< -5%

-5% to -3%

Gabriel India

-3% to 0%

0% to 3%

3% to 5%

Kwality Wall's shares rose 5%, leading gains on Sensex, Nifty, Magnum to buy 26% stake at Rs 21.33 per share via open offer, HUL shareholders got 1:1 shares in Kwality Wall's after demerger

* Kwality Wall's shares rose 5%, leading gains on Sensex, Nifty
* Magnum to buy 26% stake at Rs 21.33 per share via open offer
* HUL shareholders got 1:1 shares in Kwality Wall's after demerger

Kwality Wall's shares rose 5% on February 18, closing in the green for the first time since listing. Magnum Ice Cream Company plans to acquire a 26% stake via open offer at Rs 21.33 apiece, following its demerger from Hindustan Unilever.

shorts/business/kwality-wall-s-shares-jump-5-snap-two-session-losing-streak

* Kwality Wall's shares rose 5%, leading gains on Sensex, Nifty
* Magnum to buy 26% stake at Rs 21.33 per share via open offer
* HUL shareholders got 1:1 shares in Kwality Wall's after demerger

The shares of <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/hospitalsmedical-services/digiflexindia/DI10">Kwality Wall's (India)</a> gained 5 percent on February 18 to close in the green for the first time since listing. It emerged as the top gainer on the Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty.

The shares of the company rose to Rs 29.34 apiece. The stock had made their much-anticipated market debut on February 16, listing at nearly 26 percent discount at Rs 29.80 apiece on NSE after its demerger from FMCG major <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/personal-care/hindustanunilever/HU">Hindustan Unilever</a> (HUL).

On its debut day, the stock had gained around 5 percent to Rs 31.29 apiece, the highest level so far, before paring all gains to close in the red.
<h3><strong>Magnum makes open offer for 26% stake in Kwality Wall's:</strong></h3>
In an exchange filling, Kwality Wall's on February 16 announced that its India parent The <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/kwality-wall-s-shares-list-at-26-discount-after-demerger-from-hindustan-unilever-13829293.html">Magnum Ice Cream Company is set to acquire 26 percent stake</a> in the company through an open offer at Rs 21.33 apiece. This implies a 28 percent discount from the stock’s listing price.
<h3><strong>About HUL-Kwality Wall's demerger:</strong></h3>
Earlier in November 2024, HUL approved the demerger of the ice cream business, which operates popular brands including 'Kwality Wall's', 'Cornetto' and 'Magnum'. National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the demerger scheme on October 30.

The ice cream business forms 3 percent of HUL's total yearly turnover, contributing Rs 1,800 crore to the total revenue.
<h3><strong>Demerger ratio:</strong></h3>
The share entitlement ratio was set at 1:1. This means that every shareholder of HUL will receive one share of the ice cream business for every share of the FMCG major they own, as on the record date.
<h3><strong>Record date:</strong></h3>
The allotment date was fixed at December 29. The record date to determine the eligibility of the shareholders set to receive the free shares was set on December 5. This means that those HUL shareholders whose names appear in the register of members as on the record date will be entitled to receive free shares of KWIL as part of the demerger.

<em>Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.</em>

Ownership, Material Conflicts of Interest and Disciplinary History

MCD is a wholly owned subsidiary of Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd ("Network18"), in which Independent Media Trust (IMT) holds 56.89% stake. Reliance Industries Limited ("RIL") is the sole beneficiary of IMT. Network18 and RIL and their subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates can be considered as associates of MCD.

Details of Associate

Receipt of Compensation

Third-Party Compensation

Employment History

Market-Making Activities

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Kwality Wall's shares jump 5%, snap two-session losing streak

The shares of Kwality Wall's (India) gained 5 percent on February 18 to close in the green for the first time since listing. It emerged as the top gainer on the Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty.

The shares of the company rose to Rs 29.34 apiece. The stock had made their much-anticipated market debut on February 16, listing at nearly 26 percent discount at Rs 29.80 apiece on NSE after its demerger from FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL).

On its debut day, the stock had gained around 5 percent to Rs 31.29 apiece, the highest level so far, before paring all gains to close in the red.
Magnum makes open offer for 26% stake in Kwality Wall's:
In an exchange filling, Kwality Wall's on February 16 announced that its India parent The Magnum Ice Cream Company is set to acquire 26 percent stake in the company through an open offer at Rs 21.33 apiece. This implies a 28 percent discount from the stock’s listing price.
About HUL-Kwality Wall's demerger:
Earlier in November 2024, HUL approved the demerger of the ice cream business, which operates popular brands including 'Kwality Wall's', 'Cornetto' and 'Magnum'. National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the demerger scheme on October 30.

