Indian Stock Market WrapUp

Indian stock markets mostly remained in the negative zone during the week except for Wednesday. Asian stock markets were under pressure amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak that has slowed production and weakened demand in China. Back home, I'm sure you've heard about Moody's cutting India's GDP growth forecast. Amid all this gloom, we at Equitymaster believe in taking advantage of the negativity in the stock market and buy the best stocks that are poised to ride India's economic recovery. But how to pick the best stocks and what are the opportunities to look out for in such times? Tune in to find out?

With the Union Budget out of the way, the focus of the street this week was monetary policy. In today’s podcast, we try to dive deeper and see not just what the Budget and monetary policy fingerprint was on the markets, but also look at the top stories in the week gone by. Tune in…

In an extended week due to budget announcements, we look at the major moves of the market in the week gone by. The global stock markets ignored every piece of financial news and economic data released in the last few days. They focused solely on the virus and moved choppily during the week. Indian stock markets have also remained volatile tracking its global peers. The pre-budget rally was replaced with nervousness until Friday. The Union Budget 2020 failed to cheer the markets on Saturday. The Sensex fell as much as 700 points intraday. While everyone is talking about the Budget and what it has in store for the stock markets, our analysts at Equitymaster are singing a different tune. What is it? And how should you react after budget announcement? Tune in to find out…

The stock markets in India remained rangebound this week. Economic data releases and third quarter results announcements were the focus of the week. In this episode, we talk about all that moved the stock markets. Also, there seems to be a change in wind in the markets. Since the start of 2020, the uptrend in small cap stocks has accelerated… Are we witnessing a rebound in small cap stocks? What does this trend indicate and what should you do? Tune in now…

This week, the BSE Sensex crossed 42,000 level for the first time. While Nifty followed suit, hitting a record high of 12,377. Broader market indices, smallcaps and midcaps continued to rally during the week. Will this outperformance stay? What should you do in such times? We try to decode this and more… Tune in now!

Amid geopolitical tensions, stocks markets in India swung from over lows to highs during the week. Overall, markets remained volatile. The week witnessed heightened geopolitical tensions after Donald Trump ordered strike on an Iranian commander. By the end of week, the possibility of an all-out war was diminished. But could it change tomorrow? What should you do amid such volatile times? Such macro events bring volatility as well as opportunities to the stock markets. What are these opportunities? Tune in to find out now!

Happy New Year! The coming year is going to be an eventful one and a number of domestic as well as global factors are likely to dictate the trend for the Indian market. However, one thing I can assure you is that we are going to closely track the share markets and keep you updated on all the happenings in the coming year. Stock markets in India were volatile this week. In shortened trading sessions ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations, global stock markets remained positive. As the new year kickstarts, we look at the major developments in the week gone by… Tune in now!

As the year 2019 draws to close, we look at what moved the markets during this year and the week gone by. The year 2019 was quite eventful. From puzzling volatility to surprising gains, it was difficult to determine the course of the market. In this episode, we look at the top gainers and losers during the year. With a volatile 2019, how do you expect stock markets to be in 2020? Tune in before you make your stock picking resolutions this new year and tell us what you think in the comments section below.

After scaling record highs, stock markets in India turned flattish by the end of the week. Donald Trump’s impeachment and expected volatility in Tata group stocks influenced the sentiments. However, the Sensex remained well above its 41,000 levels. In the podcast, we also talk about other macroeconomic developments that matter to you and your wealth creation. For example, ratings agency, Moody’s lowered India’s GDP growth projection for FY20. So, how should you read these numbers and what should you really look at in current times? We try to decode this and more. Tune in...

Stock markets remained rangebound this week too. Macroeconomic news globally and domestically remained the focus of the week. However, the markets turned green by the end of the week owing to global cues. Economic concerns continued to affect the market sentiments. India's retail inflation rate in November rose and India's industrial output contracted. November, but the culprit was food inflation, onions in particular. So, what lies ahead of the Indian economy? Tune in to know more...

