BUSINESS
Comment | Sun Pharma: Tying up loose ends
Sun Pharma has fulfilled its commitments by undoing two transactions that had discomfited investors. If there’s one thing it could have done better, it is making fuller disclosures
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day | India’s FMCG stocks are difficult to ignore, expensive valuations notwithstanding
India's FMCG sector may trade at expensive valuations but its growth makes it difficult to ignore
BUSINESS
Comment | Amara Raja-Johnson Controls break-up: the key questions that need answers
Johnson Controls' exit from Amara Raja Batteries has left investors grappling with questions on its future, they need answers and soon
BUSINESS
Comment | Monetary policy’s impact on FMCG stocks
Interest rates have little impact on the buying of soaps and shampoos, making monetary policy a non-issue for FMCG stocks. But a problem is brewing and its solution lies in the easy availability of money
BUSINESS
Comment | FMCG sector’s high valuations face external threat
FMCG stocks have been expensive for long. The fear is that slowing sales growth could trip them but the real risk is an external one
BUSINESS
Comment | China’s surprise recovery lends a shine to metal stocks
China's surprise upturn in manufacturing activity is good news for the global economy and more particularly for Indian metal stocks
COMPANIES
Comment | Sebi’s puzzling U-turn on minority oversight over royalty, and a bullet for it to bite
At the last minute Sebi has deferred a rule that would have made companies seek minority shareholders' permission to pay royalty. What that means and how it could make it better
COMPANIES
HCC turns claims to cash, gets some breathing space
HCC's innovative move to convert claims to cash will help lower some of its debt but it has some way to go before investors can rest easy
BUSINESS
Comment | Elections may serve a bitter harvest to UP sugar mills
Investors in UP sugar mill stocks should be watchful, as politicians trade barbs on unpaid sugarcane dues to farmers
BUSINESS
Opinion | Jet Airways: Why IBC may have been the right stick after all
The insolvency process may be the best option to get shareholders of a defaulting company to co-operate in a rescue bid with lenders
COMPANIES
Comment | GST and real estate: Government goes the extra mile
The revised structure and rules do seem to make it more beneficial for builders and takes care of some of their concern
COMPANIES
Lupin and peers run into US FDA headwinds again
Lupin’s shares fell after an FDA inspection led to its US unit being issued an adverse warning. Other pharma companies too have tripped on inspections, raising fears that compliance issues are very much alive for the industry
COMPANIES
Comment | Nestle: royalty to stay at 4.5%, free cash flow rises
Nestle decides to keep its royalty constant at 4.5%. That will be a relief for investors who were fearing an increase. Its 2018 annual report shows that cash flows are rising and are healthy but working capital is showing some strain
SECTOR
Comment | NCLT’s ArcelorMittal-Essar Steel order: critical loose ends remain
NCLT order on ArcelorMittal’s resolution plan for Essar Steel highlights dependence on Essar Group’s infrastructure and seeks continued access. Also cites Wednesbury Principle to ask for a more equitable distribution to all creditors.
BUSINESS
Comment | Copper uptrend supports an EM bull case, barring one risk factor
Copper’s rise supports a bull case for EM equities but these forecasts rest on one country not upsetting the apple cart
BUSINESS
Comment | ArcelorMittal - Essar Steel: winners, losers and the in-betweens
ArcelorMittal’s resolution plan for Essar Steel is set to bring the curtains down on a high profile case in the insolvency process. Who won, who lost?
BUSINESS
ArcelorMittal’s Essar Steel acquisition: an 800-pound gorilla enters the market
ArcelorMittal's acquisition of Essar Steel is a risk for domestic steel producers, as the global giant gets a ready asset in one of the largest and fastest growing markets for steel in the world
BUSINESS
Comment | Cipla takes a calculated risk with generic Sensipar launch
Cipla’s launch of a blockbuster drug made by Amgen even while litigation is ongoing is a risky affair. Here’s why Cipla may have taken a calculated risk
BUSINESS
Comment | US FDA to get a new chief, watch for side effects on pharma shares
The US FDA has been driving generic drug approvals under its current commissioner. His resignation raises a question mark on whether life could change for Indian pharmaceutical companies
BUSINESS
Comment | The rise and rise of Patanjali in oral care
Patanjali’s threat has been downplayed by the Street in recent years, as its performance has faltered and its competitive streak appears more subdued. Don’t write it off just yet, says the data
BUSINESS
Comment | Sugar loans: a soft touch to clear cane arrears
The government’s decision to give subsidized loans to sugar mills is designed to solve the politically sensitive issue of cane arrears in the run-up to elections
BUSINESS
Comment | Merck’s dividend gift is extra special for P&G
Merck’s Rs440 a share special dividend is good news for investors but more so for its new parent P&G. After the dividend, life for investors will return to mundane things such as performance-driven valuations
BUSINESS
Comment | Real estate GST rate cuts don’t go far enough
Investors were looking forward to a cut in GST on under-construction properties, to spur real estate sector growth. What the government gave with one hand, the other took away
BUSINESS
Comment | The Baltic Dry Index is capsizing
The Baltic Dry Index has fallen sharply after the Vale dam incident in 2019 and also due to global developments that have affected trade
