Experts Financial News

Agrochemical firm Crystal Crop Protection on Monday said it has acquired Bengaluru-based I&B Seeds as it seeks to strengthen its position in India's vegetable and flower-seed segment. «The deal has been fully executed with shares purchased from two major shareholders. The share transfer was completed last week on the day of Diwali,» Crystal Crop Protection Managing Director Ankur Aggarwal told PTI. The company, however, did not disclose the deal amount. The acquisition was funded through internal accruals and marks Crystal Crop's fifth purchase in the seeds business and twelfth overall.

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain shared the second place, granting their citizens visa-free access to 192 countries, as per the latest rankings. The United States ranked 8th, giving its citizens visa-free entry to 186 countries.

Naukri JobSpeak Index. Other key sectors that contributed to this positive trend included oil & gas (+18%), pharma/biotech (+12%), FMCG (+8%) and IT (+6%). According to Naukri, hiring in the IT sector showed positive growth in four out of the seven months this fiscal.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is likely to be one of the most closely contested ones in recent US history. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are deadlocked in the popular vote. But the election process in US elections is quite complicated. The popular vote doesn't decide the winner of the election but the Electoral college does. Though highly unlikely, there is a scenario where neither candidate reaches the 270 threshold and instead, they tie at 269-269. If neither candidate reaches the required 270, the US Constitution dictates the next steps. The race would become a “contingent election” which gives Congress the responsibility of choosing the next president and vice president.

Shein and Temu have transformed the fashion landscape across Europe and the United States. In the U.S., Shein and Temu are challenging Amazon's dominance, while in Europe, they are reshaping the market by competing aggressively with established fashion retailers like Zara and H&M, reported The Times of India (TOI). The appeal lies in their ultra-low prices and vast product ranges, making long-standing retailers seem less competitive in comparison. Zara and H&M are feeling the pressure, as Temu and Shein are often able to undercut their prices and deliver faster, feeding a growing demand for ultra-fast fashion in Europe. Recently, however, Temu has come under scrutiny in Europe. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has reportedly launched an investigation into Temu, following suspicions that the company may not be effectively preventing the sale of illegal products. This probe, reported by the Associated Press, follows Temu's addition to the EU’s list of “very large online platforms,” which are subject to stringent oversight under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Canada, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Monday accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of creating divisions among different communities in the country. «The news reports coming in over the past few days, the situation that has formed in Canada do not pertain one particular religion. Be it Hindu or Sikh, PM Trudeau has divided everyone there,» Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said. Bittu criticized both those advocating for pro-Khalistan slogans and the Canadian police for their support, stating that the Indian Government will respond to the situation with a more decisive action.

«There are some global factors as well that what is the trajectory of China's stimulus, so that has been one of the key factors, which in the last year, when some of the FIIs might have thought about China also as an investment class. But after that, again, China has corrected as well,» says Shreyash Devalkar, Axis Mutual Fund. The Nifty is down more than 2000 points from its September highs. Do you expect more correction to come in or are the valuations now looking attractive? How are you reading into this fall in the markets? What could have been the reason? What could be the reason for the Nifty to consolidate at these levels? What are your views when it comes to the Indian markets? Shreyash Devalkar: So, yes, we have seen that Indian market correcting, especially in last month, multiple factors has started affecting it. First and foremost, obviously, the valuations we have observed has been high in India. And when we say high, it is in the context that in across sectors, it is at least almost 30% to 200% higher than pre-COVID level as far as valuations are concerned, barring probably private sector banks, everywhere else this was observed and so that is actually the one point which has led to this correction.

Pralhad Joshi on Monday said India has been re-elected as the President of Indian Solar Alliance (ISA) from 2024 to 2026. Addressing the press conference at 7th General Assembly of the ISA, Joshi informed that France has been reelected as Vice-President of the ISA. India's election to the President post is a testament to the impactful work the country, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been doing over the years for the global good in advancing solar energy adoption across the globe and boosting investment in essential solar projects, including mini-grids and healthcare solutions, Joshi opined. Eight Vice Presidents of the Standing Committee, two from each of the four ISA geographical regions, were also selected by the Assembly.

GAIL (India) Ltd. traded at Rs 197.05 on BSE at 01:18PM (IST) on Monday, 1.57 per cent from previous close. The scrip quoted a 52-week low price of Rs 118.75 and a high of Rs 246.35.

Marico Ltd. 1.86 per cent to Rs 634.35 in Monday's session as of 01:07PM (IST) even as the equity benchmark Sensex traded 1232.28 points at 78491.84. Earlier in the day, the stock witnessed a gap down start to the session. The stock quoted a 52-week high price of Rs 719.80 and a 52-week low of Rs 486.75 on NSE. Around 21543 shares changed hands on the counter till 01:07PM (IST).

IPL) 2025 season is expected to be held in Riyadh at the end of this month, according to sources. All ten franchises have announced their list of retained players for the IPL 2025, which turned out to be full of surprises and some expected decisions. As all teams have retained the players that they feel will be core to their success in the upcoming season of the cash-rich league, all eyes have now shifted towards the mega auction.

«We will get to know in the next few days how it goes, that typically means higher yields and stronger dollar, which is against what the market had factored in. But the underlying reason is that our valuations were rich and earnings are not supporting it, that is causing and compounding the problem,» says Gurmeet Chadha, Complete Circle Consultants. There are geopolitical events, there are elections in US, US markets are holding on, Asian markets are holding on, but India is reacting to what could happen to American elections. So, why are we pre-empting and reacting to every event in the world? Gurmeet Chadha: It has been a combination of two-three factors. I agree it has largely been FII sell-off, I mean, probably a record number in October. Never personally seen every single trading session, FII selling and that has been compounded by two things. One, the earnings and the monthly updates we get on different sectors, including auto and high-frequency sectors, which indicate economic momentum, have been a little underwhelming.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the high voter turnout in the assembly polls reflected the enduring faith of the people in the democratic process, but the aspiration for the return to statehood remains strong. In his maiden address to the first-ever legislative assembly of the Union territory of J-K, he said, «we gather here after the successful culmination of elections after a decade». Sinha said the high turnout particularly in regions that traditionally could not participate fully because of separatist sentiments was very encouraging. The LG, however, said the aspiration for the return to statehood in J-K remains strong.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are under the spotlight as they prepare for the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia which will bein November 22. Former India pacer Karsan Ghavri, in an exclusive interview with TimesOfIndia.com, said that their future in Test cricket could hinge on their performances in the series. “If they don’t perform in Australia, Virat and Rohit should retire,” Ghavri said. The former left-arm seamer noted that despite their legendary status and achievements, the team needs dependable run-scorers to compete at the highest level.

cryptocurrency market showed mixed trends on Monday as investors prepared for key events—the US presidential election and an anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut, both of which could significantly impact crypto markets. Major tokens like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Tron, and Toncoin saw gains, while others such as BNB, Cardano, Shiba Inu, Chainlink, Polkadot, Litecoin, Uniswap, and NEAR Protocol experienced losses of up to 3%.

Tata Elxsi Ltd. 1.57 per cent to Rs 6995.40 in Monday's trade as of 12:53PM (IST) even as the benchmark Nifty ruled at 23869.4, 434.95 points. The scrip had closed at Rs 7107.70 in the previous session. The stock quoted a 52-week low of Rs 6406.60 and a high of Rs 9191.10. The company quoted a market-cap of Rs 43595.73 crore on the BSE.

Narendra Modi on Monday said that elections in Jharkhand are being conducted at a time when the entire country is moving forward with the resolve of becoming a «Viksit Bharat', adding that there is only one echo among the people of the State that „Roti, Beti, Maati ki pukar, Jharkhand mein BJP-NDA Sarkar.“ Addressing a rally in Garhwa in the State, PM Modi said that after the formation of a double-engine- government the development in the state will also take place at double the pace. »You formed the BJP-NDA government in the Centre at Delhi for the third consecutive time a few months ago. Now there are assembly elections in Jharkhand, we all have to come together and formed a double-engine government here under the leadership of BJP-NDA. I congratulate Jharkhand BJP for releasing a wonderful Sankalp Patra yesterday. Today I have come to seek your blessings. Today, there is only one echo everywhere in Jharkhand, Roti, Beti, Maati ki pukar, Jharkhand mein BJP-NDA Sarkar," the Prime Minister said.

Sensex has lost over 7,700 points in a matter of just 5 weeks or 25 trading sessions. After hitting a record high of 85,978 points on 27 September, Sensex fell for four consecutive weeks before consolidating in the Diwali week. Ahead of two key events — the US election and the Fed meeting — traders chose to opt for a risk-off mode on Monday when the Sensex fell nearly 1,500 points. Nifty fell about 2% to 23,800 — its lowest level since August 6.

New Delhi: Power giant NTPC and oil major ONGC on Monday announced that they have joined hands to explore opportunities in the area of new and renewable energy. The two entities will form a joint venture through their respective subsidiaries, NTPC said in a statement. «NTPC and ONGC have collaborated to form a Joint Venture Company (JVC) through their Green Energy Subsidiaries (NTPC Green Energy Ltd and ONGC Green Energy Ltd) to further promote their interest in renewable and new energy arena,» it said. NGEL has also submitted an application to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for the incorporation of a 50:50 Joint Venture Company with OGL, the statement said.

Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Ltd. 2.0 per cent to Rs 1258.30 at 12:22PM hours (IST) on Monday. Earlier in the day, the stock saw a gap up start to the session. As per data available on BSE, total traded quantity on the counter stood at 14,365 shares with a turnover of Rs 1.81 crore till 12:22PM (IST). The stock traded at a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 27.52, while the price-to-book value ratio stood at 4.96.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) fell by 4% to their day’s low of Rs 1,336.30 on the BSE after the company shared its October business update wherein it has reported handling of 37.9 MMT of cargo. The company stated that the achieved volume was in alignment with their yearly volume target.