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₹19.6 lakh in FY25 compared to ₹14.5 lakh for a private bank employee, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 29 December. The gap has widened since FY24, when the per-employee profit of government-owned banks stood at ₹15.2 lakh, surpassing ₹14 lakh for their private peers.Profit per employee is a key metric that tracks staff productivity.India’s public sector banks had an image of being inefficient, with governments continually injecting fresh capital into them each year.

Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTrader’s Raja Venkatraman:DABUR(Cmp ₹522.60)DABUR: Buy above ₹525, stop ₹507 target ₹580 (Multiday)RRKABEL (Cmp ₹1510.50)RRKABEL:Buy above ₹1515, stop ₹1470 target ₹1615 (Multiday)PAYTM(Cmp ₹1340.60)PAYTM: Buy above ₹1340, stop ₹1315 target ₹1385 (Intraday)Stock Market RecapIndian equity markets closed on a strong note on Monday, buoyed by firm global cues and robust buying in banking and metal counters. The Sensex advanced 573.41 points, or 0.67 percent, to settle at 85,762.01 after touching an intraday high of 85,812.27.

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The animal spirits seem to be stirring, but the scoreboard tells a mixed story. New project announcements rose nearly 16% sequentially in the October-December quarter (Q3 FY26), almost doubling the momentum seen in the previous three months.

Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India:Buy: Fedbank Financial Services Ltd(current price: ₹154.5) Buy: Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (current price: ₹1047)Nifty 50 RecapIndian equities ended the first trading session of 2026 on a subdued note, with benchmark indices consolidating after recent gains.Nifty 50 closed marginally higher at 26,146.55, up 0.07%, after oscillating within a narrow intraday range, while Sensex also finished largely flat, reflecting a lack of strong directional cues.Market breadth was mildly positive, with 1,683 stocks advancing against 1,448 declines, indicating selective buying interest beneath the surface. On the sectoral front, Auto, IT, Metals, and Realty stocks outperformed, supported by bargain hunting and expectations of steady demand..

Stock market recap: Indian equities ended mixed on the first trading day of 2026, as stock-specific moves and a lack of fresh triggers kept sentiment subdued. The Sensex slipped marginally, while the Nifty 50 closed slightly higher.

Kevins for Fed Chair. Nope. Not going to happen. Meaning I see neither Kevin Hassett nor Kevin Warsh becoming chairman of the Federal Reserve in May.

₹336 per bag of 50 kg, as per Elara Securities (India).A key drag on the overall pricing trajectory came from the southern region, which registered the steepest sequential drop of 3.9% to ₹304 due to subdued demand. After witnessing the sharpest price hikes of nearly ₹20-45 per bag in April, cement prices in the south have consistently trended downward and ended 2025 on a weak note, said the Elara report dated 30 December.Prices in Tamil Nadu and Kerala fell by around ₹5 per bag, while prices in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were flat month-on-month in December.The problem of the South? The region has been primarily experiencing an oversupply, along with relatively lower demand growth.

US Federal Reserve fueled this cycle by keeping its policy rate “low for long” after the 2008 global financial crisis. For too many, “long” was interpreted as “forever.” They simply took it for granted that US growth would be consistently higher than the real interest rate on government debt, which itself would remain exceptionally low by historical standards.

The Indian equity benchmarks concluded the final session of 2025 on a firm note, snapping a four-day losing streak as value buying emerged across sectors.Nifty 50 advanced 190.75 points (0.74%) to close at 26,129.60, while S&P BSE Sensex rose 545.52 points (0.64%) to settle at 85,220.60.Market sentiment was primarily bolstered by the metal sector, which surged following the government’s announcement of a three-year import tariff on select steel products to curb cheap shipments from China.JSW Steel (+4.8%) and Tata Steel (+2.4%) emerged as top gainers, leading Nifty Metal to a 1.43% rise. The overall market breadth was positive, as reflected in an encouraging advance-decline ratio, with mid-cap and small-cap indices outperforming the front liners.While thin year-end volumes and sustained FII outflows remained headwinds throughout December, the session highlighted resilient domestic liquidity.

Stock market recap: The Indian stock market witnessed healthy cross-segment buying on the last day of 2025, driven by short covering triggered by optimism that the coming year will be better than the current one, due to anticipated earnings growth, a potential India-US trade deal, and the return of foreign investors to the Indian market.The Sensex jumped 546 points, or 0.64%, to close at 85,220.60, with Reliance Industries, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Axis Bank as the top contributors to the gains. The Nifty 50 settled at 26,129.60, rising 191 points, or 0.74%.

₹500 per child where creche facilities are not provided, and travel allowances for inter-state migrant workers."These changes reflect a strong emphasis on health, safety, and social security, and businesses should start preparing now to ensure smooth compliance once the rules are finalized," Gupta said.The draft central rules under the four labour codes provide clarity on several operational aspects. The code on social security rules specifies that gratuity will be calculated on ‘wages’ last drawn, excluding components such as annual performance-linked pay, medical reimbursements, stock options, and meal vouchers.