In addition to the usual stock market updates of the week, I talk about how RBI’s monetary policy decision and slowing economy impacts you and your portfolio of stocks. After five rate cuts in a row, the RBI finally hit the pause button. Last week, the GDP data showed Indian economy is slowing further. But, should you really worry about it? If not, then what should you do? Tune in now...

Despite all the depressing news about the economy in the media the markets were at all-time highs. The Sensex touched the 41,000 mark for the first time ever on Tuesday and Nifty surpassed the 12,100 mark. This happens at a time when prime economic indicators are at loggerheads with the market’s euphoria. The markets however turned flat on Thursday and fell on Friday. Market participants were cautious ahead of the important GDP and fiscal numbers that were released by the end of this week. So, will the benchmarks halt the rally and bears take the control? We try to decode this and more… Tune in now...

In today’s episode, I talk about all the major moves of the week, including Modi government’s blockbuster disinvestment, developments in the telecom sector, macroeconomic updates and much more. Besides I also share Equitymaster’s insights on the current state of the markets. Sensex once again touched an all-time high this week. It went up as high as 40,816 points intraday. The Nifty also traded above the crucial resistance of 12,000. At a time when benchmark indices are touching record highs, the stock market doesn’t seem to mirror the economic fact sheet. We know that the economy has been slowing down... There has been a disconnect between the macroeconomic environment and markets. So, is there any clue for us? Is there anything that we are missing in this picture? We try to decode and more… Tune in now...

After trading in green throughout the week, Indian Stock markets turned volatile on Friday after a cut in domestic credit ratings outlook by Moody’s. To boost the economy, government has been taking several measures. Recently FM Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will soon use its strong electoral mandate to usher in the next wave of reforms. There are many reforms in the offing it seems. What will be these reforms and what lies ahead for the stock markets? Tune in to know more...

In today’s episode, I talk about what propelled Sensex to 40,000 mark once again this week. One of the main reasons for the rally in stock markets was the buzz that PM Modi and FM Nirmala Sitharaman are planning a series of tax alignments for equities in the coming weeks. Optimism over US-China trade deal and the European Union extending Brexit deadline also boosted the sentiments. Besides, I also give a quick update on domestic and global top news of the week. Tune in to know more...

In today’s episode, I talk about what moved the markets this week and everything that matters to you and your wealth creation before your Diwali fun begins... Speaking of Diwali, many investors consider it auspicious to buy shares during Diwali. And to meet this demand, stock exchanges organize Muhurat trading every year and this year’s event will take place on Sunday. Do pick stocks wisely! By the way, have you thought of drawing up any investment plans for the new year? As Samvat 2075 comes to an end, let us take a moment to review the week gone by. And take your investment decisions accordingly… Tune in...

After a long period of underperformance, stock markets traded in green territory throughout the week. So, is this is a trend reversal and is the bottom forming in the market? In today’s episode, we try to decode this and more. We talk about all the major domestic and international developments during the week. From the global space, Brexit deal remained in focus. Owing to this development, Indian companies that have business exposure to the UK and Europe rallied. On the macro front, the picture continues to remain grim. But before you take this gloomy news seriously, you must know what our analysts have to say about this. Tune in...

The week gone by was pretty volatile for Dalal street and the global environment is as unpredictable as it can get. In this episode, we talk about the major global and domestic events that moved the markets. Indian benchmark indices were mixed with Sensex rising over 600 points and then falling on the other days. So, what should an average investor do in these volatile times? Are you losing money? Let us know your views in the comments section below. Meanwhile you can tune in to find out what we think. Tune in...

The euphoria created by the surprise cut in the corporate tax rate faded this week. Concerns about the health of the financial sector shook the stock market. The turmoil in the financial sector erased all the gains made by several companies. Mayhem in Yes bank, Lakshmi Vilas Bank and India bulls Housing Finance roiled the markets this week. Then came RBI’s 25 basis points rate cut, which did not help revive the sentiments. In this episode, we talk about what lies ahead for the Indian economy. Then we get to the other headlines including, US-China trade worries, government’s divestment plans, automobile sales and more. Tune in...

