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US consumer prices jumped at the start of the year, tempering hopes for a continued drop in inflation and likely delaying any Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts.

Canadians already complain about the higher costs of electric vehicles, but just wait until they get the insurance bill.

For some people it’s easy to pick the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. They’re buying for themselves. Self-gifting is on the rise for Cupid’s holiday as more consumers grow tired of receiving duds from their spouse or significant other, enjoy the empowerment of treating themselves or celebrate the single life.

The latest inflation numbers show that the US inflation rate is above forecasts. The annual inflation rate in the US fell back to 3.1% in January 2024 following a brief increase to 3.4% in December but came higher than forecasts of 2.9%. Compared to the previous month, the CPI edged up 0.3%, the most in four months, and above forecasts of 0.2%. Also, annual core inflation held steady at 3.9%, compared to expectations it would slow to 3.7%. The monthly rate edged up to 0.4%.

Sectorally, buying was seen in banks, PSU, energy and healthcare stocks while metal and smallcap stocks saw some selling.

GoKwik, has reported that the direct to consumer (D2C) brands on its network witnessed 12.72% increase in sales during the Republic Day sale week compared to the week prior. The GMV or Gross Merchandise Volume also saw a nominal rise of 10%. The growth in the first quarter of FY 2024 has been muted after a great performance in the last quarter of 2023, despite Republic Day, which is usually a marquee sales event at the start of the year to give the necessary boost to brands. “With shoppers going all out in the long festive season sale period in 2023, followed by the Black Friday sale that has increasingly grown popular amongst Indians, a modest surge in the Republic Day sale period could be a natural resting period in the first month of 2024. Moreover, with macro headwinds such as high-interest rates, layoffs, etc, shoppers might have been more conservative in their spending this time around. However, this seems to be a temporary trend and the consumption is likely to pick up with D2C’s favourite Valentine’s Day sale period coming up,” said Chirag Taneja, Co-Founder and CEO, GoKwik.

Today marks the release of the most crucial event of the week – the US inflation data report.

By Sriparna Roy and Bhanvi Satija

The GBP/USD edged higher in reaction to the firmer wages and jobs data from the UK earlier this morning, ahead of the release of even more top-tier data from both sides of the pond.

BSE PSU index are trading between 10% and 37% lower from their 52-week highs. Leading this trend is SJVN, which has witnessed a significant decline over the last two trading sessions, tumbling by 24%. From its 52-week high of ₹170.50, the stock has corrected by 37%, currently trading at ₹108.15 apiece.

BSE Smallcap index is witnessing a strong sell-off in February. The BSE Smallcap index is down over 3 per cent in February so far while the benchmark Sensex is down about 0.3 per cent. The BSE Midcap index is flat this month.

Valentine’s Day, you may have to disclose your credit score, among other things to prove you are ‘fit enough’ to be someone’s Valentine. This is not just another buzz word which dating sites have lapped up on Valentine's Day, but a new way of life that manifests itself in different forms and shapes around us. It is interesting to note that a high credit score is not a prerequisite for a sound financial wealth.

mutual fund industry has experienced impressive growth, with more people getting involved and a significant increase in the total assets managed. The most recent info from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) as of November, 2023, shows that the industry's net assets under management (AUM) were ₹46,71,687 crore, and the average AUM was ₹47,80,422 crore by the end of October 2023. A noteworthy accomplishment is the addition of over 25.50 lakh new investors, pushing the mutual fund folios to a record high of 15,96,46,790 in October 2023.

Rashi Peripherals IPO: After the announcement of share allocation, lucky allottees are eagerly waiting for the Rashi Peripherals IPO listing date, which is most likely on 14th February 2024 i.e. tomorrow. The reason for expecting Rashi Peripherals IPO listing on Wednesday is because of the T+3 listing rule which has become mandatory for each public issue from 1st December 2023.

Also Read: Jana Small Finance Bank IPO allotment out. Latest GMP, how to check allotment status online Let us check Jana Small Finance Bank IPO GMP today ahead of the share listing tomorrow. Trends in the grey market indicate a positive debut for Jana Small Finance Bank shares on the stock exchanges.

Investing.com-- Most Asian currencies weakened on Tuesday, while the dollar firmed as markets hunkered down before key U.S. inflation data that is widely expected to factor into the path of interest rates. 

Bitcoin’s price prediction buzz intensifies as it surges past the $50,150 mark, posting a significant 4% increase. This milestone, a peak not witnessed in over two years, signals renewed investor confidence catalyzed by recent regulatory advancements and anticipation of further interest rate reductions.

R Mukundan, MD & CEO, Tata Chemicals, says “the main issue which we will face going forward next year is going to be in terms of exports where compared to the pricing which we got in the export markets, we would see at least a $100 reduction. This is mainly out of exports coming out of the US and Europe. We have operations in the UK, similar to most people, there is going to be a compression of margin of at least a hundred pounds per tonne. Those are the two pressure points.”

PSU shares rallied up to 15% across segments, including the railway, banking, and defence sectors on Tuesday, a day after the crash in PSU stocks. Among the BSE PSU index stocks, railway stocks were the top gainers. Shares of IRFC, RVNL, and Ircon International rose by 8-15%.

Mint’s queries. “Our funding round is closed and we are awaiting money to be wired this week. Basis that, and to manage working capital we had given a choice to old employees to hold salaries back.

Ashish Kacholia portfolio: Fineotex Chemical shares are one of the multibagger stocks that the Indian stock market has produced in the last few years. This Ashish Kacholia-backed chemical stock has risen from around ₹33.75 to ₹400 apiece level on the NSE, delivering over 1,000 percent return to its positional investors in this time.