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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to cut interest rates for the first time in nearly five years due to easing inflation concerns. A majority of financial institutions believe the new Monetary Policy Committee, under Governor Sanjay Malhotra, will vote to reduce the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%.

Money managers and analysts are betting on investors shifting money out of industrials to consumer-oriented stocks in consumer goods, consumer discretionary and automobile sectors in the foreseeable future,

At ₹81,903.7 crore ($9,491.6 million), FPI outflow in January was the highest since last October which recorded the highest monthly outflow of ₹1.1 lakh crore ($13,556 million), according to data from NSDL. In the primary market, net investment by FPIs slowed to ₹3,877 crore ($448.7 million), the lowest in seven months owing to slower activity in the IPO segment during January amid weakness in the broader market.

Under the proposed mechanism, the regulator has suggested creating a unique UPI address for registered market intermediaries, making it easier for investors to confirm that they are paying only registered entities. The proposed UPI payment limit for capital market transactions is set to ₹5 lakh per day, higher than the current ₹2 lakh limit. This will be evaluated periodically in consultation with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

According to technical analysts, stocks like Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tata Consumer, Infosys, UBL, M&M, Eicher Motors, Titan, Havells, SBI Cards, Indian Hotels, Navin Fluorine, and Radico appear promising, with a potential upside of 5-10%.

As per the DRHP, Embassy Buildcon plans to sell up to 33.46 million shares, while Ariel Way Tenant, through which WeWork Inc holds stake in the Indian company, is seeking to offer about 10.3 million shares.

Valuation, or price-to-earnings (PE) multiple as it is commonly called, is a combination of numbers and narratives. While numbers don t change every day, narratives do change often. Post-Budget 2025, the narrative about some sectors has changed. Should they be valued more or not is a complex question. But there are nuances that will help you figure out whether you should be gung-ho about a sector which has got relief in the budget. Or not.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman s budget, though celebrated for the tax cuts by the middle class, did not impress stock markets due to the global economic uncertainty caused by anticipated tariffs from former President Donald Trump. The budget s most noteworthy feature is the reduction of the fiscal deficit to 4.4% of GDP.

My budget ritual is to come to the office and watch the budget and hope that there aren t any big negatives on the capital markets side particularly. This year, there were no announcements linked to the capital markets and a few small ones related to startups.

First, the budget. It can be dissected into three C s - consolidation, consumption, and capex. On the consolidation front, the budget is firmly on track, with FY25 fiscal deficit at 4.8% of gross domestic product (GDP), expected to be further lower at 4.4% in FY26.