Trends Financial News

After two years of strong expansion, the pace of new demat account additions slowed in FY26, signalling a shift in retail investor behaviour as volatile markets and weaker returns tempered their enthusiasm.Net demat account additions fell to about 32 million in FY26 from a record 41 million added in FY25, according to data collated from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. The total number of demat accounts crossed 225 million.The 22% year-on-year decline in additions of demat accounts—dematerialized or paperless accounts mandated for trading in securities—suggests that the surge in retail participation during the recent bull run is beginning to lose momentum amid a more uncertain global and market environment.The longer-term trend shows how growth is now normalizing after a sharp post-pandemic surge.

Since the West Asia war began, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd’s (GCPL) shares had dropped nearly 18% till Monday when it announced its March quarter (Q4FY26) business update. The shares have gained about 8% in the past two trading sessions.Margin pressures, given the higher palm oil price, seem to be worrying investors.

Indian audio and video content, usually considered a draw for domestic audiences and specific diasporic markets, is now finding a home in unusual export destinations.Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Philippines are among the countries where Indian content is popular, according to the Content Trends Report launched recently at the Content India Summit 2026, organized by Dish TV.Experts said this demand is not diaspora-led, unlike more established markets such as the US or the UK. Instead, it appears to be driven by cultural alignment.

Every month, Mint’s Plain Facts section brings out an update on key global data to thread together the biggest developments in the world that are worth paying attention to. The accompanying analysis and charts explain how each story is creating ripples on the global stage, where it is headed in the coming weeks, and whether it can impact India.Major central banks are expected to remain cautious in the coming weeks as the war in West Asia has clouded the global economic outlook, with supply disruptions and higher oil prices stoking fears of stagflation.The Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and Bank of Japan are widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged in the near future, amid the war fog, trying a balancing act between a possible increase in inflation and a slowdown in growth.

Stock market recap: Nifty 50 rebounded sharply on Tuesday, gaining 155.40 points (0.68%) to close at 23,123.65, marking its fourth consecutive session of gains. The index opened weak, falling more than 120 points and slipping nearly 1% amid concerns about escalating US-Iran tensions and rising crude oil prices.

Best stocks to buy today (All Buy trades are rates of equity and sell rates are based on F&O)Natco Pharma Ltd: Buy above ₹1,085 | Stop ₹1,005 target | ₹1,220 (multiday)Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd: Buy above ₹285 | Stop ₹275 | Target ₹310 (multiday)KPIT Technologies Ltd: Buy above ₹710 | Stop ₹675 | Target ₹781 (multiday)On Tuesday, the benchmark Sensex and Nifty staged a strong recovery after opening on a weak note, supported by robust buying in IT stocks. The domestic markets initially slipped amid rising geopolitical concerns over the West Asia war and investor caution ahead of the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a possible agreement with Iran.

India’s banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector may have had a muted year on the surface, but a closer look tells a very different story. FY26, marked by global uncertainty, earnings downgrades and foreign investor outflows, did not reward broad sector bets—but it strongly rewarded stock-pickers.A Mint analysis of 724 BFSI stocks shows that nearly one in five companies delivered strong gains despite weak benchmark performance. As many as 131 stocks, or over 18% of the universe, generated returns of more than 25% during the year.

In 2026, India’s banking sector remains a primary economic catalyst, underpinned by robust credit appetite, accelerated digitalization, and resilient asset quality. Having moved past the peak NPA cycle, banks are now characterized by stronger capital buffers, operational efficiency, and a digital-first approach.A key trend shaping the industry is rapid digital adoption.

Stock market recap: India’s benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 ended with strong gains on Monday, 6 April, rising more than 1% each amid easing crude oil prices and further recovery in the Indian rupee.Extending gains to the third consecutive session, the Sensex ended 787 points, or 1.07%, higher at 74,106.85, while the Nifty 50 settled at 22,968.25, rising 255 points, or 1.12%. The BSE 150 Midcap index gained 1.30%, while the BSE 250 Smallcap index rose by 1.10%.Investor wealth rose by more than ₹5 trillion in a single session as the overall market capitalization of BSE-listed firms rose to over ₹427 trillion.Buy: Titan Co. Ltd(current price: ₹4,246)Buy: Schneider Electric Infrastructure Ltd (current price: ₹926)Nifty 50 performance on 6 AprilThe Nifty 50 opened on a positive note and sustained buying momentum throughout the session.

Write to Andy Serwer at [email protected] updated with the latest Trending, India , World and US news.

Amid daily price swings in crude oil, based on what the US or Iran says on a given day, global growth prospects for 2026 appear grim. Even if the war ends within days, rebuilding energy infrastructure in West Asia, battered by bombings and drone attacks, will take months if not years.

