Trends Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: Frontline indices, the Sensex and the Nifty 50, ended in the negative territory on Tuesday, largely due to profit booking in select banking and financial heavyweights.The 30-share pack Sensex closed 252 points, or 0.33%, lower at 77,017.79, while the NSE barometer Nifty 50 ended at 24,032.80, down 87 points, or 0.36%.Amid a series of upcoming events set to shape market sentiment, markets navigate an environment clouded with uncertainty.Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTrader’s Raja Venkatraman:ABCAPITAL (Cmp ₹360.85)ABCAPITAL: Buy above ₹363, stop ₹340 target ₹405 (Multiday)AUROPHARMA (Cmp ₹1428.10)AUROPHARMA: Buy above ₹1430, stop ₹1390 target ₹1550 (Multiday) FINCABLES (Cmp ₹1054.95)FINCABLES: Buy above ₹1060, stop ₹1020 target ₹1150 (Multiday)Stock Market RecapOn 5 May 2026, Indian equities ended lower in a volatile session ahead of the Nifty weekly F&O expiry. The Sensex slipped 251.61 points or 0.33% to close at 77,017.79, while the Nifty fell 86.5 points or 0.36% to settle at 24,032.80.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The Centre's reliance on small savings to finance its budget deficit increased in the previous financial year, with collections under the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) rising to ₹2.19 trillion in the 11 months to February 2026, said two government officials aware of the matter.The overall mobilization from these long-term, lock-in-based savings schemes such as Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana helped reduce pressure on market borrowing, even though monthly inflows remained uneven, the officials cited earlier said on the condition of anonymity.According to department of expenditure data reviewed by Mint, NSSF collections during the first 11 months of FY26 were nearly ₹30,000 crore higher than ₹1.89 trillion recorded in the same period of FY25.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.E-commerce companies and delivery platforms are scrambling to hire workers during peak summer demand but are finding it difficult to fill roles on time, as experienced gig workers increasingly refuse to play ball, recruitment firms said.These gig workers are no longer attracted by slightly higher pay on another platform, and in some cases even dropping out late in the hiring process, as they look for formal, stable jobs with predictable incomes to cope with rising living costs. This has pushed up hiring costs by 15-20% this summer season as gig workers prefer fixed-salary jobs that pay at least ₹15,000-20,000 a month - levels that still fall short of their financial needs.“We are observing signs of a supply-side constraint.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Ather Energy’s March quarter (Q4FY26) results are a classic case of operating leverage in action. While revenue surged 74% year-on-year to ₹1,175 crore, matching market expectations, net loss narrowed significantly, shrinking 57% to ₹100 crore.However, investors remain cautious despite these gains. Volume growth was robust, supported by rapid network ramp-up (700 experience centres versus 350 last year) and the continued success of the Rizta scooter.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.With the government planning to roll out E-PRAAPTI, an Aadhaar-linked portal by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), subscribers will soon be able to trace and access dormant or unclaimed provident fund accounts with minimal effort. The platform is designed to let users identify legacy accounts, link them to their Universal Account Number (UAN), update KYC details and reactivate balances through a fully digital process.The shift marks a move from an employer-dependent system to a member-led model, where individuals can manage PF accounts directly using digital authentication.Mint explores how the portal could help unlock dormant provident fund accounts and what the shift to a member-led system means for subscribers.India has a large number of inactive provident fund (PF) accounts, largely due to job changes, incomplete KYC, or accounts created before UAN became universal.Over time, EPFO has acknowledged that a significant portion of its total accounts are inactive or inoperative—many of them small-value balances that workers have lost track of.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: Large mutual funds in India are becoming more selective about investing in smaller stock market listings, making companies that seek to raise between ₹400 crore to ₹2,000 crore either wait out a volatile market or turn to private equity and venture capital firms for funds.“There is clearly more selectivity. In the ₹2,000–3,000 crore range, deals need sharper differentiation on growth, quality, and valuation to see strong traction,” said Raghav Gupta, joint chief executive officer, IIFL Capital.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BENGALURU: On-demand house-help services platforms such as Urban Company’s Insta Help, Snabbit and Pronto are facing a workforce shortage across major cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru and the National Capital Region, leading to limited availability and rescheduled or cancelled bookings.Even as the platforms try to scale up to meet demand, users have reported difficulty securing slots for same-day or even next-day services, particularly for routine cleaning services. The disruption comes as demand for app-based home services continues to grow, driven by dual-income households and a shift towards convenient platform-based hiring.“I’ve tried booking a cleaner multiple times in the last two weeks and either there are no slots or the booking gets pushed to the next available day,” said a Bengaluru-based user who did not wish to be identified, adding that Pronto and Urban Company currently only allow scheduled bookings (not help within minutes) for their area.A user in Mumbai recently purchased Insta Help’s three-day pack but has been unable to find vacant slots.“The app simply says it will notify you when slots are available.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Stock market recap: Indian equity benchmarks ended the session higher on Monday 4 May, with the Nifty 50 rising 121.75 points (0.51%) to close at 24,119.30. The Sensex gained 355.90 points (0.46%) to finish at 77,269.40.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.With critical triggers like state election results and Q4 earnings converging, investors are navigating a landscape defined by high uncertainty. Strategic clarity remains elusive, making it difficult for traders to act decisively.Buy above ₹415, stop ₹395, target ₹460 (multiday)Buy above ₹930, stop ₹890, target ₹1025 (multiday)Buy above ₹1025, stop ₹960, target ₹1125 (multiday)Indian equity markets staged a strong rebound on 4 May, with both benchmark indices closing higher after Thursday’s sharp sell-off.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The shrill emergency alerts that lit up millions of phones across India on Saturday brings the spotlight on an ongoing legal battle on the award of this critical public safety network project.Germany-headquartered Utimaco Technologies has alleged irregularities in government’s selection of the implementation agency for the cell broadcast system to roll out a nationwide disaster alert mechanism, according to people in the know and a copy of the company's petition seen by Mint.A case on the matter has been pending before the Delhi high court since 2024, with the next hearing slated for 11 May 2026.Utimaco, which owns Israel-based emergency alert solution provider Celltick, said India's decision to assign the project to the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) lacked fairness and transparency. Citing the absence of an open tender, the petition said the move violated the principle of natural justice and fair competition.C-DOT is a research and development wing of the department of telecommunications (DoT).