The rally in Indian stock markets triggered by the government’s corporate tax rate cut flashed a bullish signal for the markets. Will the bulls stay, or bears take the control back? In this episode, we talk about the market sentiments after the rate cut. Then we get to the other headlines including, impeachment inquiry on Donald Trump, Thomas Cook’s collapse, IRCTC IPO, PMC bank crisis and more. We also talk about an important announcement that went unnoticed in the euphoria of the government's tax rate cuts. Tune in...

What a week it was! While crude oil prices dragged the Indian stock markets lower, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s boosters sent markets soaring and how! Tuesday was a much worse day for stock market investors in India. The Sensex shed 642 points. Until Friday, the focus of the week was crude oil. Owing to the Saudi Arabia’s drone attacks, the soaring oil prices rattled the already weakening Indian economy. The fears of further slowdown were widespread. Then came the blockbuster Friday! Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s booster package on corporate tax, surcharge and buybacks turned the whole stock market story around. Markets cheered and rallied. In this episode we talk about what drove Sensex from 640 points down to 2,000 points up! Tune in...

In yet again holiday shortened week, stock market sentiments were swayed by the macro events such as release of index of industrial production and consumer price index data. Besides, global cues, movement of the crude and currency market trend were on radar as well. China and the US announced they were resuming trade talks in early October. Right on cue, the stock market rallied, bonds and gold fell, and the euro came roaring back from interim lows. Now, the question is whether the stock market rally was justified and whether anything really changed in the China-US trade wars as a result of these new talks. Back home, slowdown blues continued for the beaten down automobiles sector. Finance minister’s statement that millennials preferring Ola and Uber could be one of the reasons for the crisis in the auto sector created quite a buzz in the market. However, Maruti Suzuki had contrasting views over the auto sector crisis. So, the question here is whom to blame for the slowdown? Is the millennial to be blamed? Tune in...

A mix of macroeconomic factors including weak GDP data and lower manufacturing output spooked investors on Dalal street this week. However, the optimism by the end of the week came on the back of rally in global markets. Global stocks rallied sharply on Thursday, logging its best day in three weeks, after US and Chinese officials said they will resume trade talks. All eyes are now fixed on what the government will do to revive the economy and how the businesses perform in the festival season. We are keeping a close watch on these developments. Speaking of the current slowdown, are you painting all stocks and sectors with the same gloomy brush? In the markets like these, how do you identify a growing trend? In today’s episode, I will also talk about how Equitymaster’s analysts are reading this gloomy situation and what stocks and sectors they are looking at. Tune in...

After a brief relief rally in the beginning of the week, stock markets continued their downtrend. The rally came on the back of a number of government measures to revive economic growth and hopes of progress in China-US trade talks helped boost sentiment. During the week, the rupee continued to depreciate against the US dollar, while gold and silver continued its uptrend. In the volatile markets like these, the real question is - Are you buying quality stocks? Tune in to know more.

Another week of slowdown in the markets over fears of a looming slowdown in the domestic and global economy continue. Macroeconomic cues and the rupee movements swayed the stock markets this week. Indian rupee became Asia's worst performing currency this month. Pain in NBFC space continued to weigh on the markets. DHFL witnessed pressure after it defaulted on bond payments. Globally, stock markets remained uncertain over the outlook for US interest rate cuts following the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting kept investors on edge. The stock markets all over, look gloomy from the near-term perspective. But when you look at the economy and the market from a longer-term horizon, the picture looks very different. And this also creates an opportunity. Tune in to know more…

The market, which has been caught in the grip of the bears, gave a negative yearly return for first time in last eight years. The BSE Sensex lost 1.4% and Nifty shed 3.5% between the 72nd Independence Day on 2018 and the 73rd Independence Day on 2019. After a festive and holiday truncated week, Dalal street was back on its regular routine. Macroeconomic indicators such as inflation, factory output as well as global events dictated the stock market trend this week. The Sensex and Nifty remained volatile throughout the week. The markets have been trading on a choppy note these days. Even fundamentally strong stocks are facing the heat. But this doesn't mean one cannot make money in such markets. There's no dearth of stocks these days floating around with mouthwatering dividend yields. In this volatile stock market, it's nice to get the neat little dividend cheques that go straight to your bank accounts, especially when the stock price is doing nothing for you. Watch out for the stocks that pay healthy dividends in the upcoming dividend season. Tune in…