The ice cream business forms 3 percent of HUL's total yearly turnover, contributing Rs 1,800 crore to the total revenue.
Demerger ratio:
The share entitlement ratio was set at 1:1. This means that every shareholder of HUL will receive one share of the ice cream business for every share of the FMCG major they own, as on the record date.
Record date:
The allotment date was fixed at December 29. The record date to determine the eligibility of the shareholders set to receive the free shares was set on December 5. This means that those HUL shareholders whose names appear in the register of members as on the record date will be entitled to receive free shares of KWIL as part of the demerger.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

L&T partners with Nvidia to build India's largest AI factory, Shares rose nearly 1% after the AI factory announcement, The AI factory aims to boost India's global AI leadership

* L&T partners with Nvidia to build India's largest AI factory
* Shares rose nearly 1% after the AI factory announcement
* The AI factory aims to boost India's global AI leadership

Larsen & Toubro shares rose after announcing a partnership with Nvidia to build India’s largest gigawatt-scale AI factory, aiming to boost India’s global AI position with advanced, sovereign infrastructure for large-scale AI workloads across key sectors.

shorts/business/l-t-shares-rise-1-after-firm-teams-with-nvidia-to-build-india-s-largest-gigawatt-scale-ai-factory

* L&T partners with Nvidia to build India's largest AI factory
* Shares rose nearly 1% after the AI factory announcement
* The AI factory aims to boost India's global AI leadership

The shares of <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/infrastructure-general/larsentoubro/LT">Larsen &amp; Toubro</a> (L&amp;T) gained in trade on February 18 after the company announced that it is teaming up with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory.

The shares of the engineering major rose nearly 1 percent to trade at Rs 4,310.5 apiece on Wednesday.
<h3><strong> L&amp;T's partnership with Nvidia:</strong></h3>
At the ongoing India AI Summit, L&amp;T announced a proposed venture under the India AI Mission to build sovereign, scalable GW-scale NVIDIA AI factory infrastructure. The company said the venture aims to reinforce India’s position as a global AI powerhouse.

“This partnership is aimed at India’s enterprises, policymakers, industry leaders, global off takers, and analysts seeking production-grade AI capacity anchored in India’s digital and industrial transformation,” it said in an exchange filing.

L&amp;T said that the partnership integrates its engineering, infrastructure development and execution, with Nvidia’s AI infrastructure including NVIDIA GPUs, CPUs, Networking, NVIDIA-accelerated storage platforms from leading providers, the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software stack, and reference architectures to enable rapid, secure AI adoption. “It will deploy AI-ready datacenter infrastructure, advanced computing platforms, and ecosystem enablement required to support large-scale AI workloads across priority sectors,” it added.

The company further said that the venture will support the creation of sovereign AI infrastructure that allows critical data, models, and AI workloads to be built, trained, and deployed within India, while remaining interoperable with global ecosystems.
<h3><strong>Gigawatt-scale AI data center factory:</strong></h3>
L&amp;T added that as part of the partnership, they will develop a gigawatt-scale AI data center factory, providing AI-ready capacity for high-density, next-generation workloads so customers can expand in India efficiently and sustainably.

“The venture will scale NVIDIA GPU cluster deployment at its Chennai DC up to 30 MW capacity in its 300 acres Gigawatt scalable campus &amp; at the new 40 MW Datacenter in Mumbai currently under execution,” it added.

The proposed AI factory model will be able to deliver advanced AI services to global off takers, hyperscalers and India Inc, including manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, financial services, healthcare, and public services. “It is designed to provide standardized, enterprise-grade AI capabilities, enabling predictable performance, security, and time-to value for industrial and services use cases,” L&amp;T said.

The factor will also enable L&amp;T &amp; its group companies to deploy live AI agents on Sovereign Cloud, fostering a self-sustaining innovation hub like LTTS’s Lights-Out Factory framework that leverages NVIDIA Omniverse libraries to transform industrial operations, LTM’s Blueverse and LTFS’s agentic AI deployment along with L&amp;T’s own AI agents developed for internal consumption.

Speaking about the development, L&amp;T Chairman &amp; Managing Director SN Subrahmanyan said, "India’s enterprises are ready to move from AI pilots to production-scale deployment. The investment establishes the foundation — secure, scalable, and sovereign infrastructure — required to power manufacturing, energy, financial services, healthcare, and public services. With NVIDIA’s platforms and L&amp;T’s execution strength, we are building infrastructure that will enable AI to deliver measurable economic impact.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang meanwhile said, “AI is driving the largest infrastructure buildout in human history—everyone will use it, every company will be powered by it, and every country will build it. Prime Minister Modi has outlined a bold vision to democratize AI access across the Global South and position India as a global hub for digital infrastructure. Together with L&amp;T—an 88-year-old engineering and nation-building leader—we are laying the foundation for world-class AI infrastructure that will power India’s growth and help realize the full vision of India AI.”

Follow all <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/stock-market-live-updates-gift-nifty-signals-positive-opening-us-asian-markets-advance-liveblog-13832903.html">LIVE updates</a> from the stock markets here.

<em>Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.</em>

L&T shares rise 1% after firm teams with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory

The shares of Larsen &amp;amp; Toubro (L&amp;amp;T) gained in trade on February 18 after the company announced that it is teaming up with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory.

The shares of the engineering major rose nearly 1 percent to trade at Rs 4,310.5 apiece on Wednesday.
 L&amp;amp;T's partnership with Nvidia:
At the ongoing India AI Summit, L&amp;amp;T announced a proposed venture under the India AI Mission to build sovereign, scalable GW-scale NVIDIA AI factory infrastructure. The company said the venture aims to reinforce India’s position as a global AI powerhouse.

“This partnership is aimed at India’s enterprises, policymakers, industry leaders, global off takers, and analysts seeking production-grade AI capacity anchored in India’s digital and industrial transformation,” it said in an exchange filing.

L&amp;amp;T said that the partnership integrates its engineering, infrastructure development and execution, with Nvidia’s AI infrastructure including NVIDIA GPUs, CPUs, Networking, NVIDIA-accelerated storage platforms from leading providers, the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software stack, and reference architectures to enable rapid, secure AI adoption. “It will deploy AI-ready datacenter infrastructure, advanced computing platforms, and ecosystem enablement required to support large-scale AI workloads across priority sectors,” it added.

The company further said that the venture will support the creation of sovereign AI infrastructure that allows critical data, models, and AI workloads to be built, trained, and deployed within India, while remaining interoperable with global ecosystems.
Gigawatt-scale AI data center factory:
L&amp;amp;T added that as part of the partnership, they will develop a gigawatt-scale AI data center factory, providing AI-ready capacity for high-density, next-generation workloads so customers can expand in India efficiently and sustainably.

“The venture will scale NVIDIA GPU cluster deployment at its Chennai DC up to 30 MW capacity in its 300 acres Gigawatt scalable campus &amp;amp; at the new 40 MW Datacenter in Mumbai currently under execution,” it added.

The proposed AI factory model will be able to deliver advanced AI services to global off takers, hyperscalers and India Inc, including manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, financial services, healthcare, and public services. “It is designed to provide standardized, enterprise-grade AI capabilities, enabling predictable performance, security, and time-to value for industrial and services use cases,” L&amp;amp;T said.

The factor will also enable L&amp;amp;T &amp;amp; its group companies to deploy live AI agents on Sovereign Cloud, fostering a self-sustaining innovation hub like LTTS’s Lights-Out Factory framework that leverages NVIDIA Omniverse libraries to transform industrial operations, LTM’s Blueverse and LTFS’s agentic AI deployment along with L&amp;amp;T’s own AI agents developed for internal consumption.

Speaking about the development, L&amp;amp;T Chairman &amp;amp; Managing Director SN Subrahmanyan said, &quot;India’s enterprises are ready to move from AI pilots to production-scale deployment. The investment establishes the foundation — secure, scalable, and sovereign infrastructure — required to power manufacturing, energy, financial services, healthcare, and public services. With NVIDIA’s platforms and L&amp;amp;T’s execution strength, we are building infrastructure that will enable AI to deliver measurable economic impact.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang meanwhile said, “AI is driving the largest infrastructure buildout in human history—everyone will use it, every company will be powered by it, and every country will build it. Prime Minister Modi has outlined a bold vision to democratize AI access across the Global South and position India as a global hub for digital infrastructure. Together with L&amp;amp;T—an 88-year-old engineering and nation-building leader—we are laying the foundation for world-class AI infrastructure that will power India’s growth and help realize the full vision of India AI.”

