31/07/26, GIFT NIFTY signals steady start

The global markets are trading on a higher note, led by chip stocks. The Asian peers skyrocketed. Also, crude oil prices are trading below the $90 a barrel mark. The GIFT Nifty is indicating a higher start for Indian markets, up 49 points or 0.20%. 

Earlier on Thursday, the Nifty 50 closed the session 0.28% higher at 24,317, while the BSE Sensex closed 0.35% higher at 77,928.15. 

Key global and domestic cues for July 31, 2026

Asian Markets:

Asia-Pacific markets opened Friday’s trade on a higher note as chip stocks soared. South Korea’s Kospi surged over 14%, leading gains in the region after chip behemoths SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics surged, triggering a trading halt. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped over 5%, while the Topix added 1.94%. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.64%. Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index last traded at 26,021 compared to the index’s close of 25,858.88.

US Stock Futures :

US stock futures tied to benchmarks are trading higher on Friday morning as Wall Street staged a sharp rebound. Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.5%. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%, while S&P 500 futures inched up 0.1%

US markets on Thursday:

On Thursday, the US stock market rebounded a day after the US Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged as investors expected a rate cut to fight inflation. Software and semiconductor stocks led the rally. The Nasdaq Composite finished 2.8% higher at 25,122.18, ending a six-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 613.92 points, or 1.2%, to end the day at 52,208.06, while the S&P 500 climbed 1.7% to settle at 7,437.63.

Crude oil:

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures slipped 1.15% to trade at $82.63 per barrel. On the other hand, Brent crude futures with August delivery were trading 0.45% lower at $88.63, below the psychologically important level of $90. On COMEX, crude prices traded 0.24% higher at $83.79 a barrel.

Gold rate today:

On COMEX, the precious metal was trading at $4,152.6 an ounce, down 0.19%.

The rate for 24-carat gold today is Rs 1,43,820 per 10 grams. The price of gold has risen 0.91% from yesterday. The 24 kt gold rate today in Delhi is Rs 1,43,570 per 10 grams. The 18-carat gold price today in India is Rs 1,07,865. The 24-carat gold rate in Dubai today is Rs 1,49,590. 

Silver rate today:

On COMEX, Silver prices traded 0.12% higher at $59.09 per troy ounce.

In India, the silver rate rose 1.08%% to Rs 2.20 lakh per kilogram.

Silver had surged to record highs in January amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, with heavy speculative buying pushing prices higher, but soon faced volatility.

FII, DII data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers of shares worth Rs 3,623.51 crore. On the other hand, the Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers of shares worth Rs 1,864.03 crore on July 30, 2026, according to the provisional data available on the NSE

US dollar

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading 0.16% higher at 100.15. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee appreciated 0.03% to close at 95.68 to the dollar on July 30.

Written by Sparsh Bansal 

Source: Financial Express

31/07/26, Quick look at which stocks will be in focus in today's trad

Results Today, 31/07/26

Maruti Suzuki India, Bajaj Finserv, ITC, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL (India), Shree Cement, Bajaj Holdings & Investment, ABB India, Aadhar Housing Finance, Aditya Birla Capital, Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions, Dixon Technologies (India), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, National Aluminium Company, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Shadowfax Technologies, and Urban Company will announce their quarterly earnings today.

Results on August 1

Divis Laboratories, Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands, APL Apollo Tubes, Clean Science and Technology, Epack Prefab Technologies, Gujarat Ambuja Exports, Latent View Analytics, Muthoot Finance, and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank will release their quarterly results on August 1

Quarterly Earnings

Tata Steel Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit grows 11.6% to Rs 2,318.5 crore Vs Rs 2,077.7 crore

Revenue increases 14.3% to Rs 60,794.3 crore Vs Rs 53,178.1 crore

Exceptional loss stands at Rs 345.5 crore Vs loss of Rs 132 crore

Board approves Rs 33,873 crore worth capex for 4.8 MTPA steelmaking capacity expansion

Bajaj Finance Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit soars 28% to Rs 6,081 crore Vs Rs 4,765 crore

Net interest income jumps 23% to Rs 12,571 crore Vs Rs 10,228 crore

Swiggy Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Loss narrows to Rs 791 crore Vs loss of Rs 1,197 crore

Revenue increases 37.3% to Rs 6,812 crore Vs Rs 4,961 crore

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit surges 21.5% to Rs 549.4 crore Vs Rs 452.2 crore

Revenue rises 12.1% to Rs 2,942.7 crore Vs Rs 2,625.6 crore

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit increases 3.3% to Rs 566 crore Vs Rs 548 crore

Revenue jumps 54.8% to Rs 4,921 crore Vs Rs 3,178 crore

Exceptional loss stands at Rs 21 crore Vs Nil

Other expenses spike to Rs 1,201 crore Vs Rs 767 crore

Pricol Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit zooms 34.3% to Rs 67.02 crore Vs Rs 49.9 crore

Revenue surges 23.5% to Rs 1,105.4 crore Vs Rs 895.3 crore

LIC Housing Finance Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit rises 9.9% to Rs 1,499 crore Vs Rs 1,364 crore

