Archive

March 28, 2025

Browsing
In Stocks

Here’s why Nifty 50 index could surge despite rising risks

4 Mins Read

The Nifty 50 index has bounced back this week even as the Indian rupee surged and the risks to the economy rose. The index soared to a high of ₹23,778, its highest swing since January and higher than the year-to-date low of ₹21,988. This report explores why Indian stocks are bouncing back.

Indian companies could be hurt by US tariffs and slowdown

There are signs that Indian companies will be affected by the happenings in the United States. For example, IT consulting firms like Infosys, Wipro, and Tata Consultancy Services have retreated as they reel from the ongoing government spending cuts in the United States.

Elon Musk is aiming to cut government spending by $1 trillion in the next few months. One of the low-hanging fruits has been to cancel contracts with companies that provide IT consultancy to the government.

The other major catalyst that may hurt Nifty 50 companies is the upcoming reciprocal tariffs by Donald Trump. While India has pledged to slash some of its tariffs, there is a risk that Trump will not buy it. That’s because the US maintains a $50 billion trade deficit with India, which he sees as being problematic. 

At the same time, Indian exporters will be hurt by the soaring Indian rupee, which has jumped by over 5% in the past few weeks. An expensive local currency makes goods more expensive to importers. 

On the positive side, there are hopes that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will implement more interest rate cuts later this year. Stocks benefit from low interest rates by making returns in the fixed incom lower. 

Top Nifty 50 index stocks in 2025

Many companies in the Nifty 50 index are doing well this year. The best performers are Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv, whose shares have surged by 38% and 28%, respectively. These companies have done well as their revenue and demand surges.

Kotak Mahindra’s stock price has soared by 21% this year as its private banking division, which caters to the wealthy, booms. Data shows that it added 2,280 new families in the last 12 months, much higher than the 711 that it added a year earlier. This growth means that it now provides wealth solutions to about 60% of all Indian wealthiest families. 

Kotak’s private bank’s clients must have at least $1 million in investable assets, with most of its customers having a net worth of over $30 million. However, the wealth management industry is now contending with competition from companies like UBS, HSBC, Julius Baer, and Standard Chartered.

The other top companies in the Nifty 50 index are firms like JSW Steel,  Shriram Finance, Hindalco Industries, Tata Steel, Eicher Motors, and Tata Consumer. 

On the other hand, IndusInd Bank stock has crashed by over 32% this year, making it the top laggard. The company has dropped because of the substantial bad loans tied to its cooperatives business. Other top laggards are firms like Trent, Dr. Reddy’s, HCL Technologies, Infosys, and Wipro.

Nifty 50 index analysis

Nifty 50 chart by TradingView

The recent Nifty index rebound is part of our recent forecast. In that report, we noted that the index was forming a bullish flag pattern, which is characterized by a tall vertical line and a flag-like pattern. The flag section also has a close resemblance to a falling wedge, a popular bullish pattern. 

Therefore, the Nifty 50 index will likely have a strong bullish breakout, with the next key level to watch being at ₹26,300, up by almost 12% from the current level. A drop below the support at ₹22,000 will invalidate the bullish outlook. 

The post Here’s why Nifty 50 index could surge despite rising risks appeared first on Invezz

Keep Reading
In World news

Fury Gold Mines Advances Québec Precious Metals Acquisition

3 Mins Read

Fury Gold Mines (TSX:FURY,NYSEAMERICAN:FURY) announced that its acquisition of Québec Precious Metals (QPM) (TSXV:QPM,OTCQB:CJCFF) is advancing on schedule, on track to reach completion before April 30.

The deal, announced in February, aims to consolidate a 157,000 hectare portfolio of gold and critical minerals projects in Québec, positioning the combined company for enhanced exploration and growth.

QPM has obtained both a no-objection letter from Corporations Canada and an interim order from the Québec Superior Court. These allow it to proceed with an April 22 meeting where shareholders will vote on the proposed acquisition.

For its part, Fury has secured conditional approvals from the Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American.

QPM’s shareholder circular, which is now available on SEDAR+, outlines the details of the merger and includes updated financial disclosures from Fury. Notably, Fury expects to record a non-cash impairment charge as of December 31, 2024, to align the carrying value of its mineral properties with its market capitalization.

Under the terms of the agreement, QPM shareholders will receive 0.0741 Fury shares for each QPM share, valuing QPM at approximately C$0.04 per share — a 33 percent premium based on closing prices as of February 25.

Upon completion of the deal, Fury shareholders will own approximately 95 percent of the combined company, while QPM shareholders will hold the remaining 5 percent.

“This transaction is an exciting opportunity given it doubles Fury’s land package in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Region of Quebec and unites complementary assets, teams, and investor bases, which should ultimately increase shareholder value at both companies,’ Fury CEO Tim Clark said, describing the transaction as a transformational step.