Follow all LIVE updates from the stock markets here.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

L&amp;T shares rise 1% after firm teams with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory

Aurobindo Pharma shares drop after reports claim major US FDA violations, US FDA found poor sanitation, contamination, and data issues, Company has not yet responded to stock exchange queries

* Aurobindo Pharma shares drop after reports claim major US FDA violations
* US FDA found poor sanitation, contamination, and data issues
* Company has not yet responded to stock exchange queries

Aurobindo Pharma shares fell after the US FDA made nine serious observations at its Telangana facility, citing poor sanitation, high contamination, data deletion, and document backdating. The company has not yet responded to stock exchange queries.

shorts/business/aurobindo-pharma-shares-fall-up-to-5-as-us-fda-flags-nine-issues-at-telangana-unit

* Aurobindo Pharma shares drop after reports claim major US FDA violations
* US FDA found poor sanitation, contamination, and data issues
* Company has not yet responded to stock exchange queries

The shares of <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/pharmaceuticals/aurobindopharma/AP">Aurobindo Pharma</a> plunged in trade on February 18 amid reports of nine significant observations by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) at its Unit 7 manufacturing facility in Telangana.

The shares of the pharma player dropped to Rs 1,129.20 apiece on Wednesday, snapping a two-session gaining streak.
<h3><strong>US FDA's observations on Aurobindo Pharma unit:</strong></h3>
The US FDA has issued several serious observations during its inspection at Aurobindo Pharma’s unit, CNBC-TV18 reported. It listed sanitation and contamination as one of key focus areas, as US FDA reportedly found that the equipment was not cleaned for years. Cross contamination levels were reported 380 times above limits, with presence of E. Coli and bird droppings in systems, it added.

The FDA also found that staff had deletion access of raw data, along with unexplained trial runs. It also reported backdating of microbiology documents, along with mismatch between electronic dissolution data and physical records.

After the reports led to a sharp decline in share price, the stock exchanges sought a clarification from the company. It is yet to issue any statement regarding to same, as seen at 12.40 pm.
<h3><strong>Aurobindo Pharma share price:</strong></h3>
After hitting a 52-week low of Rs 1,010 apiece on April 7, the stock gained around 27 percent to hit a 52-week high of 1,278.6 apiece on April 24 last year. The stock has however fallen 12 percent since then.

Aurobindo Pharma currently has a market capitalization of Rs 67,000 crore, and the stock’s P/E ratio stands at 19.62.

Follow all <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/stock-market-live-updates-gift-nifty-signals-positive-opening-us-asian-markets-advance-liveblog-13832903.html">LIVE updates</a> from the stock markets here.

<em>Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.</em>

Aurobindo Pharma shares fall up to 5% as US FDA flags nine issues at Telangana unit

The shares of Aurobindo Pharma plunged in trade on February 18 amid reports of nine significant observations by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) at its Unit 7 manufacturing facility in Telangana.

The shares of the pharma player dropped to Rs 1,129.20 apiece on Wednesday, snapping a two-session gaining streak.
US FDA's observations on Aurobindo Pharma unit:
The US FDA has issued several serious observations during its inspection at Aurobindo Pharma’s unit, CNBC-TV18 reported. It listed sanitation and contamination as one of key focus areas, as US FDA reportedly found that the equipment was not cleaned for years. Cross contamination levels were reported 380 times above limits, with presence of E. Coli and bird droppings in systems, it added.

The FDA also found that staff had deletion access of raw data, along with unexplained trial runs. It also reported backdating of microbiology documents, along with mismatch between electronic dissolution data and physical records.

After the reports led to a sharp decline in share price, the stock exchanges sought a clarification from the company. It is yet to issue any statement regarding to same, as seen at 12.40 pm.
Aurobindo Pharma share price:
After hitting a 52-week low of Rs 1,010 apiece on April 7, the stock gained around 27 percent to hit a 52-week high of 1,278.6 apiece on April 24 last year. The stock has however fallen 12 percent since then.

Aurobindo Pharma currently has a market capitalization of Rs 67,000 crore, and the stock’s P/E ratio stands at 19.62.

Follow all LIVE updates from the stock markets here.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Cigarette stocks rose after price hikes to counter excise increase, Godfrey Phillips raised Marlboro Compact price from Rs 9.5 to Rs 11.5, UBS kept 'Buy' on ITC, sees over 29 percent upside potential

* Cigarette stocks rose after price hikes to counter excise increase
* Godfrey Phillips raised Marlboro Compact price from Rs 9.5 to Rs 11.5
* UBS kept 'Buy' on ITC, sees over 29 percent upside potential

Cigarette-maker shares surged after sharp price hikes to offset excise increases. ITC and Godfrey Phillips raised prices, with UBS maintaining a 'Buy' call on ITC. Price hikes are expected to minimize EBIT impact, despite potential volume declines.

shorts/business/itc-godfrey-phillips-shares-surge-up-to-12-amid-reports-of-cigarette-price-hikes-here-s-what-ubs-says

* Cigarette stocks rose after price hikes to counter excise increase
* Godfrey Phillips raised Marlboro Compact price from Rs 9.5 to Rs 11.5
* UBS kept 'Buy' on ITC, sees over 29 percent upside potential

The shares of cigarette-makers surged in trade on February 18, extending gains amid reports of price hikes. UBS has issued a bullish call for ITC shares, stating that the valuation now appears to be appealing after the recent correction.

<a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/diversified/itc/ITC">ITC</a> shares gained more than 2 percent to trade at Rs 332.70 apiece, while <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/cigarettes/godfreyphillipsindia/GPI">Godfrey Phillips India</a> shares rallied around 20 percent to trade at Rs 2,478.8 apiece.
<h3><strong>Price hikes:</strong></h3>
The cigarette-makers have sharply hiked prices to offset the impact of excise increases, resulting in an increase in EBIT per stick, CNBC Awaaz reported. Godfrey Phillips India has hiked the price of Marlboro Compact from Rs 9.5 per stick to Rs 11.5 per stick, the report added.

According to the business channel's estimates, nearly 50 percent of ITC's portfolio may see a larger-than-expected price hike. Both players are expected to launch new products with strong price hikes in the 74 mm category, as per the report. It cited B&amp;K Securities as saying that while the price hikes may slightly impact volumes, the overall profitability drop may be mitigated.

Prices for ITC's Gold Flake and Classic (Premium) has been increased by 41 percent, Classic Connect (Slims) by 20 percent and Gold Flake Superstar (Value) by nearly 19 percent, according to NDTV Profit.

<em>Moneycontrol</em> couldn't independently verify the reports.
<h3><strong>UBS on ITC:</strong></h3>
UBS kept a 'Buy' call on the shares of ITC, but cut its target price to Rs 395 apiece from Rs 420 apiece. The latest target price implies an upside potential of more than 29 percent from the stock's previous closing price.

The international brokerage said that distributor checks indicate a range of imminent price hikes, which is now arriving, according to the note cited by CNBC-TV18. ITC's 84 mm cigarettes (KSFT segment), is expected to be priced at Rs 24 per stick (from Rs 17). This segment has seen the steepest tax increase.

UBS added that it is clear that price hikes have been fully passed on in premium cigarettes, while it is kept minimal in price sensitive segments of 69 mm and 64 mm. This pricing approach is likely to keep ITC's volume and EBIT impact to minimum, it added.

"We think valuation has become quite appealing now and a risk worth taking. As the price curve and overall portfolio continues to take shape, we expect this will serve as the key catalyst for the stock performance," it said, according to NDTV Profit.

The cigarette stocks had seen strong volatility earlier, plunging sharply earlier this year. The Parliament in December last year approved the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, clearing the way for a sharp increase in duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products. It replaces a temporary levy on cigarettes and tobacco products.

The excise duty would be imposed on cigarettes in addition to a 40 percent GST, according to an order. The finance ministry notified that an excise duty of Rs 2,050–8,500 per 1,000 sticks, depending on cigarette length, took effect from February 1.

Follow all <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/stock-market-live-updates-gift-nifty-signals-positive-opening-us-asian-markets-advance-liveblog-13832903.html">LIVE updates</a> from the stock markets here.

<em>Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.</em>

ITC, Godfrey Phillips shares surge up to 20% amid reports of cigarette price hikes: Here's what UBS says

The shares of cigarette-makers surged in trade on February 18, extending gains amid reports of price hikes. UBS has issued a bullish call for ITC shares, stating that the valuation now appears to be appealing after the recent correction.

ITC shares gained more than 2 percent to trade at Rs 332.70 apiece, while Godfrey Phillips India shares rallied around 20 percent to trade at Rs 2,478.8 apiece.
Price hikes:
The cigarette-makers have sharply hiked prices to offset the impact of excise increases, resulting in an increase in EBIT per stick, CNBC Awaaz reported. Godfrey Phillips India has hiked the price of Marlboro Compact from Rs 9.5 per stick to Rs 11.5 per stick, the report added.

According to the business channel's estimates, nearly 50 percent of ITC's portfolio may see a larger-than-expected price hike. Both players are expected to launch new products with strong price hikes in the 74 mm category, as per the report. It cited B&amp;amp;K Securities as saying that while the price hikes may slightly impact volumes, the overall profitability drop may be mitigated.