Net interest income increases 0.6% to Rs 2,087.2 crore Vs Rs 2,074.6 crore

Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit falls 4.6% to Rs 523.6 crore Vs Rs 548.9 crore

Revenue declines 11.8% to Rs 5,027 crore Vs Rs 5,697.6 crore

Global Health Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit slips 0.2% to Rs 158.7 crore Vs Rs 159 crore

Revenue grows 26.5% to Rs 1,304 crore Vs Rs 1,030.8 crore

Q1FY26 profit included Rs 19.5 crore exceptional gain

Data Patterns India Q1 (YoY)

Profit drops 13.5% to Rs 22.1 crore Vs Rs 25.5 crore

Revenue rises 16.8% to Rs 116 crore Vs Rs 99.33 crore

Aarti Industries Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit zooms 260.5% to Rs 155 crore Vs Rs 43 crore

Revenue increases 42.4% to Rs 2,387 crore Vs Rs 1,676 crore

Rainbow Children's Medicare Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit surges 13.2% to Rs 60.6 crore Vs Rs 53.5 crore

Revenue jumps 33.2% to Rs 470 crore Vs Rs 352.9 crore

Satin Creditcare Network Q1 (Standalone YoY)

Profit spikes 182.4% to Rs 120.3 crore Vs Rs 42.6 crore

Net interest income increases 14.5% to Rs 363.1 crore Vs Rs 317.2 crore

Thermax Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit sinks 83.4% to Rs 25.2 crore Vs Rs 152.4 crore

Revenue grows 6.7% to Rs 2,302.7 crore Vs Rs 2,157.5 crore

GNG Electronics Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit surges 56.2% to Rs 28.9 crore Vs Rs 18.5 crore

Revenue soars 32.1% to Rs 412.5 crore Vs Rs 312.3 crore

Indegene Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit falls 0.2% to Rs 116.2 crore Vs Rs 116.4 crore

Revenue jumps 39.7% to Rs 1,063.1 crore Vs Rs 760.8 crore

AWL Agri Business Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit surges 48.2% to Rs 350.3 crore Vs Rs 236.4 crore

Revenue grows 17.5% to Rs 20,048.1 crore Vs Rs 17,058.7 crore

AWL Agri Biz appoints Pankaj Goyal as CFO effective July 31

RailTel Corporation of India Q1 (YoY)

Profit declines 0.5% to Rs 65.8 crore Vs Rs 66.1 crore

Revenue zooms 20.1% to Rs 893.3 crore Vs Rs 743.8 crore

Nucleus Software Exports Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit tanks 32.2% to Rs 23.9 crore Vs Rs 35.2 crore

Revenue slips 3.3% to Rs 210.4 crore Vs Rs 217.7 crore

Stocks to Watch

Astra Microwave Products

The company has received an order worth Rs 2,205.23 crore from Hindustan Aeronautics for the procurement of 122 Advanced Airborne Active Array Units (AAAUs) and 121 interface frames for the Uttam Radar programme.

Navin Fluorine International

The company has signed an agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the bulk manufacturing of sodium borohydride, with the aim of accelerating the indigenous process development of a critical defence material.

Bulk and Block Deals

IIFL Finance

FIH Mauritius Investments sold 63.39 lakh shares, representing a 1.49 percent stake in IIFL Finance, for Rs 374.02 crore. The shares changed hands at Rs 590 apiece.

Following the transaction, Fairfax's holding in IIFL Finance is expected to decline from 15.18 percent, based on the June 2026 shareholding pattern.

The buyers included American Funds Insurance Series Global Small Capitalization Fund, which purchased 1.66 lakh shares (0.04 percent) for Rs 9.8 crore, and Capital Group-backed Smallcap World Fund, which acquired 61.73 lakh shares (1.45 percent) for Rs 364.2 crore.

Bai-Kakaji Polymers

Abakkus Venture Opportunities Fund purchased 6.08 lakh shares, representing a 2.84 percent stake in Bai-Kakaji Polymers, for Rs 12.18 crore at Rs 200.34 per share.

On the selling side, Tiger Strategies Fund-I offloaded 1.08 lakh shares for Rs 2.16 crore, while Sanjay Popatlal Jain sold 3.42 lakh shares, representing a 1.59 percent stake, for Rs 6.84 crore. Both transactions were executed at Rs 200 per share.

Xtranet Technologies

Mittal Growth Partners LLP acquired 9.4 lakh shares, representing a 1.79 percent stake in Xtranet Technologies, for Rs 12.69 crore at Rs 135.04 per share.

Sapphire Foods India

Fidelity Funds India Focus Fund purchased an additional 20.22 lakh shares, representing a 0.62 percent stake in Sapphire Foods India, for Rs 39.58 crore at Rs 195.7 per share.

The Government of Singapore sold 18.95 lakh shares, or a 0.58 percent stake, in Sapphire Foods India for Rs 37.1 crore at Rs 195.71 per share.

As of June 2026, Fidelity Funds India Focus Fund and the Government of Singapore held 3.15 percent and 3.75 percent stakes, respectively, in Sapphire Foods India.

