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The past week saw significant volatility in the markets, marking a new lifetime high before facing corrective pressures. Despite maintaining upward momentum and surpassing the 25,000 mark, the markets ultimately succumbed to corrective pressures, closing with a net weekly loss of 117.15 points (-0.47%). Technically, the markets remain vulnerable to profit-taking from higher levels and are significantly deviated from their mean, indicating potential for a corrective move. Volatility spiked with the INDIA VIX rising by 16.92%.

Investors in the 2016-17 SGB Series I scheme have seen their investment grow by an impressive 122% (Rs 3,819) over the initial issue price of Rs 3,119 per gram. This excludes an additional 2.5% interest income provided by the government. The bonds, issued on August 5, 2016, mature eight years after their issue date.

Zerodha Asset Management Company and its founder, Nithin Kamath, were penalized by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for delaying the appointment of their Chief Financial Officer. The fines amounted to Rs 5 lakh for the company and Rs 4.08 lakh for Kamath. Zerodha has filed an appeal, asserting the delay was not deliberate.

The total income increased to Rs 6,784 crore during the quarter against Rs 6,747 crore in the same period last year, LIC Housing Finance said in a regulatory filing.

Financial assets like shares or mutual funds are subject to different tax rates depending on the holding period. Gains from assets held over a year (long-term) are subject to long-term capital gains tax (LTCG), while those held less than a year (short-term) are subject to short-term capital gains tax (STCG). The recent Union Budget increased LTCG on gains exceeding ₹1.25 lakh to 12.5% (from 10%) and STCG to 20% (from 15%).

Gold prices dipped slightly on Friday but experienced a 2.30% weekly gain due to weak US economic data affecting yields and the Dollar Index. Central banks continued purchasing gold, and poor job reports increased expectations for potential rate cuts. Geopolitical tensions also supported gold prices, indicating market volatility.

Jefferies has given Muthoot Finance a "Buy" rating with a target price of Rs 2,200, suggesting a potential upside of approximately 17% from current market prices.

Brainbees Solution, the parent company of omnichannel kidswear brand FirstCry, will launch its initial public offering (IPO) on August 6th. The IPO, priced between Rs 440-465 per share, will consist of a fresh issue of Rs 1,666 crore and an offer for sale of up to 5.4 crore shares by existing shareholders including M&M and SoftBank.

BHEL, Eicher Motors, Bharti Airtel, and NTPC were among companies gearing up for attention due to upcoming record dates for dividends, bonus issues, and stock splits. Key dates ranged from August 5 to August 9, with major announcements anticipated from firms like Britannia, NTPC, and Rajoo Engineers concerning final dividends and bonus issues.

Amid signs of a cooling labor market, Wall Street banks have heightened their expectations for aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Economists from major banks such as Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase revised their forecasts, predicting more substantial rate reductions starting September 2023 and continuing through mid-2025.