Latest Stock Market News

The Nifty largely consolidated with a bearish undertone over the past five sessions, trading within a narrow range and ending the week with a modest gain. The index stayed below its crucial resistance points and saw increased volatility. Looking forward, careful approach is advised as technical rebounds are likely to face resistance.

Amid weak market sentiment, small and midcap stocks performed strongly, with WPIL Ltd shares climbing 44.16% in a week. Other notable gainers include Prudent Corporate Advisory Services, AMI Organics, and Syrma SGS Technology. Midcap stocks like Gillette India and Indian Bank also surged, reflecting robust growth in these segments.

Nilesh Shah of Envision Capital explains that despite individual stocks experiencing significant declines, the overall stock market remains resilient with periodic corrections. He highlights strong earnings growth, especially among smaller companies, and discusses the potential for significant market growth driven by increased female workforce participation and digitalization, particularly in the beauty and personal care sector.

The duality in the behavior of FPIs is explained by Dr. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, stating that the primary market issues are mostly at fair valuations whereas the benchmark indices are trading at elevated valuations.

On Diwali, the NSE introduces the NSEIndia mobile app and expands its website to support eleven regional languages, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity for Indian investors. The app provides market insights, personalized watchlists, and derivatives market data, aiming to empower investors with intuitive tools and real-time information.

Next week the primary market anticipates the IPO of Swiggy, along with four other offerings. Included are Acme Solar Holdings, Sagility India, and Niva Bupa Healthcare. Neelam Linens will debut in the SME segment. Swiggy aims to utilize IPO proceeds for investment in subsidiary Scootsy, technology, cloud infrastructure, and brand marketing.

This week, several companies including Coal India, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), and REC Ltd are scheduled for record dates related to dividends, bonus issues, and stock splits. Shareholders must own stocks before the ex-date to be eligible. Notable dividends include Rs 24 by Colgate-Palmolive, Rs 15.75 by Coal India, and Rs 28 by Ajanta Pharma.

Gold has historically served as a hedge against inflation and economic distress, offering returns and mitigating risks when included in portfolios. While physical gold has drawbacks like storage risks and purity concerns, Sovereign Gold Bonds and Gold ETFs present viable alternatives with added benefits, including liquidity and lower costs.

Nifty gained 24.47% in Samvat 2080—the second-best in a decade—yet most experts anticipate moderate returns of 5-10% in the new year.

Other so-called Magnificent Seven members Meta Platforms and Microsoft also reported earnings earlier this week and warned on AI-related infrastructure costs, dragging the Nasdaq down on Thursday.