Jefferies warned that the sharp hike in cigarette excise duty is clearly negative for ITC in the near term, likely hurting volumes and earnings. The brokerage called the move a major negative surprise for the legal cigarette industry, estimating over a 20% rise in effective tax incidence, and said it increases policy uncertainty despite its continued positive stance on ITC.
Macro headwinds are behind us; largecaps poised to outperform: Prashant Jain
India’s equity markets are poised for a positive turn as economic challenges recede, according to Prashant Jain. He highlights strong domestic fundamentals, improving external balances,
July 2, 2026