Source: Network18

31/07/26, Market Today

 The Nifty 50 posted gains of 0.3 percent despite range-bound trading, extending its uptrend for another session on July 30. Given the improvement in momentum indicators and the index sustaining well above its short- and medium-term moving averages, while continuing to form a higher high-higher low pattern backed by higher trading volumes, along with stable crude oil prices and a subdued India VIX, the index is expected to advance towards its immediate hurdle at 24,400 (200-day EMA). A decisive move above this level could pave the way for the 24,500-24,600 zone (previous swing highs, which have also attracted the maximum Call open interest), provided the 24,100 level continues to hold as support, according to experts.

1) Key Levels For The Nifty750 (24,317)

Resistance based on pivot points: 24,342, 24,379, and 24,438

Support based on pivot points: 24,223, 24,186, and 24,127

Special Formation: The Nifty 50 maintained its overall uptrend and has already recovered the previous week's losses. On the daily timeframe, the index formed a bullish candlestick with minor upper and lower wicks, indicating consolidation near overhead resistance levels such as the 200-day EMA and previous swing highs, while continuing to maintain a higher high-higher low formation. The index sustained above its 20-, 50-, and 100-day EMAs, reflecting a bullish bias, while the RSI climbed to 57.66 and remained above the reference line. Meanwhile, the MACD is on the verge of a bullish crossover. All these indicators point to strengthening bullish momentum and suggest the potential for a further upside move, provided key support levels remain intact.

2) Key Levels For The Nifty Bank(57,147)

Resistance based on pivot points: 57,230, 57,340, and 57,519

Support based on pivot points: 56,872, 56,762, and 56,583

Resistance based on Fibonacci retracement: 57,253, 59,247

Support based on Fibonacci retracement: 56,441, 55,742

Special Formation: The Bank Nifty continued to trade between the 20-day EMA and the 50- and 100-day EMAs, as well as within the 23.6 percent and 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement levels of the rally from the May low to the June high, for the fourth consecutive session, indicating a lack of clear direction. The banking index formed a Doji-like candlestick pattern on the daily charts, signalling indecisiveness among participants for another session. The RSI remained largely unchanged at 49.44 and stayed below the reference line, suggesting a lack of strong bullish or bearish momentum. Meanwhile, the MACD continued to inch down towards the zero line, although the red histogram bars showed fading weakness. All these indicators suggest that Bank Nifty is likely to remain range-bound until a decisive breakout or breakdown provides a clearer directional bias.

3) Nifty Call Option Faya:

According to the weekly options data, the maximum Call open interest was seen at the 24,600 strike (with 1.01 crore contracts). This level can act as a key resistance level for the Nifty in the short term. It was followed by the 24,500 strike (99.84 lakh contracts) and 24,700 strike (77.46 lakh contracts).

Maximum Call writing was observed at the 24,500 strike, which saw an addition of 31.18 lakh contracts, followed by the 24,600 and 24,650 strikes, which added 29.53 lakh and 16.92 lakh contracts, respectively. The maximum Call unwinding was seen at the 24,200 strike, which shed 11.82 lakh contracts, followed by the 24,450 and 24,000 strikes, which shed 9.65 lakh and 8.5 lakh contracts, respectively.

4) Nifty50 Put Option Data:

On the Put side, the 24,000 strike holds the maximum Put open interest (with 1.09 crore contracts), which can act as a key support level for the Nifty in the short term. It was followed by the 24,200 strike (1.07 crore contracts) and the 24,300 strike (59.55 lakh contracts).

The maximum Put writing was placed at the 24,300 strike, which saw an addition of 32.46 lakh contracts, followed by the 24,200 and 24,000 strikes, which added 19.19 lakh and 18.44 lakh contracts, respectively. The maximum Put unwinding was seen at the 24,700 strike, which shed 30,810 contracts, followed by the 24,750 and 24,850 strikes, which shed 2,730 and 910 contracts, respectively.

5) Nifty Bank Call option Data:

According to the monthly options data, the maximum Call open interest was seen at the 58,000 strike, with 21.25 lakh contracts. This can act as a key resistance level for the index in the short term. It was followed by the 57,000 strike (8.03 lakh contracts) and the 57,500 strike (5.01 lakh contracts).

Maximum Call writing was observed at the 57,000 strike (with the addition of 1.37 lakh contracts), followed by the 58,000 strike (74,220 contracts) and 57,500 strike (52,770 contracts). The maximum Call unwinding was seen at the 57,400 strike, which shed 27,930 contracts, followed by the 58,100 and 58,200 strikes, which shed 7,530 and 3,510 contracts, respectively.

6) Nifty Bank Put Option Data:

On the Put side, the 58,000 strike holds the maximum Put open interest (with 13.12 lakh contracts), which can act as a key level for the index in the short term. This was followed by the 57,000 strike (8.47 lakh contracts) and the 57,500 strike (3.66 lakh contracts).

