Economy Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. No matter how high the inflation is, their demand is inelastic. No matter how slow the current profit growth is, these companies spend on research and development (R&D) for future growth.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The tax relief provided in the Union budget takes effect from 1 April. Taxpayers can now expect more money left in their hands.

Global stocks were poised to endure another rocky session on Tuesday as concerns around President Donald Trump’s looming tariff rollout continued to whipsaw markets. Shares in Australia, Japan and South Korea opened higher while US equity-index futures dropped in early Asian trading. The S&P 500 climbed for the first time in four sessions, though US shares still notched their worst quarter compared to the rest of the world since 2009. As equities bounced, bonds moved away from session highs.

The current unease over the market outlook aside, money managers and analysts believe India's stock benchmarks will log gains in the second part of the fiscal year, with a likely rebound in local corporate earnings potentially encouraging foreign investors to return to D-Street. In the financial year that ended March 31, the Sensex and Nifty advanced around 5% each after posting gains of 28% in the previous fiscal. Both the indices, which were on a record-breaking run until the last week of September, gave up most of the gains following seemingly unrelenting sales by foreign institutions.

President Donald Trump is taking a blowtorch to the rules that have governed world trade for decades

American dream has felt more and more out of reach for millions of families in the past few decades, as per a report. Higher living expenses, stagnant incomes, and an economy that rewards financial speculation over actual production are impacting the very heart of American society, the middle class, reported Big Easy magazine.

US Economy Faces Tough Road Ahead with Slow Growth and Stubborn Inflation Amid Tariffs and Uncertainty The US economy's outlook indicates a stagflationary trend, as per the latest CNBC Rapid Update. Policy uncertainty, new tariffs, and declining consumer and business confidence will lead to a slowdown in the GDP growth of the United States, reported CNBC.

India’s economy, MSMEs remain critically underinsured. With less than 15% having adequate insurance coverage, millions of businesses are left vulnerable to financial shocks. Why, then, do so many small enterprises overlook such a crucial safety net? Business insurance penetration among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India remains alarmingly low. Given that there are 63 million MSMEs, which currently contribute approximately 30% to India’s gross domestic product (GDP), only a small fraction have insurance. Insurance coverage is crucial for MSMEs, given their limited capacity to withstand risks such as payment defaults. In the post-pandemic world, challenges such as supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, inflation, and economic slowdowns have further heightened the risks associated with exports, making risk mitigation through insurance more vital than ever. This raises an important question: Are MSMEs reluctant to embrace insurance, or is the system failing to make insurance accessible and compelling? According to Girija Subramanian, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, The New India Assurance Co. Ltd., the issue is deeply rooted in perception and awareness. Speaking on the sidelines of the Economic Times (ET) MSME Awards 2024 in Delhi, Subramanian addressed this challenge in a fireside chat moderated by Neha Dewan, Assistant News Editor, The Economic Times.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Its macroeconomic fundamentals are sound, corporate balance sheets have strengthened and the health of its financial sector has improved.

American economy really is exceptional. It is richer, more innovative, and continues to expand at a high rate compared to most of the developed world. It has been extra special the last 15 years, with its equity market outperforming any other country as growth prospects for China and Europe dimmed. But it seems exceptionalism might be ephemeral. Uncertainty around trade and the future strength of the dollar has led some big European investors to retreat from American stocks. And the problem may go deeper. Less than 100 days into a second Trump administration, commentators are already discussing the coming end of American exceptionalism. Many things make the American economy exceptional. For one, it houses the deepest and most liquid capital markets, which help channel money to its more productive uses. But what makes it truly extraordinary is its dynamism, which underpins innovation and productivity, attracting talent from around the world. To figure out if our best days are behind us, it is necessary to separate short-term exceptionalism based on current financial conditions and longer-term structural exceptionalism that has been a feature of the American economy for the last century. The short-term boom may indeed be fading, but exceptionalism should endure over the longer term because it is more durable than whatever damage any one president can do in a few months.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. By its own estimate, the Indian government expects the economy to close 2024-25 with an expansion of 6.4%. That would make India one of the fastest-growing economies, but it’s still some way from maximising its unique demographic moment.