Prices for ITC's Gold Flake and Classic (Premium) has been increased by 41 percent, Classic Connect (Slims) by 20 percent and Gold Flake Superstar (Value) by nearly 19 percent, according to NDTV Profit.

Moneycontrol couldn't independently verify the reports.
UBS on ITC:
UBS kept a 'Buy' call on the shares of ITC, but cut its target price to Rs 395 apiece from Rs 420 apiece. The latest target price implies an upside potential of more than 29 percent from the stock's previous closing price.

The international brokerage said that distributor checks indicate a range of imminent price hikes, which is now arriving, according to the note cited by CNBC-TV18. ITC's 84 mm cigarettes (KSFT segment), is expected to be priced at Rs 24 per stick (from Rs 17). This segment has seen the steepest tax increase.

UBS added that it is clear that price hikes have been fully passed on in premium cigarettes, while it is kept minimal in price sensitive segments of 69 mm and 64 mm. This pricing approach is likely to keep ITC's volume and EBIT impact to minimum, it added.

&quot;We think valuation has become quite appealing now and a risk worth taking. As the price curve and overall portfolio continues to take shape, we expect this will serve as the key catalyst for the stock performance,&quot; it said, according to NDTV Profit.

The cigarette stocks had seen strong volatility earlier, plunging sharply earlier this year. The Parliament in December last year approved the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, clearing the way for a sharp increase in duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products. It replaces a temporary levy on cigarettes and tobacco products.

The excise duty would be imposed on cigarettes in addition to a 40 percent GST, according to an order. The finance ministry notified that an excise duty of Rs 2,050–8,500 per 1,000 sticks, depending on cigarette length, took effect from February 1.

Follow all LIVE updates from the stock markets here.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Indian IT stocks fell after Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 4.6, Nifty IT index dropped 2.5 percent, led by Persistent Systems, AI disruption fears and global tech selloff drove volatility

* Indian IT stocks fell after Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 4.6
* Nifty IT index dropped 2.5 percent, led by Persistent Systems
* AI disruption fears and global tech selloff drove volatility

Indian IT stocks fell sharply after Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 4.6, sparking renewed AI disruption fears. The Nifty IT index dropped 2.5%, with major firms like Infosys and Persistent Systems declining nearly 3% amid global tech sector volatility.

shorts/business/infosys-persistent-systems-wipro-other-it-stocks-fall-up-to-3-after-two-days-of-gains-here-s-why

* Indian IT stocks fell after Anthropic launched Claude Sonnet 4.6
* Nifty IT index dropped 2.5 percent, led by Persistent Systems
* AI disruption fears and global tech selloff drove volatility

The shares of Indian IT companies snapped a two-session gaining streak and dropped in trade on February 18. This came after a global tech selloff in software stocks as Anthropic’s launch of Claude Sonnet 4.6 for both free and paying users rekindled worries around AI-led disruption in the sector.

The fall in the share prices pushed the <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/indian-indices/nifty-it-19.html">Nifty IT index</a> down nearly 2.5 percent to 32,265.20, as seen at 10.05 am. Persistent Systems shares were the top losers on the index, falling more than 3 percent. Heavyweight <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/computers-software/infosys/IT">Infosys</a> shares followed, declining nearly 3 percent in the morning trading hours.

Coforge, Tech Mahindra and <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/computers-software/ltimindtree/LI12">LTI Mindtree</a> shares also dropped nearly 3 percent each, while HCL Technologies, Wipro and Mphasis shares fell over 2 percent each. Tata Consultancy Services (<a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/india/stockpricequote/computers-software/tataconsultancyservices/TCS">TCS</a>) shares fell nearly 2 percent.
<h3><strong>Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 4.6:</strong></h3>
Anthropic on Tuesday introduced Claude Sonnet 4.6, calling it its most capable Sonnet model yet. "It’s a full upgrade of the model’s skills across coding, computer use, long-context reasoning, agent planning, knowledge work, and design," the AI startup said.

Claude Sonnet 4.6 will now be the default model in claude.ai and Claude Cowork for all customers on free and pro plans, with pricing remaining the same as Sonnet 4.5, starting at $3/$15 per million tokens.

Anthropic said that Sonnet 4.6 brings much-improved coding skills to more of its users. Improvements in consistency, instruction following, and more have made developers with early access prefer Sonnet 4.6 to its predecessor by a wide margin, it added. “They often even prefer it to our smartest model from November 2025, Claude Opus 4.5,” it said.