Source:Network18

30/07/26, AI chatbots

Anthropic's Economic Index, which tracks how Claude is being used across the world, shows a clear shift in how Indian users are engaging with the AI assistant. Rather than casual back-and-forth conversation, the data points to task-driven usage, with coding, homework help and business writing making up the bulk of activity. India ranks 103 out of 121 countries on a usage index, with a score of 0.30x against an expected baseline of 1, meaning overall adoption still trails the global average relative to the country's population and economic size. However, the breakdown by job category and by specific topic tells a more layered story about which professions and tasks are actually driving that usage.

Coding and technical work dominate job categories

Grouped by job category, computer and mathematical work accounts for 26.2 percent of Claude usage in India, by far the largest single share and a clear sign that development and technical tasks lead adoption in the country.

Educational instruction and library work follows at 14.8 percent, while arts, design, entertainment, sports and media make up 11.8 percent. Sales and related work stands at 7.8 percent, office and administrative support at 7.5 percent, and management at 6.8 percent.

Business and financial operations account for 5.5 percent, life, physical and social science for 4.8 percent, architecture and engineering for 3.7 percent, healthcare practitioners and technical roles for 2.7 percent, and community and social service for 2.5 percent.

From homework help to building apps: the top use cases

The topic-level data backs up this shift towards practical, work-oriented use. Homework ranks as the single most frequent use case at 7.9 percent, but it is followed closely by tasks that go well beyond casual queries.

Web front-end development sits at 5.1 percent, while self-presentation writing and promotional writing are tied at 4.6 percent each, reflecting how users are turning to Claude for professional documents and marketing content.

Starting a business accounts for 3.6 percent and business operations for 3.0 percent, pointing to entrepreneurial use. Certification and training make up 2.9 percent, math and computer science theory 2.8 percent, slide decks 2.3 percent, and AI app building 2.2 percent, rounding out a list dominated by build-and-create tasks rather than casual chat.

Room to grow despite the shift in usage patterns

Even with this task-driven pattern, India's usage index of 0.30x suggests Claude adoption remains below what would be expected given the country's population and workforce size, when measured against a global baseline of 1. This places India's usage rank at 103 among the 121 countries covered in the dataset.

The gap suggests that while a meaningful share of Indian users have already moved past casual chat into coding, education and business use, overall adoption across the wider population still has considerable room to grow.

India's Claude usage data at a glance

Source: moneycontrol

30/08/26, Share Market Today

 

The global markets are trading on a cautious note as Trump threatens Iran to hit hard. This led to a surge in crude oil prices to trade near the $90 a barrel mark. The GIFT Nifty is indicating a quiet start for Indian markets, down 25 points or 0.10%. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the Nifty 50 closed the session 1.10% higher at 24,250, while the BSE Sensex closed 1.16% higher at 77,654.60. 

👉Key global and domestic cues for July 30, 2026

👉Asian Markets

Asia-Pacific markets opened Thursday’s trade on a cautious note amid higher oil prices after US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran hard. Also, the US Fed kept the benchmark rates steady. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.25% while the Topix declined 0.59%. The Kospi gained 0.89% at the open after a sharp drop on Wednesday, while the small-cap Kosdaq lost 0.73%. Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures were at 25,959, compared with the index’s last close of 25,807.92.

👉US Stock Futures 

US stock futures tied to benchmarks are trading higher on Thursday morning as investors digested the latest Big Tech earnings and the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 158 points, or 0.3%. S&P 500 futures advanced 0.4%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.6%.

👉US markets on Wednesday

On Wednesday, the US stock market dropped after the US Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged as investors expected a rate cut to fight inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1,153.18 points lower, or 2.19%, at 51,594.14 for its worst decline since April 2025. The S&P 500 slid 1.52% to end the day at 7,316.15. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.74% to 24,442.94, ending the session more than 10% off its all-time high.

👉Crude oil

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading flat at $84.45 per barrel. On the other hand, Brent crude futures with August delivery were trading 0.35% lower at $90.42, trading near the psychologically important level of $90. On COMEX, crude prices traded 0.03% higher at $84.51 a barrel.

👉Gold rate today

On COMEX, the precious metal was trading at $4,063 an ounce, up 0.66%.

The rate for 24-carat gold today is Rs 1,42,530 per 10 grams. The price of gold has risen 0.37% from yesterday. The 24 kt gold rate today in Delhi is Rs 1,42,280 per 10 grams. The 18-carat gold price today in India is Rs 1,06,897.5. The 24-carat gold rate in Dubai today is Rs 1,49,590. 

👉Silver rate today

On COMEX, Silver prices traded 0.04% higher at $58.11 per troy ounce.

In India, the silver rate rose 0.77%% to Rs 2.17 lakh per kilogram.

Silver had surged to record highs in January amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, with heavy speculative buying pushing prices higher, but soon faced volatility.

👉FII, DII data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers of shares worth Rs 2,981.87 crore. On the other hand, the Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers of shares worth Rs 998.02 crore on July 29, 2026, according to the provisional data available on the NSE.

👉US dollar

The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six foreign currencies, was trading 0.04% higher at 100.87. The index evaluates the strength or weakness of the US dollar in comparison to major currencies. The basket contains currencies such as the British Pound, Euro, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, etc. The rupee appreciated 0.23% to close at 95.64 to the dollar on July 29.

