Tuesday, August 18
Japan's Nikkei share average marked a record closing high on Tuesday as the outlook for domestic company's profits improved.The Nikkei rose 1.32% to close at 52,518,08. The index rose 4% in the first two sessions of the year, taking a cue from Wall Street's strength.The broader Topix also closed at a record high, rising 1.75% to 3,538.44."The fundamental setting for Japanese equities is strong, so that when the market sees positive cues, the appetite grows," said Kazunori Tatebe, chief strategist at Daiwa Asset Management."These fundamentals are based on the shift from deflation to inflation and corporate governance reform. And domestic investors have become more willing to buy Japanese stocks," he said.Wall Street ended higher overnight, with surging financia
Shares of National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) surged as much as 7% to touch a fresh record high of Rs 352, extending their rally for a fourth straight trading session. With the latest move, the stock has climbed 12% over the past four days. The surge comes after aluminium prices in global markets rose 2% to their highest level in over three years, with LME prices breaching the $3,000-per-tonne mark to trade at $3,082. The rally has been driven by tight supply conditions, as a cap on smelting capacity in China and production constraints in Europe due to elevated electricity costs have weighed on global inventories. At the same time, demand prospects remain strong, supported by sustained requirements from the construction and renewable energy sectors, Bloomberg said in a note.Last month,
New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India still has room for a further 50 basis points (bps) cut in policy rates in 2026, following bumper rate cuts of 125 bps in 2025, according to a report by IIFL Capital.The report highlighted that the gap between the repo rate and core CPI inflation remains elevated, providing space for additional monetary easing. The delta between the repo rate and core CPI is currently at 2.8 percentage points, compared to an average of 1.1 percentage points over the last seven years, indicating scope for further rate cuts in India.It stated "There is room for more cuts (50bps), given that repo minus core inflation is well above its historical avg., and inflation is low".The report added that monetary easing, along with continued deregulation, should lead to growth accele