“Almost every organization has software it can’t easily automate: specialized systems and tools built before modern interfaces like APIs existed. To have AI use such software, users would previously have had to build bespoke connectors. But a model that can use a computer the way a person does changes that equation,” Anthropic further added.

After the launch, global tech giants tumbled. Cognizant shares dropped 2.06 percent, and Accenture declined 1.94 percent.

"AI uncertainty remains a source of volatility, both in terms of the difficulty in assessing which AI companies will be the winners and losers but also what sort of impact will AI have in other companies and sectors of the economy," NAB analysts said, according to Reuters.
<h3><strong>IT stocks seeing volatility:</strong></h3>
Earlier yesterday, IT stocks sharply increased as heavyweight Infosys announced a strategic partnership with Anthropic, amid worries around AI-led disruption in the sector. As part of the partnership, the two companies will integrate Anthropic's Claude models, including Claude Code, with Infosys Topaz AI offerings. A dedicated Anthropic Center of Excellence to build and deploy AI agents tailored to industry-specific operations will also be launched.

“There's a big gap between an AI model that works in a demo and one that works in a regulated industry – and if you want to close that gap, you need domain expertise," said Dario Amodei, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Anthropic. He added tha Infosys has that kind of expertise across important industries: telecom, financial services, and manufacturing.

Speaking at Infosys Investor AI Day, Nandan Nilekani addressed the worries around artificial intelligence's impact on IT services firms, which earlier sent the stocks to a tailspin. “In my view is there is no opportunity gap. AI is fundamentally good for companies like Infosys. So, don't get distracted by that,” he said.

The sharp decline in IT stocks began earlier this month amid concerns that artificial intelligence can intensify competition after Anthropic's launch of a legal AI tool for its Claude AI chatbot. Investors remained concerned that AI was creating more competition for software makers. IT index had lost 8.2 percent last week, its worst performance in 11 months.

Vaqarjaved Khan, Senior Fundamental Analyst at Angel One, said that the weak sentiment was amplified by global tech sector weakness and rupee depreciation, exacerbating FPI outflows.

Nomura said that the valuations of these stocks are in the ‘value’ zone, after the strong correction. It noted that the earlier fall was driven by key concerns around AI-led ADM disruption, SaaS irrelevance and margin compression.

The international brokerage however sees these AI-led disruption fears as oversimplifying IT services role.

In an earlier note titled 'India IT Services: Looking through the AI fog', JPMorgan's Asian Pacific Equity Research team argued that artificial intelligence will create new areas of work, instead of simply shrinking the opportunities for IT vendors.

"IT firms remain the plumbers of the technology world…However, it's overly simplistic to assume that AI can automatically generate enterprise grade software and replace the value IT Services firms create across the cycle," it added.

Follow all <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/stock-market-live-updates-gift-nifty-signals-positive-opening-us-asian-markets-advance-liveblog-13832903.html">LIVE updates</a> from the stock markets here.

<em>Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.</em>

Infosys, Persistent Systems, Wipro, other IT stocks fall up to 3% after two days of gains: Here's why

The shares of Indian IT companies snapped a two-session gaining streak and dropped in trade on February 18. This came after a global tech selloff in software stocks as Anthropic’s launch of Claude Sonnet 4.6 for both free and paying users rekindled worries around AI-led disruption in the sector.

The fall in the share prices pushed the Nifty IT index down nearly 2.5 percent to 32,265.20, as seen at 10.05 am. Persistent Systems shares were the top losers on the index, falling more than 3 percent. Heavyweight Infosys shares followed, declining nearly 3 percent in the morning trading hours.

Coforge, Tech Mahindra and LTI Mindtree shares also dropped nearly 3 percent each, while HCL Technologies, Wipro and Mphasis shares fell over 2 percent each. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) shares fell nearly 2 percent.
Anthropic launches Claude Sonnet 4.6:
Anthropic on Tuesday introduced Claude Sonnet 4.6, calling it its most capable Sonnet model yet. &quot;It’s a full upgrade of the model’s skills across coding, computer use, long-context reasoning, agent planning, knowledge work, and design,&quot; the AI startup said.

Claude Sonnet 4.6 will now be the default model in claude.ai and Claude Cowork for all customers on free and pro plans, with pricing remaining the same as Sonnet 4.5, starting at $3/$15 per million tokens.

Anthropic said that Sonnet 4.6 brings much-improved coding skills to more of its users. Improvements in consistency, instruction following, and more have made developers with early access prefer Sonnet 4.6 to its predecessor by a wide margin, it added. “They often even prefer it to our smartest model from November 2025, Claude Opus 4.5,” it said.

“Almost every organization has software it can’t easily automate: specialized systems and tools built before modern interfaces like APIs existed. To have AI use such software, users would previously have had to build bespoke connectors. But a model that can use a computer the way a person does changes that equation,” Anthropic further added.

After the launch, global tech giants tumbled. Cognizant shares dropped 2.06 percent, and Accenture declined 1.94 percent.

&quot;AI uncertainty remains a source of volatility, both in terms of the difficulty in assessing which AI companies will be the winners and losers but also what sort of impact will AI have in other companies and sectors of the economy,&quot; NAB analysts said, according to Reuters.
IT stocks seeing volatility:
Earlier yesterday, IT stocks sharply increased as heavyweight Infosys announced a strategic partnership with Anthropic, amid worries around AI-led disruption in the sector. As part of the partnership, the two companies will integrate Anthropic's Claude models, including Claude Code, with Infosys Topaz AI offerings. A dedicated Anthropic Center of Excellence to build and deploy AI agents tailored to industry-specific operations will also be launched.

“There's a big gap between an AI model that works in a demo and one that works in a regulated industry – and if you want to close that gap, you need domain expertise,&quot; said Dario Amodei, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Anthropic. He added tha Infosys has that kind of expertise across important industries: telecom, financial services, and manufacturing.

Speaking at Infosys Investor AI Day, Nandan Nilekani addressed the worries around artificial intelligence's impact on IT services firms, which earlier sent the stocks to a tailspin. “In my view is there is no opportunity gap. AI is fundamentally good for companies like Infosys. So, don't get distracted by that,” he said.

The sharp decline in IT stocks began earlier this month amid concerns that artificial intelligence can intensify competition after Anthropic's launch of a legal AI tool for its Claude AI chatbot. Investors remained concerned that AI was creating more competition for software makers. IT index had lost 8.2 percent last week, its worst performance in 11 months.

Vaqarjaved Khan, Senior Fundamental Analyst at Angel One, said that the weak sentiment was amplified by global tech sector weakness and rupee depreciation, exacerbating FPI outflows.

Nomura said that the valuations of these stocks are in the ‘value’ zone, after the strong correction. It noted that the earlier fall was driven by key concerns around AI-led ADM disruption, SaaS irrelevance and margin compression.

The international brokerage however sees these AI-led disruption fears as oversimplifying IT services role.

In an earlier note titled 'India IT Services: Looking through the AI fog', JPMorgan's Asian Pacific Equity Research team argued that artificial intelligence will create new areas of work, instead of simply shrinking the opportunities for IT vendors.

&quot;IT firms remain the plumbers of the technology world…However, it's overly simplistic to assume that AI can automatically generate enterprise grade software and replace the value IT Services firms create across the cycle,&quot; it added.

Follow all LIVE updates from the stock markets here.

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Auto Ancillaries - Shock absorbers Industry Stocks
Check latest stock performance, list of stocks, earnings review & more details about the Auto Ancillaries - Shock absorbers industry stocks.

Gainers/Losers

Industry Market Map

Earnings Review-Q3 FY25-26

Stock News

Kwality Wall's shares jump 5%, snap two-session losing streak

L&T shares rise 1% after firm teams with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory

Aurobindo Pharma shares fall up to 5% as US FDA flags nine issues at Telangana unit

ITC, Godfrey Phillips shares surge up to 20% amid reports of cigarette price hikes: Here's what UBS says

Infosys, Persistent Systems, Wipro, other IT stocks fall up to 3% after two days of gains: Here's why

Auto Ancillaries - Shock absorbers Industry StocksCheck latest stock performance, list of stocks, earnings review & more details about the Auto Ancillaries - Shock absorbers industry stocks.

Gainers/Losers

Industry Market Map

Earnings Review-Q3 FY25-26

Stock News

Kwality Wall's shares jump 5%, snap two-session losing streak

L&amp;T shares rise 1% after firm teams with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory

Aurobindo Pharma shares fall up to 5% as US FDA flags nine issues at Telangana unit

ITC, Godfrey Phillips shares surge up to 20% amid reports of cigarette price hikes: Here's what UBS says

Infosys, Persistent Systems, Wipro, other IT stocks fall up to 3% after two days of gains: Here's why

Auto Ancillaries - Shock absorbers Industry Stocks
Check latest stock performance, list of stocks, earnings review & more details about the Auto Ancillaries - Shock absorbers industry stocks.

L&T shares rise 1% after firm teams with Nvidia to build India's largest Gigawatt-scale AI factory