Normand Champigny, CEO of QPM, echoed this sentiment, commenting, ‘By combining with Fury, QPM’s shareholders will benefit from the synergies and cost savings of leveraging the combined company’s excellent management team for funding and obtaining required permits to continue drilling at Sakami.”

The merger will significantly expand Fury’s footprint in Québec’s resource-rich Eeyou Istchee James Bay region.

QPM’s flagship Sakami project, a 70,900 hectare gold and lithium property, has demonstrated strong exploration potential, with drilling identifying gold mineralization across widths of up to 75 meters and depths of up to 500 meters.

Its Elmer East project contains a 4.2 kilometer gold- and base metals-bearing structure, where grab samples have returned gold values as high as 68.1 grams per metric ton, alongside significant zinc and copper concentrations.

Beyond gold and lithium, QPM brings a strategic rare earths asset into the combined portfolio.

The Kipawa heavy rare earth elements project, in which QPM holds a 68 percent interest, hosts a historically defined 2013 reserve estimate of 19.8 million metric tons. It has road access and is in proximity to infrastructure.

While the transaction is moving forward as planned, it remains subject to various conditions, including approval from at least two-thirds of QPM shareholders, and final court and regulatory approvals.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Keep Reading
In Business

Dollar Tree says it’s winning over higher-income shoppers and may offset tariffs with price hikes

3 Mins Read

Dollar Tree said Wednesday that it’s gaining market share with higher-income consumers and could raise prices on some products to offset President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The discount retailer’s CEO, Michael Creedon, said the company is seeing “value-seeking behavior across all income groups.” While Dollar Tree has always relied on lower-income shoppers and gets about 50% of its business from middle-income consumers, sustained inflation has led to “stronger demand from higher-income customers,” Creedon said.

Dollar Tree’s success with higher-income shoppers follows similar gains from Walmart, which has made inroads with the cohort following the prolonged period of high prices.

Trump’s tariffs on certain goods from China, Mexico and Canada — and the potential for broad duties on trading partners around the world — have only added to concerns about stretched household budgets. While Dollar Tree will use tactics like negotiating with suppliers and moving manufacturing to mitigate the effect of the duties, it could also hike the prices of some items, Creedon said.

Dollar Tree has rolled out prices higher than its standard $1.25 products at about 2,900 so-called multi-price stores. Certain products can cost anywhere from $1.50 to $7 at those locations.

The retailer weighed in on higher-income customers and the potential effect of tariffs as it announced its fourth-quarter earnings. Dollar Tree also said it will sell its struggling Family Dollar chain for about $1 billion to a consortium of private-equity investors.

Dollar Tree said its net sales for continuing operations — its namesake brand — totaled $5 billion for the quarter, while same-stores sales climbed 2%. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.11 for the period.

It is unclear how the figures compare to Wall Street estimates.

For fiscal 2025, Dollar Tree expects net sales of $18.5 billion to $19.1 billion from continuing operations, with same-store sales growth of 3% to 5%. It anticipates it will post adjusted earnings of $5 to $5.50 per share for the year.

Creedon said the expected hit from the first round of 10% tariffs Trump levied on China in February would have been $15 million to $20 million per month, but the company has mitigated about 90% of that effect.

Additional 10% duties on China imposed this month, along with 25% levies on Mexico and Canada that have only partly taken effect, would hit Dollar Tree by another $20 million per month, Creedon said. The company is working to offset those duties, but did not include them in its financial guidance due to the confusion over which tariffs will take effect and when.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Keep Reading
In Politics

Trump pushes to ‘restore truth in American History,’ end DEI at Smithsonian

2 Mins Read

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at restoring what he calls ‘truth and sanity’ in American history by reforming the Smithsonian Institution, protecting national monuments, and countering divisive ideology in public institutions.

Trump’s order directs Vice President Vance to work on eliminating ‘improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology’ from Smithsonian museums, research centers, as well as the National Zoo. 

It also pushes Congress to ensure taxpayer dollars do not fund exhibits or programs that ‘degrade shared American values’ or promote ideologies which divide Americans by race.

‘Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite history and force our nation to adopt a factually baseless ideology aimed at diminishing American achievement,’ the order states. 

The Smithsonian is criticized in the EO for promoting narratives that claim American and Western values are harmful. Trump specifically calls out exhibits that suggest sculpture has been used to ‘promote scientific racism’ and that the United States has maintained power through racial systems.

The order also takes issue with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which previously suggested that ‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’ are aspects of ‘White culture.’

Additionally, the EO declares that the Smithsonian ‘celebrate women’s achievements in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women.’

The Executive Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior to restore national parks, monuments, and statues that have been ‘improperly removed or changed’ in recent years to fit what it calls a false revision of history. 

Under the Executive Order, agencies must complete restorations and improvements to Independence Hall before our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading