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Axis Max Life anticipates a smooth merger with Max Financial Services, pending parliamentary approval of the insurance bill. The amendment to the Insurance Act will explicitly permit mergers between insurance and non-insurance entities, addressing a current legal ambiguity. Regulatory clearance, following the NCLT-led process, is expected to take 8 to 12 months after the bill s enactment.

Donald Trump has refused trade talks with India until tariff issues are settled. This follows the US raising tariffs on Indian imports to 50%. The US trade negotiators are still expected to visit New Delhi later this month for trade agreement talks. An Indian official confirmed that the visit is still on schedule.

With the rise of AI and data security concerns, venture capital funds are increasingly relying on cybersecurity specialists to evaluate potential investments. The complex and technical nature of the sector demands domain expertise beyond general technology knowledge. Funds are either building dedicated teams or bringing in specialists to assess opportunities in this rapidly growing field.

Foreign investors heavily sold IT stocks in July, pulling out ₹14,422 crore due to weak quarterly results, headcount reductions, and global macroeconomic uncertainty. This selling pressure extended to other sectors, including financial services, oil and gas, and realty, as investors trimmed exposures and booked profits. Concerns about potential NPA increases in export-oriented sectors further influenced investment decisions.

Indian equity indices experienced a nearly 1% drop on Friday, marking their sixth consecutive week of losses due to concerns over the economic impact of US tariffs. Analysts anticipate continued selling pressure, with technical indicators suggesting further weakness. While foreign investors sold shares, domestic institutions were net buyers, and market volatility is expected to persist amid trade negotiation uncertainties.

Skills and talent development firm NIIT Ltd on Friday posted a 43.6 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 4.37 crore in the April-June quarter due to headwinds from a turbulent environment in the technology and BFSI sectors.

Wall Street s main indexes opened higher on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump s temporary pick for a Federal Reserve governor post fueled expectations of a more dovish central bank board.

Equitas Small Finance Bank reported a ₹224 crore Q1FY26 net loss due to higher provisions in its microfinance portfolio. The lender took a one-time provisioning hit to buffer future stress, even as microfinance collections show signs of recovery.

OPEC s oil output rose further in July after an OPEC+ agreement to raise production, a Reuters survey found on Friday, although the hike was limited by Iraq making additional cuts and by drone attacks on Kurdish oilfields.

Infibeam Avenues on Friday said its profit after tax (PAT) rose over 70 per cent to Rs 85.50 crore in the June quarter mainly on the back of enhanced pricing control through AI deployment, which improved monetisation and merchant experience.