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economic growth) translating to the micro (corporate profit growth). On the macro, the finance minister has just delivered a bullish budget. And yet, the million-dollar micro question remains — will corporate profits revive? First, the budget. It can be dissected into three C's — consolidation, consumption, and capex. On the consolidation front, the budget is firmly on track, with FY25 fiscal deficit at 4.8% of gross domestic product (GDP), expected to be further lower at 4.4% in FY26.

income tax cuts in the budget spurred a rally in shares of consumption companies Saturday as investors bet that individuals with money at their disposal would be encouraged to spend more on personal mobility choices and other consumer discretionary products. Nifty’s Realty index jumped 3.4%, while Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Consumer Durables indices were up about 3% each. The Nifty Auto index gained 1.9%. Benchmark Nifty ended 0.1% lower.

fiscal discipline and much-needed growth support through targeted measures. The major highlights of this year's budget were direct tax cuts and rationalisation of tax slabs, measures that would benefit middle class households. This year's budget aligns closely with previous budget themes, presenting no major surprises in fiscal calculations. The themes of conservatism and consolidation remain prominent. As anticipated, the government is targeting a fiscal deficit of 4.4% of GDP in FY26. This move is seen as essential for consolidating the fiscal health while avoiding excessive borrowing that could lead to inflationary pressures. This reflects the government's intent to reduce its reliance on debt, which will have a positive effect on long-term economic stability. A key question was whether consolidation would come from revenue or capital expenditure. The budget indicates that the government plans to primarily restrain non-capital expenditure, which is a very positive development.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Retail investors who had been strategically accumulating stocks during the market's 7.3% decline in the December quarter, betting on a rebound, were rewarded with the unveiling of the Union budget. A Mint analysis of 1,957 companies shows that individual investors (holding nominal share capital up to ₹ 2 lakhs) increased their ownership in approximately 51% of these companies between the September and December quarters.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Ever since India’s government set the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, Union budgets have been bifocal. Massive outlays for an infrastructure build-up have been emblematic of this approach, designed to spur demand and multiply incomes during the year on one hand, while also acting as a long-term enabler of GDP expansion on the other.

tax collected at source (TCS). Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday increased the threshold to collect tax at source (TCS) on remittances under RBI’s Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. She also proposed to remove TCS on remittances for education purposes, where the remittance is out of a loan taken from a specified financial institution.

Nirmala Sitharaman has just changed the prescription for economic growth to rely more on boosting consumption in a slowing economy rather than firing the capex engine with another double-digit hike. The impact of the shift was clearly visible on the stock market where beaten-down stocks from the consumption space suddenly became investor favourite while the good-old capex stocks were left reeling in losses. As against a flat Nifty, the FMCG index jumped 3% on Saturday, with stocks like Radico Khaitan, Godrej Consumer, United Spirits rallying up 10%. Supporting Sensex and Nifty were consumer-related stocks like ITC, Zomato, Trent, Tata Consumer and Asian Paints. On the other hand, capex-linked stocks like L&T, Siemens, etc were among the biggest losers on the Street.

real estate stocks surged as much as 9.3% on Saturday, February 1, after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the revised limit of the tax deducted at source (TDS) on rent to Rs 6 lakh annually. The Union Budget 2025 has brought welcome news for landlords and tenants, with a significant increase in the threshold for TDS on rent. The annual limit has been raised from Rs 2.4 lakh earlier, a move expected to ease the tax burden and simplify rental transactions.

Kaveri Seed Company, Mangalam Seed, Godrej Agrovet and Dhanuka Agritech surged up to 11% after Finance Minister Nirama Sitharaman announced a slew of measures to enhance pulses production in the country on Saturday during her budget speech and seed. Among the measures, Sitharaman announced a 6-year mission for self-reliance in pulses which aims to achieve self-reliance in pulses, with a particular focus on tur and masoor.

buy call on Maruti Suzuki India with a target price of Rs 14500. The current market price of Maruti Suzuki India is Rs 12141.8. Maruti Suzuki India, incorporated in 1981, is a Large Cap company with a market cap of Rs 384119.77 crore, operating in Auto sector. Maruti Suzuki's key products/revenue segments include Passenger Cars & Light Duty Utility Vehicles, Spare Parts & Components, Other Operating Revenue, Service Income, Scrap, Rental Income for the year ending 31-Mar-2024.