👉Top sectors in Wednesday’s trade

The Rubber sector’s stocks surged the most in Wednesday’s trade, rising 8% in market capitalisation. Further, Recycling stocks were followed by the Beverages – Non-Alcoholic sector stocks, which were further followed by the Education stocks. However, the Education sector stocks fell the most, declining 2.2%.

Report by Sparsh Bansal

Source: Financial Express

30/08/26, Iran vs US,Europe,Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Israel

Iran War latest news- July 30

1. Middle East conflict widens: The war has spread beyond the Gulf as fresh attacks hit Iraq, Jordan and Egypt, ending a brief pause in direct US-Iran hostilities.
2. Shipping routes remain disrupted: Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb remains far below normal as security concerns continue to disrupt key global trade corridors.
3. US-Saudi strikes in Iraq: American and Saudi fighter jets targeted Iran-backed militias in Iraq, with Washington accusing Tehran of directing attacks on US troops and Saudi energy sites.
4. Iran launches missiles at Jordan: Iran fired missiles at bases in Jordan used by US forces, but the Jordanian military said it intercepted and shot down five of them.
5. First attack reported in Egypt: An explosion at an Egyptian shipping hub set two vessels on fire, including a US-owned gas storage tanker.
6. Saudi Arabia takes direct role: Riyadh joined the military action despite largely avoiding open involvement since the US-Israel war on Iran began in late February.
7. Oil prices climb: Brent crude and US benchmark WTI rose sharply after the latest escalation raised concerns over regional energy supplies.
8. Trump vows strong retaliation: Trump said it was now “our turn” to strike after US forces intercepted overnight Iranian missile launches targeting American positions.
9. Reports of Chinese missile shipment: Reuters reported Iran could receive 300-400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers worth an estimated $60-70 million within weeks.

Written by Adithi

Source: Financial Express 

30/07/26, Nuclear Power

Nuclear power plans announced by state-run and private companies have crossed 70 GW, translating into a potential investment requirement of Rs 10.8-14.4 lakh crore, as India’s atomic-energy programme begins shifting from a single-operator model to a wider field of developers.

The identified pipeline totals about 71.86 GW across NTPC, Adani Power, Reliance Industries, Naveen Jindal Group, Lalitpur Power Generation Company, Tata Power, Hindalco Industries and BHAVINI. The projects range from long-term targets and memoranda of understanding to site studies and proposals, they do not represent sanctioned or construction-ready capacity.

As per recent industry benchmarks, every MW of nuclear power entails investment of Rs 15-20 crore. Specific investment announcements so far add up to about Rs 8.78 lakh crore, although they cover different development periods and, in some cases, only part of the stated capacity. NTPC has the largest announced target outside NPCIL at 30 GW by 2047. It said on Wednesday that nearly Rs 1.28 lakh crore would be earmarked for nuclear power through FY37. The firm identified more than 30 potential sites and begun studies at 10 locations. Its first anchor project is the 2.8-GW Mahi Banswara plant in Rajasthan, being developed with NPCIL through Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam.

Nuclear power currently contributes only about 3% of India’s electricity generation, with all existing reactors operated by the state-owned NPCIL.

Private Conglomerates

Adani Power has outlined a 10-GW target by 2035 and is assessing sites at Bina and Nigrie in Madhya Pradesh. Its investment commitment includes Rs 1.5 lakh crore for an initial 6 GW proposed in Maharashtra, while final decisions will depend on regulatory clarity and reactor economics.

Reliance Industries has proposed Rs 2 lakh crore for 7.2 GW, while Lalitpur Power Generation Company, part of the Bajaj Group, has outlined Rs 2 lakh crore for 5 GW. Both proposals form part of Maharashtra’s nuclear investment programme.

The Naveen Jindal Group plans to develop around 18 GW across several states with an estimated investment of Rs 2 lakh crore, according to media reports. Its nuclear subsidiary is evaluating sites in more than nine states and technologies from NPCIL, EDF and Westinghouse, including reactors of 700 MW and above.

Tata Power is progressing an initial 440-MW plan comprising two 220-MW reactors with NPCIL. It has begun site studies in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Gujarat and aims to complete a detailed project report within six months. The company expects to build its first nuclear plant by as early as 2032.

Hindalco has submitted the sole proposal received by NPCIL for a 220-MW Bharat Small Reactor for captive industrial use. BHAVINI has a 1-GW future pipeline through two proposed 500-MW fast breeder reactors at Kalpakkam, where pre-project activities are under way. According to the government statement, BHAVINI is commissioning the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Its estimated completion cost is Rs 8181 crore and the project is expected to get fully commissioned by March 2027.

The company pipeline is already larger on paper than the 46 GW the government expects from entities outside the NPCIL-led programme. However, the numbers cannot be added directly to the national target because some projects involve joint ventures, several remain preliminary and final capacity will depend on approvals, technology and financing.

Strategic Roadmaps Align

Under the government road map, India’s operational nuclear capacity of 8.78 GW is expected to rise to about 22 GW by 2031-32. NPCIL is envisaged to add another 32 GW after 2032, taking the NPCIL-led programme to around 54 GW by 2047, as the country targets an overall nuclear capacity of 100 GW by then.