What an eventful week it was! With the government revoking article 370 to the RBI announcing a rate cut. Stock markets were on a roller coaster ride. Indian markets have been at the receiving end of a barrage of negative news and a positive counter to tip the scales is crucial. The ongoing trade war between the US and China is making things worse. However, optimism returned to Dalal Street on Thursday due to calm in global finance and news reports of the Finance Ministry making a positive announcement on tax issues pertaining to equity markets. While the mainstream media is painting gloom and doom, where will the markets go from here? Tune in to know more…

In an already beaten down market, Thursday's carnage on D-Street dragged indices to fresh five-month lows with the BSE Sensex slipping below the 37,000 mark. On the other hand, the Nifty, too, breached 11,000 mark in the intra-day trade. Mixed corporate earnings, weak domestic and global cues, and continuous selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were among the key reasons for the fall. The current scenario begs the question whether we will see the rebound any time soon? Amid the weakening market situation, Tanushree Banerjee sees the Rebirth of India opportunity. Tanushree believes there are 50 irreversible trends that will the push Sensex to 1,00,000. Meanwhile, the global markets also witnessed the sell-off on the back of escalating trade tensions and fed rate cut this week. Now, after the fed’s rate cut, market participants will watch out for RBI’s monetary policy stance next week. Will RBI cut the rates? Tune in to know more…

While India began a week with successfully launching its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2, stock markets seemed to be in a bearish mood. Another week of the muted performance from Indian market where Nifty broke below crucial support levels in a matter of two days. The weakness in macros and slowdown at the ground level is really taking the markets lower given the valuations are still at higher levels. But, gold continues to remain the safest bet for investors as the precious metal has outdone equities and mutual funds so far this year. Vijay Bhambwani is also bullish on gold. As per him, some amount of allocation to gold has to be made. Tune in to know more…

The stock markets witnessed selling pressure in the week gone by. Market participants remained cautious tracking tepid quarterly earnings amid weak cues from other global markets as concerns over the US-China trade war and slow progress of moonsoon weighed on investors' risk appetite. We talk about the Jalan Committee recommendations on Economic Capital Framework and what it means to the Indian economy. Yes Bank’s shares remained the focus of the week as it reported a 91% drop in fiscal-first quarter profit. Note that, a 78% drop in Yes Bank shares since August has left Rana Kapoor some US$1 billion poorer. So, what does this mean for the Yes Bank going ahead? Listen in… Tune in…

Stock markets remained flat throughout the week ahead of the Budget 2019 announcement. How the markets react after that will be the thing to watch out for. In today's episode, we talk about the key takeaways from Budget 2019 which includes recapitalization of PSBs and railway infrastructure. We also talk about several goals that the government will need to work on to achieve the US$ 5 trillion mark. Apart from this, featuring in the podcast is NBFC crisis. And we have lots more. Tune in...

The stock markets remained flat throughout the week as domestic and global macro factors took over. Now with the budget approaching next week, how will the market react will be the thing to watch out for. In today’s episode, we talk about the G-20 meeting, global trade war scenario and gold prices. We also talk about the concerns over oil prices. Apart from this, featuring in the podcast is NBFC crisis and DHFL’s default. And we have lots more. Tune in…

World stock markets rose after the US Federal Reserve signaled it was likely to cut interest rates next month, and the dollar and benchmark bond yields fell to multi-year lows. Even the yield on the 10-year government bond yield in India closed below 7% for the first time since November 2017. What does it really mean to the markets, economy, various asset classes and investors in particular? As per research analyst, Sarvajeet Bodas, a reduction in the interest rate creates a conducive environment for lending. This would help to revive demand and growth in the economy. This is because bond yields and bond prices move in opposite directions. We also talk about the sectors that could benefit from the falling yields. Apart from this, we also talk about other macroeconomic and stock specific movements that moved the markets this week. Tune in…

