Wednesday, September 23
The government's move to ease sulphur emission rules for most coal-fired power plants strikes a delicate balance between costs, climate and compliance and is expected to cut electricity costs by 25-30 paise per unit, officials said on Sunday. In a gazette notification, the government has restricted the 2015 mandate of installing flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems that remove sulphur from a power plants' exhaust gases, only to plants located within 10 kilometres of cities with a population exceeding one million. Plants in critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis while all other plants -- accounting for nearly 79 per cent of India's thermal power capacity -- are exempt from mandatory FGD installation. The notification stated that the d
As HCL Technologies gears up to announce its Q1FY26 earnings on Monday, July 14, analyst projections suggest starkly divergent estimates for the tech major's net profit in the quarter under review. Revenue growth is likely to remain in the high single digits during this seasonally soft quarter.The profit after tax (PAT) could remain flattish on a sequential basis amid cautious client spending, with revenue also expected to stay flat quarter-on-quarter.Estimates from five brokerages—Nomura, HDFC Securities, Nuvama Institutional Equities, Prabhudas Lilladher, and Elara Capital—have been taken into account.Steady deal momentum and the potential retention of growth guidance offer some support.HCL Tech’s Q1 expectations across 5 key metrics:1. PAT: Divergent forecasts with muted QoQ trend
For most retail investors, the word "equity" instinctively signals higher returns, and higher risk. It is commonly assumed that increasing the equity allocation in a portfolio proportionally increases its volatility. However, as counterintuitive as it may sound, this belief doesn’t always hold true.Empirical data demonstrates that equity, when added judiciously to a debt-heavy portfolio, can actually reduce overall portfolio volatility while improving returns. This article explores that relationship and goes a step further, demonstrating how adding a third asset class like gold can further optimize the risk-reward profile of a portfolio.Adding equity is not equal to adding volatilityLet’s begin with a basic portfolio comparison. A 100% bond portfolio, over the studied period, delivered
India’s merchandise trade deficit eased slightly to USD 20.7 billion in June 2025, down from USD 21.9 billion in May, according to a report by Union Bank of India (UBI). The moderation was attributed to falling crude prices, subdued gold imports, and a recalibrated sourcing strategy that helped buffer the impact of global commodity fluctuations. Oil imports dip amid shifting global dynamics A short-lived decline in crude prices—following the temporary Israel-Iran ceasefire—alongside increased oil production by OPEC+ helped ease India’s oil-related import bill. Although Brent crude rebounded to USD 69.80/bbl in June, up from USD 64.01/bbl in May, the broader supply landscape remained favorable, preventing a sharp spike in costs. India’s crude oil imports stood at 4.66 million barr