Report prepared by Saurav Anand 

Source: Financial Express

29/07/26, Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) agreed to pay an estimated $5.5 billion to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits that claimed its baby powder and other talc-based products caused ovarian cancer. The agreement could bring an end to one of the biggest and longest-running legal battles in the healthcare company’s history, reported Reuters.

The proposed settlement covers about 76,000 existing ovarian cancer claims filed in state and federal courts across the United States. It comes after years of courtroom battles, multiple bankruptcy attempts and conflicting legal rulings over whether J&J’s talc products caused cancer.

Although the company agreed to the settlement, it claimed that the allegations lack merit and it decided to resolve the cases to finally close the dispute.

What does $5.5 billion settlement include?

Under the agreement, Johnson & Johnson will resolve nearly all of the remaining lawsuits that accuse its talc-based products of causing ovarian cancer.

The settlement includes claims consolidated in federal court in New Jersey as well as related lawsuits filed in state courts. According to the company, the agreement will only become final if 95% of eligible ovarian cancer claimants accept its terms, reported Reuters.

J&J said it expects to pay $3 billion in 2027, with additional payments scheduled for 2028. However, the final amount could rise depending on how many people join the settlement.

Chris Seeger, one of the attorneys who helped negotiate the agreement and represents about 2,500 claimants, said the company’s total payout could eventually exceed $7 billion because the settlement does not place a cap on the total compensation.

“We got a fair settlement, and our clients are going to be happy with it,” Seeger said, as reported by Reuters.

Unlike Johnson & Johnson’s earlier bankruptcy proposals, the latest agreement applies only to people who have already filed lawsuits. It does not cover future claims.

According to Seeger, excluding future lawsuits allows more money to go to current claimants and speeds up compensation. Eligible plaintiffs could receive payments within 18 months, instead of waiting more than a decade under previous proposals, reported Reuters.

Why did Johnson & Johnson decide to settle now?

The settlement follows a series of legal victories for Johnson & Johnson in recent months.Last week, a federal judge questioned whether individual plaintiffs could prove that talc specifically caused their ovarian cancer. The company had also secured favourable outcomes in several individual trials and succeeded in challenging some of the expert testimony used by plaintiffs, reported Reuters.

Despite those courtroom wins, J&J chose to settle rather than continue years of litigation.

Erik Haas, the company’s Vice President of Litigation, said the claims lacked merit but added that reaching an agreement would allow the company to move forward. “While we are confident the company would have ultimately prevailed with further litigation, as it has in the vast majority of cases tried to date, this resolution allows the company to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives,” Haas said, as reported by Reuters.

Johnson & Johnson has consistently denied that its talc products caused cancer or contained asbestos. The company stopped selling talc-based baby powder in the United States in 2020 and replaced it with a cornstarch-based product, reported Reuters.

J&J previously tried to resolve the lawsuits through a legal strategy commonly known as the “Texas two-step,” which involved placing the liabilities into a subsidiary that later filed for bankruptcy. Courts dismissed each of those bankruptcy filings, allowing the lawsuits to continue.

Before those bankruptcy efforts, Johnson & Johnson won several trials but also faced major verdicts against it, including a multibillion-dollar award to 22 women who claimed the company’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer, reported Reuters.

Written by Dimple Singh

Source: Financial Express

29/07/26, Hindustan Unilever Ltd

There’s a particular kind of anxiety that grips a shareholder when a stock they’ve held for years suddenly starts flirting with its 52-week low. That’s exactly where Hindustan Unilever finds itself right now.

The FMCG giant, a stock many Indian households have owned for decades is trading uncomfortably close to its 52-week low of Rs 2,016, and a long way down from its 52-week high of Rs 2,715.44. For a company synonymous with soaps, shampoos, and steady compounding, that’s a fall that gets noticed. The question on everyone’s mind is simple: is this a rare chance to buy a quality stock cheap, or is there more pain ahead?

To make sense of it, we spoke to analysts across the spectrum – from technical chartists to fundamental researchers. Here is a detailed analysis of the share price movement and fundamental drivers. 

HUL: What are the technical charts indicating? 

Start with the price chart, and the mood turns cautious.

Jigar S. Patel, Senior Manager of Equity Technical Research at Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers, believes investors should remain cautious despite the recent recovery.

He said, “Hindustan Unilever continues to trade below its 200-day EMA, indicating that the broader trend remains weak despite the recent recovery. The stock has been moving in a broad sideways range, reflecting the absence of strong buying momentum.”

He further added, “Technical indicators also suggest caution, with MACD hovering in negative territory, RSI near the neutral 45–50 zone, and DMI showing sellers still holding a slight edge.”

According to Patel, investors should avoid rushing into fresh positions. “Unless the stock sustains above the key resistance zone, upside is likely to remain limited. Traders should avoid aggressive fresh buying at current levels and wait for either a decisive breakout or a meaningful correction toward support,” Patel noted.

He recommended existing shareholders,to stay invested with proper risk management. “Existing investors can continue to hold with strict stop-loss levels while closely monitoring price action.”