Jet Airways and Yes Bank, both once market darlings are now being shunned by market participants. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) exchange notified that the shares of the airline will be shifted from rolling segment to trade for trade segment, wherein the settlement in the scrip will take place on gross basis with 100% upfront margin and 5% price band. Trading in the futures and options (F&O) segment of the exchanges will also be stopped. Meanwhile Yes Bank was among the top losers in the market this week. Uncertainty related to the bank’s provisions and extent of non-performing assets, along with a slew of ratings downgrades have put the bank under pressure. Now what’s next for these beaten down market darlings? Tune in to find out...

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a 25 basis points cut in repo rate in its second bimonthly policy review of this financial year. After the cut, the repo rate now stands at 5.75% - the lowest since July 2010. Market participants and economists see a rate cut crucial at this point in time as the economy has been witnessing signs of slowdown. The rate cut by the RBI means a drop in the cost of funds for individual and corporate borrowers. However, banks have not been very efficient is passing on the benefits of the recent rate cuts to their customers. On the contrary, a number of banks have raised their deposit rates to mobilise funds Will the latest rate cut spur on banks to pass on the benefits to individual and corporate borrowers? Tune in to find out...

Narendra Modi took the oath of office as Prime Minister for the second time on Thursday to head a council of ministers that’s 58-member strong with 25 of Cabinet rank. Now, the big question is, will the new cabinet bring the much-needed reforms to Indian economy? Post the elections, a very interesting trend is beginning to shape up. Something a lot of investors are missing out on and what may just be the beginning of a trend - is that small cap stocks are moving up way faster than then their larger brethren. As per our research analyst Richa Agarwal, Modi's victory seems to be the inflection point for a rebound in small cap stocks. Tune in to know more…

Throughout the week, one slogan that took over the market and country as a whole was, Ab ki baar phir Modi Sarkar. Stock markets celebrated Modi’s victory as Sensex touched 40,000 mark and Nifty touched 12,000 for the first time ever. What does this mean for the market going forward? Tanushree strongly believes in India's future potential. She is looking at the stocks and trends that are likely to get a major push with the Modi government returning to power. We have got one uncertainty out of the way. The one related to elections. How do you play the market now post elections? With the elections done, the markets will now focus more on other key macro factors and corporate earnings. Tune in to know more…

India could be the latest direct victim of the US-China trade war. The increasing escalations have already slowed down global growth. On March 4, President Donald Trump announced that the US intends to terminate India as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP programme. The 60-day notice period ended on May 3. These developments could see India bowing out as a preferred trade partner to the US and may lose its trade. Is there another way out? Tune in to find out...

The Indian stock markets have been on a downhill drive since the last few trading sessions. This week, concerns over the trade talks between China and US coupled with Lok Sabha elections and 4th quarter results majorly determined the market mood. Note that, nearly 1,500 points declined on the BSE in last 7 sessions. The above developments have also weighed on major global currencies. The Indian rupee weakened for the fifth consecutive session on Friday. What’s more, even net inflows into equity mutual funds plunged 64% in April to the lowest in 31 months as investors turned risk-averse because of uncertainty. The effects of this were clearly reflected in the NSE's India VIX index, which tracks investors' perceptions of volatility, which rose 27% in April. Is this bear market here to stay? When will this volatile mood of markets end? While the volatility index is high, it is no indicator of the market direction. We, at Equitymaster believe, safe stocks with strong fundamentals will do well regardless the short-term volatility. Don't let the volatility index spook you. Instead, let your cash buffer allow you the patience and perseverance to ride the market volatility. Tune in to know more…

India’s economy is slowing down. The Finance Ministry in its monthly economic report for March has said that Indian economy slowed down slightly in FY19. Declining growth of private consumption, tepid increase in fixed investment, slowing auto sales, and muted exports have all contributed to the slowdown. Recently, the US Federal reserve held its key interest rates on the back of a robust US economy. Can the US Fed’s decision help India’s ailing economy? You will find answer to this question, and more in today’s podcast. Tune in….

