in the 2G scam case.