According to him, the important support levels are “Rs 2,080–2,050, followed by Rs 2,000, while resistance is seen around Rs 2,180–2,220 and then Rs 2,300.”

HUL: Behind the Q1 numbers

Despite the weak share price performance, analysts believe the June quarter was operationally stable.

Thomas V. Abraham, Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, said the company’s growth was broad-based across several categories.

Abraham explained, “Hindustan Unilever’s Q1 revenue increase of 10% was evenly split between pricing and actual volume gains. Home Care and Beauty & Wellbeing were the standout performers, riding strong demand for premium skin care, hair care, and household products, while Personal Care lagged — its volumes shrank and revenue rose only because of price hikes.”

However, profitability remained under pressure.

“On the profitability front, input costs, particularly palm oil and crude-based packaging materials, rose faster than the company could recover through pricing, and elevated marketing spend added further strain. EBITDA margin slipped 40 basis points sequentially to 23%. And EBITDA climbed a solid 8% year-on-year,” added Abraham.

What could drive growth ahead?

According to Thomas Abraham, commodity prices will remain the biggest near-term factor.

He said, “The immediate challenge remains commodity costs. With palm oil prices still elevated, management is treading carefully on further price increases, wary of denting demand among cost-conscious buyers, so cost pass-through will likely stay incomplete for now.”

He believes urban demand has been stronger than rural demand so far, adding “This dynamic explains why urban and premium categories carried the quarter while mass-market and rural-facing lines stayed subdued.”

Looking ahead, he expects broader demand recovery. “Going forward, performance should broaden as input costs cool and rural buying picks up — pulling the lagging categories back into growth alongside the urban segments already performing well.”

The Bull Case? Is the correction worth buying into

JM Financial has upgraded the stock to ‘Buy’ with a revised target price of Rs 2,425, implying nearly 20% upside from current levels.

According to the brokerage report, “HUL’s Q1FY27 revenue performance (USG/UVG of 10%/5%) and margin delivery (EBITDA margin of 23%) were in line with JM Financial.”

The brokerage highlighted several positives.

According to JM Financial, Hindustan Unilever’s June quarter performance was supported by strong volume-led growth in its Home Care and Beauty & Wellbeing segments. The brokerage highlighted resilient margins despite raw material inflation, with high-single-digit volume growth in Home Care and continued momentum in premium beauty products.

It also believes the new management initiatives are beginning to show results.

“We believe initiatives led by the new CEO – sharper portfolio interventions, investment behind categories and intensified omni-channel execution – are in the right direction, and benefits are visible from acceleration in sales growth over past few quarters,” added JM Financial in its report. 

JM Financial also believes inflation could work in HUL’s favour over time. “We believe inflationary scenario augurs well for HUL as it accelerates share gains from unorganised/regional players, and has adequate levers to navigate the current volatile environment.”

The brokerage said earnings visibility remains strong despite the near-term challenges. It also noted that after the recent correction, the stock is trading at around 39 times its estimated FY28 earnings, which is below its long-term average valuation and could limit the downside risk.

The Bear’ Case: HUL – Wait, don’t rush in

HDFC Securities has maintained a ‘Reduce’ rating with a June 2027 target price of Rs 2,100, which is close to the current market price.

According to the brokerage house, HUL will need to strengthen its competitive position.

“With expectations of a stable management team, we expect HUL to realign its strategy more closely with shaping consumer trends for relevance and growth. At the same time, the company will have to focus on developing newer moats, which in our view would be crucial to support valuations,” added HDFC Securities in its report.

HDFC Securities expects Hindustan Unilever to deliver around 7% revenue growth and 8% earnings growth going forward. However, it believes valuations remain demanding despite the recent correction, noting that the stock is trading at about 41 times forward earnings, although this is around a 21% discount to its long-term average valuation.

Its recommendation remains cautious. “We have given a call to reduce the holdings as we are expecting the HUL stock to be around 2,100 by June 2027.”

Technical indicators suggest investors should wait for stronger confirmation before making fresh entries. On the other hand, some brokerages believe the recent correction has improved the stock’s valuation and continue to see upside over the long-term.

Written by Olivia Kunjumoon 

Source: FinancialExpress

29/07/26, SENSEX. NIFTY50, NIFTYBSNK & IDFC First Bank

 

29/07/26, Let's catch up on the latest news from the stock market. From significant investments to major deals, quarterly earnings, order wins, and appointments, here's a quick look at which stocks will be in focus in today's trade:

Asian Paints, Eicher Motors, Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Colgate Palmolive (India), ACME Solar Holdings, Aequs, Bajaj Housing Finance, Black Buck, CarTrade Tech, Dabur India, Hexaware Technologies, Jammu & Kashmir Bank, KPIT Technologies, Karnataka Bank, MTAR Technologies, Piramal Pharma, Prestige Estates Projects, Syngene International, Vedanta Power, Vedanta Iron and Steel, Vedanta Oil and Gas, and Waaree Energies will release their quarterly earnings today.

