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Asian shares have mostly advanced after Wall Street ticked higher amid hopes that Japan's moves to keep interest rates easy for investors could augur similar trends in the rest of the world

India aims to elevate its road infrastructure to match that of the US within the next five years, said Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. As part of a comprehensive strategy, the government seeks to alleviate metro congestion, significantly reduce travel time, and minimise road accidents, he said. In the preceding nine years, his ministry has allocated projects exceeding Rs 50 lakh crore and has streamlined the contract approval process by refining existing policies.

LONDON — U.K. inflation fell by more than expected in to hit 3.9% in November, in the lowest annual reading since September 2021.

diamond trade is witnessing early signs of recovery as US consumers have started buying solitaires of more than one carat, helping revive the market which accounts for more than half of India’s diamond exports. “Natural diamond jewellery sales were up 5.1% by units and 4.7% by revenue in November, when holiday purchases picked up in the US. Loose diamond unit sales rose 16% in November on a year-on-year basis," said Vipul Shah, chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). Demand for diamonds in the US had almost halved in the past few months as the world’s largest economy grappled with recessionary pressure. India’s exports of cut and polished diamonds in the April-November period stood at $11,063.62 million, down 27.95% year-on-year. “But since Christmas and New Year are big events in the US, the purchase of diamonds has gone up.

After a sharp rally in the mid cap and small cap stocks, it’s obvious to expect that large caps will see a churn and play catch up. However, this may not always be the case, believes Devendra Singhal, executive vice president and fund manager, Kotak Mutual Fund. “This is the general view currently that large caps should tend to do better than the midcaps and small caps, and we largely abide by this view, but would say that money would chase growth rather than chasing largecaps/smallcaps or midcaps,” Singhal said in an interview with ETMarkets. Edited excerpts: How has the year 2023 largely been for the funds managed by you? The year has been excellent so far in terms of the fund’s performance. All the funds managed by me are in the top quartile since the start of the calendar year. We would endeavour to continue delivering such performance in the coming year as well.

energy transition over the next decade isn’t technology or politics. It’s money. Reconfiguring the world’s power systems to eliminate carbon emissions is going to be a multi-trillion dollar investment project.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's exports in November fell for the first time in three months dragged down by China-bound chip shipments, underscoring worries that slowing overseas economies may deal another blow to the trade-reliant economy as domestic demand slows.

By Brigid Riley

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) — China stood pat on benchmark lending rates at the monthly fixing on Wednesday, matching market expectations, after the central bank kept its medium-term policy rate steady earlier last week.

capital goods stocks, which have been relatively inactive in recent months, are now garnering interest from investors. Analysts foresee a potential uptick in the performance of these stocks in the coming weeks, citing a positive outlook for the sector. This optimism is driven by government initiatives that support incremental capital expenditure, a revival in specific segments of the private sector, and a more favourable growth outlook in international markets. The Siemens stock, which saw a modest 5.5% increase over the last six months, surged 10% in December.

The European Union (EU) revealed details on their latest package of sanctions against Russia, which includes provisions on crypto, in a newly released Q&A this week.

India’s second & holiday homes, once believed to be trophy assets for the selected few, are now increasingly becoming mainstream. The market is presently sized north of USD 2.1 billion and is growing at a commendable rate of 23.6%, as per the research by Axon Developers.

The 8th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) is currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand, hosted by the Royal Thai Navy from December 19 to 22, 2023. Leading the charge is Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, who heads a three-member Indian Naval delegation for the Conclave.

Currently, the Indian real estate market stands at a pivotal juncture, marked by dynamic shifts and strategic initiatives. Embracing the nuances of the present, we anticipate a compelling surge in growth during FY 2024-25. Projections indicate a commendable 7-8% economic expansion, instigating heightened demand across residential and commercial sectors.

NEW DELHI : Two-wheeler sales are speeding again. At least that’s what production data and retail sales in the festive months of September, October and November show. Does it mean the segment, hurt by income disruptions during covid, is back on its feet? Mint explains.

A recent warning by YahooFinance warns investors to sell their cash and buy bonds and stocks now as the Fed pauses.To wit:

inflation rate held steady at 3.1 per cent in November, Statistics Canada said Tuesday, amid a “broad-based” easing in grocery price hikes.Some economists had expected a decline in the headline inflation figure, but StatCan said higher prices on travel tours and elevated housing costs kept the annual rate steady.Rents were up 7.4 per cent year-over-year — down from the previous month — and mortgage interest costs rose nearly 30 per cent annually, the agency noted.A 26.1 per cent jump in the prices for travel tours last month was offset by drops in the cost of cellular services, which StatCan said related to Black Friday deals in November.Gas prices were down last month but to a lesser extent than October, which the agency said put upward pressure on the monthly inflation figure. A drop in the price of fuel oil helped to reduce price pressures in the month, with StatCan noting the Liberal government’s temporary suspension of the federal carbon levy on home heating oil “contributed to the decline.”November was the fifth straight month that food inflation slowed, the agency noted, with grocery prices rising 4.7 per cent annually in the month.StatCan said that the easing at the grocery store was “broad-based,” with price hikes on every component in the grocery basket cooling from October’s increases.

finance ministry on Tuesday said tax reforms, a sharp hike in capital spending “without weakening fiscal discipline” and robust public digital infrastructure are among a raft of steps initiated by the Modi government that would help India emerge as a $5-trillion economy. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary said India is projected to become the third-largest economy in FY28 with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $5 trillion (from about $3.7 trillion in FY23), citing the International Monetary Fund’s forecast. Taxation measures “Direct tax measures such as the restructuring of the corporate tax rates, reduced tax litigation and removal of tax uncertainties have considerably reduced the compliance burden and resulted in high growth of revenues,” he said. Similarly, indirect tax measures include the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), which has realised the goal of the One Nation, One Tax and OneMarket, expanded formalisation of the economy and ensured a high collection of GST revenue, Chaudhary added. The sharp hike in the government’s capital expenditure—from Rs 4.1 lakh crore in FY21 to the budgeted Rs 10 lakh crore in FY24 (BE)—has supported growth and also initiated the crowding-in of private sector investment, he said.

security situation in the Red Sea was deteriorating and ballistic missile and drone attacks were an increased threat, as it agreed for a Royal Navy Destroyer to join a U.S.-led operation to safeguard commerce in the region. The United States said earlier on Tuesday it was setting up a task force of ships to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, key trading routes, to protect shipping from the rising number of attacks launched by Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis have stepped up attacks in response to Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, forcing oil major BP and freight firms including Maersk to avoid the area. Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD)said on Tuesday that HMS Diamond, which shot down a suspected drone in the Red Sea on Saturday, would join the U.S.-led international taskforce, as it warned of the rising threat levels. «These illegal attacks are an unacceptable threat to the global economy, undermining regional security and are threatening to drive up fuel prices,» Britain's defence minister Grant Shapps said in the statement. «This is an international problem that requires an international solution.» Britain said that alongside HMS Diamond the task force currently includes three U.S. destroyers, and a French warship is in the region.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said on Tuesday. S Krishnan, Secretary Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that even at 15 per cent value addition, the employment potential is immense and the government is prepared to support this endeavour by the entrepreneurs. Speaking at the Merchants Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, Krishnan said «Electronics manufacturing in the country is an important part of the new policy of the government.

With all this talk of Goldilocks lately, you might think the economy is out of the woods.