As the TV war in Game of Thrones is set to conclude, we in India, are amidst our own battle for power - the 2019 Elections. The world-renowned TV series which depicts a war of various kingdoms for the so called – Iron Throne. Who do you think will win in this real Indian version of game of thrones? As the polls come closer, markets are abuzz with talk of volatility and uncertainty. But does it really matter which political party comes to power? We have answers to all of that. Meanwhile, you can write down to us what do you think about Indian elections and game of thrones. Speaking of stock markets, macroeconomic cues determined the sentiments this week. The rising crude and the subsequent fear of inflation creeping back have cast a shadow on the rupee. Mixed earnings announcements combined with weak global cues also weighed on the sentiment. Besides, we also talk about the aviation and automobile stocks that made headlines this week. Tune in to know more…

Jet Airways, once India’s largest private airline halted its operations indefinitely yesterday. The carrier flew its last scheduled flight from Amritsar to Mumbai yesterday, as the debt-ridden company decided to suspend its operations on a temporary basis with no cash to run operations any further. Is this the end of the runway for the company? Tata Motors is seen to be making a comeback. The auto major is planning to expand its electric vehicles (EV) segment in the passenger vehicle space by widening its portfolio. Shares of the company have rallied 62% from their February 8, 2019, low of Rs 142. What’s triggering this rally? Specialty chemicals maker Neogen Chemicals is set to raise over Rs 1.3 billion through its initial public offer (IPO) opening on 24 April. Is it worth subscribing? You will find answers to all these questions, and more in today’s podcast. Tune in….

As India's seven-phase election marathon got off the ground this week, Mahagathbandhan or Single Party is the debated topic all over the country. The biggest electoral exercise in the world, which will determine the course of the world's largest democracy, is obvious to drive the sentiments for a few weeks from now. And you as an investor want to know, how are stock markets responding in such times. Tanushree Banerjee believes you shouldn’t waste time speculating on election outcome. Rather identify businesses that have strong economic reasons to thrive, once the election uncertainty fades away. We talk about the election fever in detail. We also talk about the global stock market as earnings announcements, Brexit decisions and US-China trade war weigh on the sentiments. Apart from that, we also talk about the IPOs performance this week. From stock specific activity, Jet Airways continued to be news as Etihad formally communicated its intent to raise its stake in Jet Airways. And there’s lots more. Tune in…

RBI's monetary policy committee (MPC), led by Governor Shaktikanta Das, announced a 25 basis points cut in the short-term lending rate, also known as repo or repurchase rate, in its first bi-monthly rate review of financial year 2019-20. The repo rate now stands at 6%. This was the second back-to-back rate cut by the six-member MPC ever since Das was appointed governor and four out of six MPC members voted in favor of rate cut. The move also makes India the only country in Asia to have cut interest rates twice in three months. What does this mean for your investments? Tune in to find out….

Jet Airways nearly averted a crisis as its founder Naresh Goyal stepped down from its board on Monday and the debt-laden carrier got a Rs 15-crore funding promise from a consortium of bankers. Jet Airways has a debt of around Rs 8,000 crore. It has only 38 operational planes left in its fleet of 119 and the pilots, who have not been paid since December, have threatened to go on strike from April 1. The airline has suspended operations on 13 international routes. A few days ago, Larsen & Toubro, L&T signed a deal to buy a 20.32% stake in Mindtree from VG Siddhartha, owner of the country’s largest coffee shop chain, Café Coffee Day (CCD, triggering a hostile takeover of the company. Mindtree’s board is now evaluating how it can resist L&T’s advances. Promoters in both these companies are in focus, both for not acting at the opportune time… What will the fates of the companies they built from the ground up be now? Tune in to find out….

