BUSINESS
AI jitters hit IT stocks, but fund managers stay the course on sector holding for now
After witnessing a 7 percent decline in the previous week, IT stocks remained under pressure, falling another 6 percent so far this week and dragging the Nifty IT index to a 10-month low on February 12.
BUSINESS
Pick your companies right and it should not be difficult to deliver reasonable returns; this is a year for stock picking: Kenneth Andrade
The new Flexi Cap fund is an extension of its existing philosophy, allowing a wider opportunity set while retaining a concentrated, high-conviction approach, according to Andrade. The NFO is open from February 13 to 23.
BUSINESS
Equity MF inflows plunge 40% from peak as investor fatigue sets in amid market grind
January inflows slide from July peak, but industry experts say slowdown reflects investor caution amid consolidation rather than fading confidence in equities.
BUSINESS
January AMFI data shows equity flows moderate, SIPs hold steady, gold and silver ETFs surge
Overall, the mutual fund industry’s AUM increased by 1 percent to Rs 81.01 lakh crore from Rs 80.23 lakh crore in December. Net folios grew by 50.6 lakh during the month, taking the total folio count to 26.63 crore, with equity schemes contributing nearly 18 crore folios.
BUSINESS
SIP inflows remain steady at Rs 31,000 crore in January despite volatility; stoppage ratio at 74%
During the month, 74 lakh new SIP accounts were registered, while about 55 lakh SIPs were matured or discontinued, indicating an SIP stoppage ration of 74 percent against 85% last month.
BUSINESS
Gold ETF inflows increase 100% to Rs 24,040 crore in January 2026, on par with equity
The strong performance of gold ETFs helped push total net inflows across ETFs and overseas-oriented fund categories to Rs 39,954.63 crore in January, up from Rs 26,723.24 crore in December.
BUSINESS
PFC-REC merger targets scale, but sector growth and swap ratio key: Experts
The boards of the two state-owned lenders on February 6 approved the merger in principle, following the Union Budget announcement on restructuring PFC and REC.
BUSINESS
Samir Arora–backed Helios Flexi Cap exits Ola Electric, ICICI Lombard, LG Electronics in January rejig
HDFC Bank remained the largest holding at 4.78% of AUM, followed by ICICI Bank (4.62%), Reliance Industries (4.52%), Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (4.03%) and Eternal (3.97%).
BUSINESS
Is it time to return to quality? DSP Netra flags selective opportunities in high return-on-equity stocks
“For investors, this environment calls for patience and selectivity,” DSP's Pragati Aggarwal said adding that returns are more likely to come from disciplined allocation to quality franchises at reasonable valuations, rather than from broad exposure to cyclical momentum.
BUSINESS
India-US trade deal may help sentiment, but it is unlikely to create immediate earnings impact: Axis MF's Ashish Gupta
Even without the trade deal, 2026 earnings are expected to be significantly better than 2025. The deal may help sentiment, but it is unlikely to create major headline earnings impacts—at least not immediately, Gupta said.
BUSINESS
Global brokerages say India-US trade deal eases FPI worries, improves near-term market sentiment
Global brokerages said the agreement could improve India’s export competitiveness and reduces downside risks, even as most remain cautious on the medium-term earnings outlook.
BUSINESS
Until we see the fine print, everything is speculation: DSP’s Sahil Kapoor on trade deal impact
He added that without clarity on sector-wise applicability, any assessment remains speculative. “There is no document yet specifying which sectors benefit from the US deal or what the 18% actually applies to," he said.
BUSINESS
From tariff shock to turnaround: Can India-US trade deal reset textile outlook?
Experts suggest that investors and markets will now seek clarity from managements on how much incremental growth tariff normalisation can deliver in CY26 and CY27.
BUSINESS
From stock selection to sectoral alpha: JioBlackRock AMC on expanding its systematic equity playbook
Indian equity markets have evolved significantly over the last few years. The number of companies coming to market has increased, the range of sectors has broadened, and no single sector dominates the market. This diversification is very supportive of a systematic, data-driven strategy like ours, Swaminathan said.
BUSINESS
India–US trade deal to lift market sentiment; fund managers say "It's time for equities"
Overall, fund managers said the agreement improves visibility for investors and supports sentiment, even as attention now turns to more granular details that will emerge in the coming days to throw light on sector-specific impacts.
BUSINESS
STT hike could cut arbitrage fund returns by up to 30 bps but unlikely to impact investor interest, say fund managers
In the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an increase in STT rates for futures to 0.05% from 0.02% earlier and for options to 0.15% from 0.1%/0.125%, aimed at curbing speculative activity in the futures and options (F&O) segment.
BUSINESS
Power and renewables budget allocations in line, but little impact expected on stocks
Currently, JM Financial notes that adequate policy measures are in place to support both conventional and renewable energy sectors. 'Overall, the Budget initiatives are largely aimed at building capabilities in emerging areas such as nuclear energy, battery cell manufacturing and carbon capture technologies,' the report said.
BUSINESS
Semiconductor stocks gain traction as budget boosts incentives, ISM 2.0 lifts sector outlook
The Centre has raised incentives for semiconductor components to Rs 40,000 crore from Rs 22,000 crore, a move expected to widen participation and accelerate domestic capacity creation across the value chain.
BUSINESS
Defence shares unlikely to rerate following Union Budget, correction poses stock-picking opportunity
Capex outlay for military modernisation has been raised to Rs 2.19 lakh crore, marking a 17.6% YoY increase, and lifting capital spending to its highest share of total defence expenditure in over a decade.
BUSINESS
Five themes that stand to gain from the Union Budget 2026
The Union Budget 2026 maintains policy continuity but boosts defence, railways, semiconductors, biosimilars, and rare earth sectors.
BUSINESS
Budget in line with expectations; STT hike came as a jolt for capital markets: Invesco’s Taher Badshah
'The outlook remains incrementally positive for the year as a whole because we are looking at a somewhat improving earnings cycle,' he said, adding that the Budget itself doesn’t dramatically enhance or challenge that.
BUSINESS
New chapter of value creation, says NSE chairman on key SEBI nod for IPO
The regulatory nod marks a major breakthrough for India’s largest stock exchange, whose IPO plans had been on hold for nearly a decade
BUSINESS
We prefer large caps as small and mid cap valuations remain stretched: Kotak AMC's Harsha Upadhyaya
"Mid-caps offer earnings growth that is around two to three percentage points higher than large caps, which can justify slightly higher volatility for medium- to long-term investors. Small caps, however, are significantly ahead of their long-term valuation averages and remain vulnerable to volatility," says Upadhyaya.
BUSINESS
India–EU FTA: Not just autos, textiles; but defence, capital goods could also be big winners
Negotiations for the India–EU FTA concluded on January 27, with implementation expected in 2026, subject to legal vetting and approvals. The agreement provides for wide-ranging tariff reductions, harmonised standards and lower non-tariff barriers.
