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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in an interview with ET has emphasized that banks must refocus on their primary roles of mobilizing deposits and providing loans, especially amid concerns about slowing deposit growth. Sitharaman reiterated the need for banks to prioritize their core functions—mobilizing deposits and lending—while still being free to pursue other activities.

Tips is the only listed player that writes off 100% of the content cost during the quarter of the release. It has a library of over 30,000 songs across genres and languages.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% Thursday while the Nasdaq 100 declined 1.1% as tech giants including Nvidia Corp and Microsoft Corp slumped. Small caps outperformed in a further sign investors are preparing for interest-rate cuts that will support the broader economy.

LCR is a liquidity requirement for banks to maintain at all times a certain proportion of high-quality liquid assets (HQLA), including cash, reserves with central banks, and federal government bonds, which can easily be converted into cash.

Private life insurers in India have strategized to adhere to new IRDAI regulations requiring surrender value from the first year on non-participating policies. Companies like HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential Life, and SBI Life are adjusting their commission structures and product mixes to protect margins and maintain growth despite the regulatory changes.

Indian corporates found raising funds through offshore syndicated loans more affordable in 2024 due to increased global investor interest. The volume remained stable at $13.3 billion. HSBC emerged as the top bookrunner, followed by DBS Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank. Firms like Union Bank, JSW Steel, and Hero Fincorp have utilized this route.

To enhance credit flow to MSMEs, the government is urging banks to offer collateral-free term loans and additional support during financial stress. The FY25 budget includes a new credit guarantee scheme to help MSMEs in manufacturing secure loans for machinery and equipment without needing collateral or a third-party guarantee.

"Major private banks like Kotak, Axis and HDFC have reported their earnings which have not been up to the mark and most missed estimates," said Shreyansh Shah, Research Analyst, Stoxbox. "Investors have booked profits following the results leading to the decline in the index."

​​Focus on affordable housing as budget announced following incentives PM Awas outlay and allocation of Rs 2.2 trillion under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the current year is a massive increase. This should help HFCs significantly with PNB Housing being the top pick.

A fall in government bond yields lowers borrowing costs across the economy as sovereign debt yields are the benchmarks for determining the price of corporate borrowing. Bond yield and prices move inversely.