Trade Financial News

In 1776, the year 13 American colonies declared independence from Britain, Adam Smith published his magnum opus An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations; 9 March marked the 250th anniversary of its publication. While breathless praise for it was aired in many parts of the world, residents of Smith’s Scottish hometown Kirkcaldy opted for a characteristically quiet pragmatism: a modest Heritage Centre and a plaque on a brick wall marking the spot where his childhood home was unceremoniously razed in the 19th century.Globally, to the Right, Smith is the patron saint of ‘greed is good,’ a man whose book Thatcher reportedly brandished in her handbag like a holy relic. To the Left, he is the grandfather of market fundamentalism.The reality, though, is inconvenient.

Shree Cement had earlier adopted a similar value-over-volume approach to bridge pricing gaps with competitors—a strategy that has begun to show results.However, the move came at a time when the industry was consolidating and peers were pursuing volume-led growth through aggressive expansions. As a result, Shree Cement lost market share, and despite some cost advantages, muted cement prices weighed on its realizations.Ambuja believes consolidation in the sector has not yet delivered the expected pricing discipline.Instead, the company plans to rely on cost efficiencies and premiumization to drive margin expansion.Management expects revenue growth to outpace volume growth as the share of premium products rises.

over the past two weeks amid global risk aversion, rising crude oil prices and persistent foreign portfolio investor outflows, prompting investors to reassess valuations after trade-deal-fuelled exuberance and a sharp rebound from budget-session lows.However, the correction has only partly cooled the market’s froth. A Mint analysis of over 3,400 BSE-listed companies shows that while valuations have moderated from recent highs, a significant portion of stocks still trades at premium multiples.Valuations across the broader market were visibly stretched when the Sensex touched its 52-week high of 85,762.01 on 2 January 2026.

Aster DM Healthcare India Ltd has secured approval from its shareholders and unsecured trade creditors for its amalgamation with Blackstone-backed Quality Care India Ltd more than a year after the deal was announced.The voting was held on 10 March, and the results were declared on 11 March. The deal was announced in November 2024.The merger was approved by 96.68% of shareholders and all unsecured creditors, stock exchange notifications from Wednesday showed.Aster's deputy managing director Alisha Moopen told Mint that the merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2027.Aster and Quality will merge via a share-swap ratio of 977 shares of Aster for every 1,000 shares of QCIL.Aster shareholders will hold 57.3% and QCIL shareholders 42.7% in the merged entity — Aster DM Quality Care, which will be the new name for current listed entity Aster DM Healthcare.Blackstone will be the largest shareholder in the merged entity with 30.7% shareholding, followed by Aster’s promoters (the Moopens, 24%).

Springing a surprise, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a plan for what he called America’s first new refinery in half-a-century, backed by investment from India’s Reliance. To be built by America First Refining, it is part of a deal whose value Trump put at $300 billion, calling it the biggest in US history.“Thank you to our partners in India, and their largest privately held Energy Company, Reliance, for this tremendous Investment,” he said in a Truth Social post.

Stock market recap: Indian equity markets faced severe downward pressure on Wednesday, as benchmark indices erased the previous session’s gains to end sharply lower. Nifty 50 plunged 1.63% to settle at 23,866.85, slipping below the psychological 24,000 mark, while S&P BSE Sensex tanked 1,342.27 points or 1.72% to close at 76,863.71.Sentiment was rattled by escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which sent Brent crude prices surging above $91 per barrel, fueling inflation fears.Domestic headwinds, including a weakening rupee, which touched 92.04 per dollar, and relentless FII outflows exceeding ₹32,800 crore this month, further dampened investor confidence.

PTI last week, Sebi chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said that while the regulator has no concerns about the futures segment of the derivatives market, it remains watchful of speculative trading in short-dated options. Index options turnover has grown even as cash market activity has fallen despite the regulatory curbs.Combined average daily premium turnover (ADT) of index options such as Nifty and Sensex rose 5% even as combined cash market ADT dipped by almost 8% in the current fiscal through 9 March (FY26), from the same period a year ago.In absolute terms, index options' ADT rose to ₹67,143 crore from ₹63,828 crore in the period under review, while cash market ADT slipped to ₹1.12 trillion in the current fiscal (1 Apr 2025 -9 Mar 2026) from ₹1.22 trillion in FY25 (1 April 2024-7 Mar 2025).The rise in combined options turnover comes despite regulatory curbs such as limiting index options expiry to one per exchange from multiple earlier, and tripling contract sizes to ₹15-20 lakh from ₹5 -10 lakh, among other measures, since November 2024.The National Stock Exchange (NSE) offers weekly Nifty options every Tuesday while the BSE offers Sensex options every Thursday.Market analysts attributed the growth to volumes shifting from discontinued liquid weekly contracts on the NSE such as Bank Nifty, Midcap Nifty and Finnifty to Sensex options.Prior to November 2024, the NSE ran four liquid weeklies including Nifty while BSE's only liquid contract was the Sensex options contract.

Rising tensions between the US and Iran have pushed global energy prices higher, bringing ceramic tile manufacturers under pressure.

Stock market recap: Indian equity markets staged a resilient recovery on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, snapping a two-day losing streak as global headwinds began to subside.Nifty 50 climbed 0.97% to settle at 24,261.60, while SENSEX gained 639 points to close at 78,205.98. The primary catalyst was a sharp de-escalation in energy concerns, with Brent crude tumbling nearly 9% toward the $90 per barrel mark following diplomatic signals suggesting a potential resolution to West Asia tensions.