Globally, Traders were left scrambling after the Federal Reserve forecast zero interest-rate hikes this year and just one in 2020. Rising uncertainty over Brexit and new signs of a prolonged US-China trade war added to the market confusion. Back home, Indian stock markets struck fresh six-month highs on Tuesday as key benchmarks rose for the seventh straight day. Overall, sentiments remained positive during the week, pushing benchmark index Sensex closer to its record high. The real heroes, though, were midcaps and smallcaps, which were badly beaten down since the beginning of 2018. As per our research analyst Richa Agarwal, if markets keep rising like this, they may not remain there for long. She strongly suggests jumping on the bargain small cap opportunities before this train leaves the station. We talk about this in detail. We also talk about India’s trade deficit data, rupee movements and other macroeconomic indicators that will help you take informed decisions. And there’s lots more. Listen in...

Indian stock markets rallied throughout the week on the host of positive factors like sustained foreign fund inflows, stronger rupee and chances of the incumbent NDA government coming for a second term. The good times are back... or so it seems. Mid-caps and small caps were under the weather. Now they're bouncing back. The coming few months are bound to be volatile. In times like these, what matters the most? Inflation numbers, election outcome or the quality of businesses? We talk about it in detail. Meanwhile, macroeconomic data released this week also determined the market sentiment. Consumer price inflation for the month of February came in at a four-month high of 2.6%. And, inflation based on wholesale prices rose to 2.9% in February over the previous month. So, given a slowing production and rising inflation, demands for rate cut have already begun. Whichever government comes to power, it will have to deal with this sobering reality. Apart from this, we also talk about MSTC and other upcoming IPOs. And there’s lots more. Listen in to stay updated on key developments in stock markets this week.

In a week dominated by global news, the benchmark indices were volatile, but ended the week higher than the last. The European Central Bank changed track on its tightening plan, offering banks a new round of cheap loans to help revive the euro zone economy. It even cut the Eurozone’s growth rate predictions from 1.7% to a mere 1.1% for the year. In such a slowing global economy, US President has seemingly painted a target on India’s back for a trade war. He’s asked the US congress to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States. Is this the beginning of a new trade war? How is this going to affect India’s trade and exports? Answers to these questions and more in today’s podcast – Tune in!

India’s GDP growth rate came in at 6.6% for the third quarter of FY19. While India managed to hold on to the fastest growing economy tag, it came at the behest of slowing growth in China. While a 6.6% quarterly growth is nothing to scoff at, when looked at from a broader lens, it looks a bit worrying. Especially when, the economy had grown 7.1% in the second quarter and 8.2% in the first quarter of the year. Moreover, the core sector is not growing as well. Core sector growth continued to go down for the third straight month in January, as the two largest contributing sectors of electricity and refinery products, remained in the negative zone. Will India be able to retain the ‘fastest growing economy tag’? Answers to this questions and more in today’s podcast – Tune in!

Corporate governance issues with certain companies, uncertainty surrounding national elections and global issues like trade wars, Brexit, have taken a toll on the Indian markets. Reversing a nine-session falling streak, the Sensex rebounded 400 points on Wednesday. Post that, Indian share markets traded in a narrow range mostly. Meanwhile, Rupee became Asia’s worst currency as rising crude prices and tensions over Kashmir weighed on sentiments. Globally, US and China entered two days of negotiations aimed at ending a bruising tariff battle. While, Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European auto imports. In a major development this week, the finance ministry announced a Rs 482.4 billion capital infusion in 12 public sector banks. Will it really help PSUs revive or create more structural issues in banking system? We talk in detail about the pros and cons of such measures by government. Apart from that, we also shed light on how mutual fund investors who have been showing the first signs of panic and what should one do in such times. And there’s lots more. Listen in to stay updated on key developments in stock markets this week.

The stock markets are very volatile these days. As the Tanushree Bannerjee, the co-head of research here at Equitymaster puts it, stock markets are two-faced. To give you an example, over the past month, the BSE Sensex has held steady, and is down by a mere 0.1%. Meanwhile, the midcap and smallcap indices are battered down. The BSE Midcap index is down by 7% in one month, while the BSE Smallcap index is down by 8% in the same period. Tanushree draws similarities in today’s market with that of 2013. Will the market meet the same fate as they did post 2013? Answers to this questions and more in today’s podcast – Tune in!