Most Fed officials favour a rate cut in September if inflation continues to cool

Federal Reserve officials leaned towards reducing the benchmark interest rate in September, assuming inflation keeps declining. Minutes from the July meeting indicated likely policy easing, with Chair Jerome Powell expected to provide more details in an upcoming speech. Recent economic data presents a mixed picture, affecting trader expectations and economic sentiment.

Asian equities climb ahead of central bank events: Markets wrap

Asian stocks saw a rise as markets anticipated key announcements from the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index increased by 0.2%, with gains observed in Japan, Australia, and South Korea. Fed minutes suggested a potential rate cut, and China launched an anti-subsidy probe into EU dairy imports, escalating trade tensions.

Sebi board likely to have new faces as Anshuman, Govil exit

Sebi’s board saw changes with V Ravi Anshuman and Manoj Govil exiting, the latter being replaced by Deepti Gaur Mukerjee. Also, Sebi’s chief, Madhabi Puri Buch, faced allegations linked to the Adani Group by Hindenburg Research. The board will soon discuss these allegations at an upcoming meeting.

FPIs sell off big in financial services sector in August

In early August, foreign investors sold ₹14,790 crore worth of shares in financial services, the highest among all sectors. Key reasons included merger issues and benchmark changes. Other sectors like metals & mining and construction materials saw significant sell-offs. However, there were inflows totaling ₹9,819 crore across eight sectors in the same period.

LIC Housing Finance’s near-term outlook a challenge

LIC Housing Finance saw a 9% decline in its stock in August after a weaker-than-expected June quarter. The company’s net interest income dropped by 10% year-on-year, and net profit decreased by 2%. Analysts have downgraded the FY25/26 earnings per share by 2-4%, indicating challenges ahead.

Bluestone bags Rs 900 cr in pre-IPO round, to file draft papers this year

Jewellery retailer Bluestone has completed a Rs 900-crore financing round, increasing its valuation to $970 million. The Accel-backed firm plans to file for an IPO this year after closing a pre-IPO round. Investors including Peak XV Partners, Prosus, and Steadview Capital participated in the primary-plus-secondary share sale. Kalaari Capital made a partial exit, earning about […]