Japan's economy could lose as much as $1.81 trillion in the event of a long-anticipated megaquake off its Pacific coast, which could trigger devastating tsunamis, the collapse of hundreds of buildings and potentially killing about 300,000 people, a government report said on Monday. The expected economic damage of 270.3 trillion yen, or nearly half of the country's total gross domestic product (GDP), was up sharply from the previous estimate of 214.2 trillion yen as the new estimate accounted for inflationary pressures and updated terrain and ground data which have expanded anticipated flood areas, the Cabinet Office report showed. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, and the government sees about an 80% chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake along a tremulous seabed zone known as the Nankai Trough. Under the worst-case scenario, based on a potential magnitude 9 earthquake in the area, Japan is likely to see 1.23 million evacuees or 10% of its total population. As many as 298,000 people could die from tsunamis and building collapses if the quake occurs late at night in winter, the report showed. The trough is off Japan's southwest Pacific coast and runs for approximately 900 km (600 miles), where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Eurasian Plate. The accumulating tectonic strains could result in a megaquake roughly once in 100 to 150 years.

The report highlighted that the number of companies with a market cap of over Rs 1 lakh crore increased significantly between FY02 and FY24, with their share of the total market capitalisation of NSE-listed companies rising from nearly 18 per cent to over 60 per cent.

foreign investment, the recent launch of the Investment Friendliness Index in the Union Budget 2025 marks a pivotal shift in the country’s economic framework. This initiative aims to enhance both competitive and cooperative federalism, making states more attractive to domestic and international investors. The Investment Friendliness Index is more than just a ratings system—it evaluates and ranks Indian states based on their investment potential. By fostering healthy competition, it encourages states to reassess and refine their regulatory frameworks, spurring an influx of private investment. For financial institutions like HDFC Securities, the index serves as a valuable guide for navigating the investment landscape and identifying promising regions.

Donald Trump has launched a volley of tariffs impacting allies and adversaries this year, promising «Liberation Day» on Wednesday with action targeting countries that have persistent trade gaps with his country.

F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, was developed in partnership with eight countries, making it a model of international cooperation. When President Donald Trump introduced its successor, the F-47, he praised its strengths — and said the version sold to allies would be deliberately downgraded. That made sense, Trump said last week, «because someday, maybe they're not our allies.» For many countries wedded to the United States, his remark confirmed a related conclusion: that America can no longer be trusted. Even nations not yet directly affected can see where things are heading, as Trump threatens allies' economies, their defense partnerships and even their sovereignty. For now, they are negotiating to minimize the pain from blow after blow, including a broad round of tariffs expected in April. But at the same time, they are pulling back. Preparing for intimidation to be a lasting feature of U.S. relations, they are trying to go their own way. A few examples:

Authorities have looked in recent months to revive confidence in the Chinese economy, grappling with a prolonged property sector crisis and now under increasing pressure from fresh trade tensions with the United States. The Purchasing Managers' Index — a key measure of industrial output — came in at 50.5 in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), above the 50-point mark that separates growth and contraction. The reading for March was up from February's 50.2, and the highest in twelve months. Manufacturing was boosted by workers' return to work after the traditional Spring Festival travel period in February and the fact that «enterprises' production and operating activities accelerated,» NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said in a statement.

On a rolling twelve-month basis, gold has surged nearly 37% to just shy of Friday's fresh lifetime record of $3,100 per troy ounce. It is extremely rare for any asset, including the hottest of stocks, to hit successive lifetime highs every third trading session. Gold has achieved that astonishing feat in 2025, building on the 30% plus gains last calendar year, as central banks and capital-protection funds continue to buy into the yellow metal.

Byju Raveendran is “broke, but not broken.” The disgraced entrepreneur, whose brainchild, the edtech giant Byju’s, had been in one controversy after another due to disputes with investors and dwindling finances, took to X on Sunday and vowed to rebuild his $22 billion empire from scratch. His tweet, which read, “Broke. Not broken. We will rise again” has gone viral on the microblogging app, gaining more than 600K views and 8K likes.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Investors entered 2025 riding U.S. stocks to records.

homestay policy to ensure adequate incentives for hosts and aggregators, bring in transparent regulations and introduce measures to protect the interests of both tourists and homeowners. The move will help formalise the informal sector and make it world-class as the government aims to develop India into the most preferred tourist destination with focus on niche tourism, eco-tourism and wellness tourism, said officials. The revised policy could see fiscal incentives for homeowners and aggregators, a robust verification and monitoring mechanism and comprehensive standards with a bigger range of classification of homestays to enhance the overall experience, they said.