Quarterly Earnings

Larsen and Toubro Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit grows 14% to Rs 4,123 crore Vs Rs 3,617 crore

Revenue rises 7% to Rs 67,942 crore Vs Rs 63,679 crore

EBITDA falls 3% to Rs 6,116 crore Vs Rs 6,318 crore

Margin declines 90 bps to 9% Vs 9.9%

Group order inflows surge 14% to Rs 1.08 lakh crore Vs Rs 94,453 crore

Company has consolidated order book of Rs 7.79 lakh crore, up 5% since March 2026

Tata Capital Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit soars 56% to Rs 1,547 crore Vs Rs 990 crore

Total income grows 23% to Rs 4,455 crore Vs Rs 3,626 crore

AUM surges 22% to Rs 2.90 lakh crore Vs Rs 2.37 lakh crore

Phoenix Mills Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit jumps 23.3% to Rs 296.9 crore Vs Rs 240.7 crore

Revenue increases 12.8% to Rs 1,074.9 crore Vs Rs 953 crore

Paradeep Phosphates Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit zooms 23.9% to Rs 392.5 crore Vs Rs 316.8 crore

Revenue spikes 36% to Rs 6,124.3 crore Vs Rs 4,503.5 crore

Board approves investment of around Rs 250 crore for setting up Aluminium Fluoride (AlF3) plant at Paradeep

Birlasoft Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit surges 51.3% to Rs 161 crore Vs Rs 106.4 crore

Revenue grows 7.4% to Rs 1,379.4 crore Vs Rs 1,284.9 crore

DCM Shriram Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit zooms over 6-fold to Rs 692.8 crore Vs Rs 113.4 crore

Revenue increases 9.5% to Rs 3,784.7 crore Vs Rs 3,455.2 crore

Exceptional gains of Rs 79.42 crore Vs Nil

Tax write-back at Rs 418.02 crore Vs tax expenses of Rs 56.34 crore

VST Industries Q1 (YoY)

Profit falls 24.4% to Rs 42.4 crore Vs Rs 56.1 crore

Revenue declines 13.9% to Rs 256.5 crore Vs Rs 297.9 crore

RPG Life Sciences Q1 (Consolidated YoY)

Profit grows 17% to Rs 30.8 crore Vs Rs 26.3 crore

Revenue soars 15.8% to Rs 195.7 crore Vs Rs 168.9 crore

Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Q2 (YoY)

Profit increases 13.3% to Rs 68.8 crore Vs Rs 60.7 crore

Revenue rises 6.7% to Rs 235.7 crore Vs Rs 220.9 crore

Stocks to Watch

Graphite India

Following its preliminary affirmative determinations in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigations, the US Department of Commerce has preliminarily imposed a 3.68 percent countervailing duty on exports of large-diameter graphite electrodes from the company.

Rail Vikas Nigam

The company has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from East Central Railway for the construction of doubling works for 25T Indian Railway Standard Loading, from Kundawa Chainpur to Raxaul, in connection with the doubling of the Sitamarhi-Raxaul section in the Samastipur Division of East Central Railway. The EPC project is valued at Rs 358.97 crore.

Life Insurance Corporation of India

The board has appointed Shatmanyu Shrivastava, Executive Director (Finance & Accounts), as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the corporation, effective July 28.

NTPC

The President of India has extended the re-employment of Gurdeep Singh as Chairman & Managing Director of NTPC on a contract basis for a further period of six months beyond the completion of his current tenure on July 31, 2026. The extension will take effect from August 1, 2026.

Euro Panel Products

EUROBOND, the flagship brand of Euro Panel Products, has officially commenced operations at its new 2.2 MW grid-connected solar facility in Surat. The commissioning marks the completion of the third phase of a multi-year energy expansion programme, taking the company's total operational solar capacity to 3.6 MW.

The new facility enables EUROBOND to meet 50 percent of its factory's total power requirements through captive solar energy, a significant increase from its earlier 20 percent offset capability.

Bulk Deals

Gandhar Oil Refinery India

European lender Societe Generale sold 5.22 lakh shares, representing a 0.53 percent stake in Gandhar Oil Refinery India, for Rs 12.62 crore at an average price of Rs 241.88 per share.

The sale comes days after Societe Generale acquired a 1.59 percent stake in the company on July 23-24, following the company's strong June-quarter earnings.

Aqylon Nexus

Mauritius-based arbitrage fund Pine Oak Global Fund acquired an additional 25 lakh shares, representing a 0.98 percent stake in Aqylon Nexus, for Rs 6.29 crore at Rs 25.19 per share.

Meanwhile, Sera Investments & Finance India sold 18.63 lakh shares, or a 0.73 percent stake, in Aqylon Nexus for Rs 4.69 crore at Rs 25.20 per share.

As of June 2026, Pine Oak Global Fund held a 3.94 percent stake in Aqylon Nexus, while Sera Investments & Finance India owned 14.2 percent, according to the latest shareholding pattern.

Asian Granito India

Nova Global Opportunities Fund PCC – Touchstone purchased 20 lakh shares, representing a 0.67 percent stake in Asian Granito India, at Rs 60 per share in a transaction worth Rs 12 crore.

Raajmarg Infra Investment

Axis Bank sold 34.33 lakh units of Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust at Rs 116.50 per unit in a transaction worth Rs 40 crore.

Source: Moneycontrol