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The theme in Monday’s election results of three of the four major states that went to the latest hustings was the same—anti-incumbency. Incumbents were sent packing in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holding ground in Assam and likely Puducherry.When the euphoria peters out, the hard part will be in governing for all four major states.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Infosys Ltd is accelerating its push into global capability centres (GCCs), leaning into a structural shift that otherwise threatens its core outsourcing business and that of the broader IT industry.The Bengaluru-based IT major has mandated dedicated GCC offerings with embedded AI capabilities across its delivery centres, while also setting aside capacity within its campuses to incubate client-owned tech hubs.The push comes as multinational companies increasingly set up their own capability centres to directly leverage India’s skilled talent and low costs, insourcing work that would have otherwise gone to IT services firms like Infosys, and potentially crimping their revenues.India currently has about 1,760 GCCs. Nasscom estimates India to have 2,200 GCCs by March 2030, with the sector reaching $105 billion by March 2030.To be sure, Infosys is not alone in trying to build a business from a trend that also poses a threat.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.At 11.40 am on Saturday, millions of phones across India blared a loud alert simultaneously, interrupting calls and conversations. The disruption was deliberate. It was a nationwide test of a multilingual cell broadcast system developed by the state-owned Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) for emergency warnings during disasters.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.From India and New Zealand formally signing a free trade agreement (FTA) to India once again becoming a net exporter of finished steel, the index of industrial production (IIP) easing to a five-month low in March, freshers facing disruptions in job offers,and gender disparity in India’s boardrooms — here is a compilation of this week's news in numbers.India and New Zealand formally signed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) on Monday after completing the negotiations in just nine months in December 2025, making this one of the fastest trade deals ever concluded. The deal carries a $20 billion investment commitment from Wellington over the next 15 years, commerce minister Piyush Goyal said.The FTA will grant duty-free access to all Indian exports to New Zealand, spanning 100% of tariff lines.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s pilots have urged the aviation regulator to fully enforce flight duty time limitations (FDTL), warning that relaxations could compromise safety and crew wellbeing. In a 1 May letter, reviewed by Mint, the pilots' association cited recent pilot deaths and flagged rising fatigue risks, seeking a time-bound roadmap to end selective exemptions that, it said, have diluted the intent of the rules.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.BENGALURU: Reliance Retail has acquired Anomaly Haircare, the global haircare label founded by actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, as it accelerates its push into beauty and personal care.The dealincludes ownership of trademarks and digital assets with plans to scale the brand across India and global markets using Reliance’s omnichannel ecosystem, including its Tira platform, it said in a statement on Thursday.Mint unpacks why Reliance Retail is assembling a celebrity-led brand portfolio despite these companies reporting losses.Reliance Retail’s playbook has increasingly leaned on star power. The company had bought a majority stake in actor Alia Bhatt’s kidswear brand Ed-a-Mamma in July 2023.It acquired a 40% stake in celebrity stylist Manish Malhotra’s luxury ethnic wear brand MM Styles in 2021, and bought a majority stake in celebrity stylist Ritu Kumar’s label the same year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Diagnostics major Dr. Lal Path Labs saw revenue improve 17% year-on-year to ₹703 crore in the March quarter (Q4FY26), beating consensus estimate by 5%. The jump was primarily led by higher sample volumes and better realizations.Revenue grew 12.2% to ₹2,763 crore in FY26.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Lose weight quickly, and it often shows up on the face first. As fat disappears, the skin can sag, accentuating signs of ageing.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Indian equities ended the holiday-truncated week only marginally higher, as stalled talks between the US and Iran and president Donald Trump's rejection of Tehran's proposal to remove the blockade of Hormuz pushed crude prices to a three-year high of $126 per barrel.Still, benchmark indices posted their best monthly show in nearly three years in a relief rally, as investors piled into beaten-down stocks after US and Iran announced a ceasefire early in April following more than a month of conflict.Surging crude prices pushed the rupee to a record low of 95.32 against the US dollar, sparking concerns that a fragile West Asia truce could unravel, intensifying inflationary and margin pressures. The weakening currency also accelerated foreign outflows, further dampening market sentiment.The Nifty 50 slipped 0.3% to 23,997.55, while the Sensex fell 0.8% to 76,913.5 on Thursday amid geopolitical concerns.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has set an ambitious target of increasing its average revenue per user (Arpu) by almost 50% to ₹150 in the current fiscal year. This after a recent annual review flagged concerns “regarding the stagnation of core business revenue” of the state-owned telecom operator, according to the meeting document seen by Mint.The target was set at a review meeting of BSNL with communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on 23 April.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Dinshaw’s Dairy Pvt Ltd, founded in 1932, is trying to look and think younger. The 94-year-old Nagpur-based ice cream maker is recasting its identity to appeal to a new generation of consumers, while making investments to expand its footprint beyond Maharashtra into markets across India, Zervin Rana, director at the company, told Mint in an interview.The push comes months after a comprehensive rebranding exercise that refreshed the company’s logo and positioning.