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Gold prices remained steady near a record high as investors watched U.S. President Trump s tariff threats and awaited the Federal Reserve s January meeting minutes. Trump s trade measures on autos and other imports continued to raise concerns of a global trade war, while silver, platinum, and palladium saw minor fluctuations.

The U.S. dollar remained steady due to tariff concerns and Russia-Ukraine negotiations, while the New Zealand dollar dropped after a significant rate cut by its central bank. Trump plans more tariffs, causing currency fluctuations. Investors anticipate further insights from the Federal Reserve s meeting minutes.

Oil prices rose amid U.S. and Russian supply disruptions and anticipation of Ukraine peace talks. Brent crude reached $76.04 per barrel, while U.S. crude futures climbed to $72.08 per barrel. Russian oil flows via CPC dropped 30%-40% after a Ukrainian drone attack, and cold weather threatens U.S. oil supply. U.S.-Russia talks might ease sanctions impacting oil shipments.

Hexaware Technologies is set to debut on NSE and BSE amidst cautious investor sentiment as indicated by a 0% grey market premium. The IPO saw a subscription rate of 2.66 times, featuring an Offer for Sale (OFS) of 12.35 crore shares. Analysts recommend long-term investment due to attractive valuations and Hexaware’s strong financial growth driven by AI adoption.

Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries decreased in December, with Japan and China both reducing their portfolios. Japan s holdings dropped to $1.060 trillion, while China s holdings fell to $759 billion. The decline occurred as Treasury yields surged amid expectations of higher growth and potential inflation resurgence, influenced by the Trump administration’s policies.

Voler Car shares are set to list on the NSE SME platform with a grey market premium of Rs 4-5. The IPO was priced at Rs 85-90 per share and saw a subscription rate of 13.73 times. Voler Car provides employee transportation services to major corporates and reported revenues of Rs 21 crore for the period ended September 2024.

The Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) sector is under scrutiny following regulatory actions, with 1,472 banks and significant deposits and advances. As of March 2024, two scheduled UCBs had critically low capital ratios, leading to enhanced monitoring and corrective measures by the RBI, including potential license cancellations.

Of the shares sold, 12 million were acquired by Bharti Telecom (BTL)-the main promoter-level controlling company of Bharti Airtel-while the balance shares were lapped up by a host of global and local marquee investors including GQG Partners, Fidelity, Lazard, ICICI Prudential MF and SBI Life, according to people familiar with the matter. Mittal family-backed ICIL sold shares at ₹1,660 apiece, as per the block deal data.

In the December quarter, nonperforming asset (NPA) provisions for 29 banks rose by 20% year-on-year, reaching Rs 23,298 crore, driven by a significant increase from private sector lenders. Public sector banks saw a record low in provisioning, continuing a decline for the tenth consecutive quarter. Notably, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank reported substantial hikes in provisions.