New Delhi: India’s top manufacturers of scooters, motorcycles and cars are set to close the year on a record high, with two-wheeler retail registrations crossing 20 million and four-wheeler registrations crossing 4.3 million for the first time.According to data from the government's Vahan portal, which records vehicle registrations after they have been sold at dealerships, two-wheeler registrations grew by 7% to 20.2 million units in 2025, breaking the all-time record of 19.6 million registrations in 2018. Meanwhile, passenger vehicle registrations (cars, sports utility vehicles and vans) grew 9% year-on-year to 4.38 million units, also a new record.This growth is reflected in investors' bullishness for the automobile sector, with the Nifty Auto rising 22% during the year, against 10% for the benchmark Nifty 50.Independent analysts have noted over the past few days that the automobile sector as a whole benefited from the goods and services tax (GST) cuts in September, helping it achieve record-high sales.“Following the GST rationalization, demand has picked up across segments and seems to have remained intact even after the festive season.

₹7,900 crore and growing at about 6.5% annually. Meanwhile, the opalware market—featuring lightweight, heat-resistant tempered glass with a porcelain-like finish—is estimated at roughly ₹2,000 crore, expanding at around 10%.By comparison, the cookware market, including steel, non-stick, and cast iron products, is pegged at over ₹8,100 crore and growing at nearly 8.5%, underscoring the continued dominance of non-glass categories.For the 64-year-old Borosil, which operates across all three categories, this push has resulted in revenues of ₹573.05 crore during the first half of 2025-26, representing a 14.7% year-on-year increase.During the period, Borosil’s consumer glassware segment, which includes storage containers, serving ware, tumblers and lunchboxes, grew 27.4% on-year, making it the fastest-growing category in its portfolio.

overall weakness.Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India:Buy: FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd (current price: ₹264)Buy: Choice International Ltd, current price: ₹832) Nifty 50 recapNifty 50 opened on a flat note and spent the entire session oscillating within a narrow 100-point range, highlighting indecision and muted participation from market participants. The subdued price action resulted in the formation of a fourth consecutive bearish candle on the daily chart, marked by a lower-high and lower-low price structure, which signals a gradual erosion of near-term momentum.From a technical perspective, the RSI turned downward and is hovering around 49, reflecting weakening buying strength.

Indian stock markets: The Indian stock market ended largely flat on Tuesday, 30 December, as investors stayed cautious amid a lack of fresh domestic triggers and mixed global cues. The Sensex closed at 84,675.08, down 20 points, or 0.02%, while the Nifty 50 slipped 3 points, or 0.01%, to 25,938.85.

Despite domestic equities becoming the worst-performing among emerging markets in 2025, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have continued to invest in India through its primary markets, and the trend is expected to persist next year.Investment bankers and money managers have attributed this trend to FPIs' conviction in the country's long-term structural growth prospects, even as the cohorts tactically reduce their cash market exposure due to a range of factors, including softer US interest rates and a slowdown in earnings growth.While FPIs have net sold a record ₹2.34 trillion of cash or secondary market shares this calendar year, following steeper valuations compared to emerging market (EM) peers amid an earnings growth pause, their purchases through the primary route at ₹73,749 crore this year have been the second-highest, only to the record ₹80,314 crore inflows in 2021.This bullishness on India is also evident historically. From 2015 to the end of 2025, FPIs have been net sellers six out of 11 times in the cash market.

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AI and technology-led disruption, which naturally makes the hiring process more rigorous."This scrutiny has introduced new hurdles for candidates, including psychometric testing. Once reserved for the top rung, these assessments are now standard for middle management.Peer-level reviews are in too."Peer group evaluations are now done in seven out of 10 mandates at the middle and senior levels," says Pranshu Upadhyay, regional director at Michael Page India.

₹580 crore to the sponsorship, spread over two and a half years. “This impact is likely to reflect in financials from Q3 onwards,” Motilal Oswal’s analysts noted.Apollo’s consolidated Ebitda margin in the September quarter (Q2FY26) had risen 130 basis points (bps) year-on-year to 14.9%, the highest in the past six quarters, having declined about 110 bps to 13.2% in Q1.

Indian stock markets: The Indian equity benchmarks ended Monday’s trading session on a cautious and subdued note, as persistent selling pressure weighed on overall market sentiment.Nifty 50 declined 0.38% to close at 25,942.10, while Sensex shed 346 points to settle at 84,695.54. Market breadth remained weak, with only 11 stocks advancing against 39 declines within Nifty 50 pack, highlighting broad-based selling and a negative undertone across sectors.Although selective buying was visible in a handful of stocks, it failed to offset the overall weakness.