₹26,000 crore, lower than ₹33,400 crore in August 2025 and higher than ₹24,000 crore in January 2026. Within equity, the category getting the highest flows, as a trend, is flexi-cap funds. In February 2026, inflows to flexi-cap funds were approximately ₹7,000 crore out of the ₹26,000 crore mentioned earlier.

India’s record-breaking initial public offering (IPO) run is beginning to show signs of fatigue. Even as companies raised an all-time high ₹1.78 trillion in 2025-26—surpassing the previous peak of ₹1.62 trillion—investor enthusiasm, particularly among retail participants, has started to wane.The shift comes against a volatile backdrop.

Last week, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released its annual report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2025. It differs from earlier PLFS reports in its coverage and sampling design.The PLFS has been in existence since 2017, yielding annual reports for rural and urban areas along with quarterly reports for only urban India. This survey was a departure from the erstwhile Employment and Unemployment Survey (EUS).

Stock market recap: The Indian equity markets commenced the new financial year on a remarkably bullish note, with Nifty 50 surging 1.56% to close at 22,679.40. This rally, which saw the index reclaim 22,650, was primarily fueled by optimistic global cues following hints of de-escalation in the West Asia war.Investor sentiment was further bolstered by a sharp decline in crude oil prices and a cooling of U.S.

Stock market recap: The Indian equity markets witnessed a sharp sell-off on Monday, 30 March 2026, as the West Asia war and surging crude oil prices triggered a widespread risk-off sentiment.Nifty 50 plummeted 2.14% to settle at 22,331.40, while S&P BSE Sensex crashed 1,636 points (2.22%) to end at 71,947.55. The session was marked by deep institutional selling, particularly from FPIs, as Brent crude climbed above $115 per barrel, threatening India's macroeconomic stability.Sectorally, Nifty Realty and PSU Banks bore the brunt of the carnage, with heavyweights like Bajaj Finance, Axis Bank, and SBI leading the losers' list.

Best stocks to buy today (All buy trades are rates of equity, and sell rates are based on F&O)Indusind Bank Ltd: Sell below 750 | Stop 790 | Target 685 (Multiday)IPCA Laboratories Ltd: Buy above ₹1,610 | Stop ₹1,540 | Target ₹1,785 (Multiday)On 30 March 2026, Indian equity markets witnessed heavy selling pressure for the second consecutive session as surging crude oil prices above $114 a barrel and escalating tensions in the Middle East dampened investor sentiment. The NSE benchmark Nifty closed sharply lower by 488.20 points, or 2.14%, at 22,331.40, marking its weakest finish in nearly eleven months.

Mint India Investment Summit 2026, held in Mumbai last week.Shaji Varghese, chief executive officer of Muthoot Fincorp, said that of India’s 60 million small businesses, only 20–30% have access to credit, underscoring the critical role NBFCs play in bridging the gap. “That relevance is only further pronounced now.

Three of India’s mid-sized IT companies—Persistent Systems Ltd, Hexaware Technologies Ltd and Firstsource Solutions Ltd—are looking to scale up their business and employ more people outside the US, which makes up more than three-fifths of their business. This mirrors the trend of their larger peers shifting their focus from the US to Europe and growth markets including Asia and South Africa.From acquisitions and large deals to strategic employee hubs, India, Australia, South Africa and West Asia are emerging as the key hotspots for these mid-sized IT services companies earning $1 billion to $5 billion in revenue as they look to insulate themselves from macroeconomic tensions and tap new growth markets.Persistent Systems, the country’s ninth-largest IT services company, got about 80% of its $1.41 billion revenue from North America.

Write to [email protected] updated with the latest Trending, India , World and US news.

Mumbai: The cement industry is bracing for a sharp price increase in April as the fallout from the war in West Asia drives up production costs. UltraTech Cement Ltd, India’s largest producer, is set to be the first to increase its price, according to an executive in the know.A price hike by the market leader is likely to trigger similar moves by other cement makers, who are under even greater pressure from higher costs, given their relatively smaller scale.“Nobody will increase cement prices now as they need to meet the year-end targets, but price increase will be seen in the month of April, and cost will be passed on to the consumers,” said the executive quoted above, requesting anonymity, discussing business strategy.Emails sent to UltraTech did not elicit a response till press time.The rise in cement prices is expected to marginally increase construction and infrastructure costs, as cement typically accounts for around 5% of total construction cost, according to Satyadeep Jain, lead analyst for cement, metals, mining and utilities at Ambit Capital.“Cement companies will need ₹20/bag price hike to fully offset cost Inflation vs typical ₹7-8/bag hike in April.