Stock market recap: The Indian stock market saw healthy gains on Tuesday, 10 March, after two consecutive sessions of losses that dragged the Sensex and the Nifty 50 down 3% each. The market rebound followed a drop in crude oil prices and recovery in global peers amid hopes that the conflict in West Asia could end soon.The Sensex jumped 640 points, or 0.82%, to end at 78,205.98, while the Nifty 50 climbed 234 points, or 0.97%, to settle at 24,261.60.The mid and small-cap segments outperformed strongly.

Mint spoke to said the same—inquiries have thinned, with no explanation about what has changed. IndiaMART has been their entire digital existence. But somewhere between a buyer’s question and an AI agent’s answer, their phones have begun to ring less often.IndiaMART, India’s largest business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, was built on a single premise: helping buyers find sellers.

National Aluminium Co. Ltd’s (Nalco) shares are up more than 8% since the West Asia conflict began as some aluminium producers in the region have been forced to suspend operations, creating a supply shortage.

small finance banks, such as the requirement to lend 60% of loans to priority sectors, drops to 40% for universal banks, giving lenders greater flexibility in portfolio construction and improving return metrics. The transition would also allow AU to expand into larger-ticket lending, enabling greater cross-selling and higher fee income growth.The shift could also strengthen the bank’s credibility among depositors and help widen its funding base.

weaker rupee and persistent geopolitical concerns.Here are three stocks to buy or sell as recommended by Raja Venkatraman of NeoTrader for Tuesday 10 Mar.Best stocks to buy today (All Buy trades are rates of Equity & Sell rates are based on F&O)DATAPATTNS: Buy above ₹3500, stop ₹3390 target ₹3850 (Multiday)AUROPHARMA: Buy above ₹1250, stop ₹1199 target ₹1350 (Multiday)VEDL: Buy above ₹711, stop ₹699 target ₹760 (Multiday)The benchmark Nifty settled at 17,642.35, down 158.20 points or 0.89 percent, after slipping to an intraday low of 17,580.10. The Sensex also ended in the red at 78,210.45, losing 708.45 points or 0.90 percent.Broader indices underperformed, with the Nifty Midcap falling 1.5 percent and the Smallcap index shedding 1.8 percent, reflecting risk aversion among investors.

As the conflict in West Asia has nearly frozen all trade movement through the Strait of Hormuz, Indian law firms have seen a surge in queries from companies seeking clarity on whether they can invoke a rare clause to mitigate risk—force majeure.It is a contractual provision that allows a party to suspend or avoid its obligations if an unforeseen event outside its control makes performance impossible. These may include war, government restrictions or major disruptions to shipping routes, if specifically covered in the contract.“The energy sector is reaching out the most, especially companies importing LNG (liquefied natural gas) and crude who now face stranded cargoes and unreliable shipping schedules,” said Charanya Lakshmikumaran, executive partner at Laxmikumaran & Sridharan (LKS).“The shipping and logistics sector is next, dealing with mounting delays, higher war-risk premiums and rerouted vessels,” she said.

Stock market recap: The Indian equity markets witnessed a significant sell-off on Monday, as Nifty 50 plummeted 422.40 points (1.73%) to close at 24,028.05, while Sensex crashed 1,352.74 points (1.71%) to finish at 77,566.16.The downturn was primarily triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran, which sent Brent crude prices soaring above $114 per barrel. This energy shock, coupled with the Indian rupee hitting a record low of 92.35, sparked broad-based risk aversion.The advance-decline ratio was heavily skewed toward the bears, with over four stocks declining for every one that advanced, reflecting deep-seated weakness across the broader market.On the sectoral front, Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Auto were the worst laggards, with heavyweights like SBI and Tata Motors facing intense pressure.

New Delhi: India has tightened access to domestic cooking gas as the escalating conflict in West Asia threatens fuel supplies and drives volatility in global energy markets.The Centre has prioritized household LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) consumption, and introduced a lock-in period between cylinder bookings, two people aware of the matter said.“The priority for LPG supply in this situation is domestic consumers. Further, in order to curb hoarding of cooking gas, a 25-day lock-in period has been implemented,” one of the two people mentioned above said on condition of anonymity.

crude oil was trading at a $6.86 per barrel discount to the May contract of $104.53 at the time of writing. On 27 February, a day before the war began, it was just the opposite: the June contract was at a slight premium of 39 cents to the May contract, which quoted at $72.48, as per Bloomberg.Such flipping of discounts between near and far months—backwardation or inversion in technical parlance—points to supply disruptions due to the West Asia war.

Bharat Forge Ltd stock hit an all-time high of ₹1,935.50 on Friday. It’s up 24% so far in 2026, making it the best performer in the Nifty Auto index. Ashok Leyland Ltd is a distant second, up 4%.

Stock market recap: A day after posting gains of more than 1% each, India’s benchmark indices—the Sensex and the Nifty 50—resumed their decline on Friday as investors booked profits amid persistent concerns over the US-Iran conflict, a spike in crude oil prices and heavy foreign capital outflows.The Sensex plunged 1,097 points, or 1.4%, to close at 78,918.90, while the Nifty 50 fell 315 points, or 1.3%, to 24,450.45. Mid- and small-cap stocks, however, outperformed the benchmarks despite ending in the red.

bullish investors and traders are carrying forward fewer long positions despite the market falling nearly 3% since the war began last Saturday through 24,450.45 last Friday.The value of the marketwide calls exceeded that of marketwide puts by ₹2.71 trillion on Friday, down from ₹4.34 trillion a week ago before the war began, said Rohit Srivastava, founder of analytics firm IndiaCharts."This decline clearly indicates that bulls are not buying the dip, in turn reflecting the lingering uncertainty among investors amid the escalation of the West Asia conflict," said Srivastava.He added that the figure of ₹2.71 trillion worth of excess calls over puts was close to the historic mean of ₹2.5-2.6 trillion, an "anomaly" after the recent market fall.