Sensex and Nifty opened flat on Budget day, when investors would be closely tracking Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's plan to boost domestic consumption by cutting income tax rates. The BSE Sensex was up 32 points, or 0.04%, at 77,513, while the Nifty50 slipped 6 points, or 0.02%, to 23,502 around 9:19 am.

Vishal Mega Mart shares will be in focus on Saturday, February 1, after the supermarket chain reported a 28% year-on-year (YoY) increase in net profit to Rs 262.7 crore for the third quarter of FY25, up from Rs 205.3 crore in the same period last year. Revenue from operations rose 19.5% to Rs 3,136 crore, compared to Rs 2,623.5 crore in Q3 FY24.

silver March futures contracts were trading slightly higher at Rs 93,453/kg, up by 0.13% or Rs 125. Ahead of the Union Budget 2025, due to be presented later today, gold, on MCX, made yet another new all-time high of Rs 82,600/ 10 g on Friday and has surged by Rs 1,550/10 gram in this week alone. Meanwhile, silver prices have gone up by Rs 1,850/kg.

Nifty Smallcap 100 and Nifty Midcap 100 delivering returns of over 78% and 70%, respectively. But the tide seems to be turning as these indices enter a cooling-off phase. Currently, the Smallcap index has corrected by 20%, while the Midcap index is down 16% from their all-time highs. Is this just a healthy breather or a sign of deeper challenges? In this article, we’ll explore past corrections, current trends, and what they could mean for the investors.

«There is a little discontent among a lot of people, the common man, whether the left wing or the right wing, everybody feels something we are missing. Maybe this budget will open up something like that,» says Porinju Veliyath, Equity Intelligence India. What is it looking like? Could this be the big swing factor that could perhaps take the markets out of the kind of pain that we have been in? Porinju Veliyath: See, the market is going through some correction is fine, but cannot call it a huge pain.

buy call on NTPC with a target price of Rs 430 (Rs 495 earlier). The current market price of NTPC is Rs 319.9. NTPC, incorporated in 1975, is a Large Cap company with a market cap of Rs 310390.28 crore, operating in the Power sector. NTPC's key products/revenue segments include Generation Of Electricity, Other Operating Revenue, Consultancy Income and Lease Rentals for the year ending 31-Mar-2024.

markets rallied for four days in the lead up to the Budget in anticipation of a pro-growth and fiscally prudent policy announcements. Now, all the focus will turn to Nirmala Sitharaman, where the finance minister will present a record eighth Budget. «Market expects reductions in individual tax and job generation to boost consumption. By cutting the fiscal deficit but continuing to boost infrastructure spending, the government may set the tone for a potential recovery in the consolidating market,» said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

stock market will be open for a special trading session today, Saturday, February 1, 2025, as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26. Both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the BSE confirmed in a circular issued earlier this week that trading will continue as per regular market hours. Market timings for Budget day On Budget day, the trading schedule will follow its usual timings. Pre-market trading will begin at 9:00 AM and run until 9:08 AM, after which equity market trading will take place from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM.

Investors have been bracing for further tariff news after Trump has repeatedly warned about using the measure. Uncertainty over the impact of tariffs has muddled the outlook for the economy and inflation.

ITC, Sun Pharma, Vishal Mega Mart, Infosys, Hero MotoCorp, HUL, RVNL, IRCTC and a slew of other stocks that will be in focus on the Budget day. Stocks in news for Q3 results:

President Donald Trump has repeatedly discussed imposing tariffs, both on the campaign trail and since taking office — and the first tranche, on goods from Canada, China and Mexico will take effect Feb. 1, the White House confirmed on Friday.