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Head constables who were the first respondents after the fire

The constables reached the spot as soon as they received information, wearing casuals, slippers and without protective gear

Jefferies initiates coverage on Poonawalla Fincorp with Buy rating. Why are analysts bullish?

International brokerage firm Jefferies started coverage on Poonawalla Fincorp with a Buy rating and a target price of Rs 490, implying an upside of 23% from current market levels, citing positive levers of growth. Jefferies says the company is well positioned to accelerate growth under its revamped leadership team, expanding product portfolio, wider distribution network and sharper underwriting practices. The brokerage expects the company to deliver a 33% AUM CAGR, the fastest among major NBFCs, supported by an improving loan mix, better net interest margins and lower credit costs driven by reduced slippages and a healthier portfolio mix. Analysts also forecast a sharp improvement in profitability, with RoA/RoE expected to expand to 16% by FY29 from 6% in FY26, which it believes should support the stock's premium valuation multiples. The brokerage cited the company's ongoing strategic transformation under CEO Arvind Kapil, former head of retail and mortgage banking at HDFC Bank as a positive. The brokerage highlighted the leadership overhaul, with seven of nine CXOs coming from HDFC Bank, alongside the launch of six new products including prime personal loans, commercial vehicle loans, gold loans and education loans. These new segments have already scaled to 14% of AUM within a year and are expected to contribute 34% of AUM over time. Jefferies expects the company to deliver a 33% AUM CAGR during FY26-29, supported by investments in distribution, collections, technology and AI, as well as its AAA credit rating and backing from the Adar Poonawalla Group.The brokerage expects margins to improve as the company shifts toward higher-yielding products. After contracting by 250 basis points over the past two years due to the run-down of its legacy personal loan portfolio, NIMs are projected to expand by around 70 basis points over FY26-29, aided by growth in products such as prime personal loans and gold loans. At the same time, Jefferies expects cost-to-AUM to improve to 3.9% by FY29 from 4.4% in FY26 on the back of operating leverage.Asset quality trends have also strengthened, with gross NPAs declining to 1.4% from 1.8% in FY25, supported by tighter underwriting and the reduction of the stressed legacy personal loan book. Jefferies noted that delinquency levels in loans originated after September 2024 are running about 50% lower than the previous 12-month cohort. It expects credit costs to moderate to 2.2% over FY26-29 from 2.7% in FY26, driven by better portfolio quality and a growing share of lower-risk products such as gold and education loans.Following a Rs 2,500 crore capital raise in April 2026, the company's Tier-1 capital ratio has risen above 19.5%, providing ample room to fund growth. Jefferies forecasts profit after tax to surge to Rs 2,900 crore by FY29 from Rs 540 crore in FY26, while return on assets and return on equity are expected to improve to 2.3% and 16%, respectively, from 1.1% and 6% in FY26. Despite trading at 2.4x FY27 estimated book value and 25x FY27 estimated earnings, the brokerage believes Poonawalla Fincorp's strong growth trajectory and improving profitability justify premium valuations and could support further re-rating if execution remains robust. Key risks include weaker-than-expected execution, margin pressure and higher credit stress.In Thursday’s session, shares of the company are down 1.5% to Rs 394 on the BSE. Poonawala Fincorp shares are down 18% in 2026. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

How did Taiwan, Seoul overtake India? Drop from 5th to 7th largest stock market - explained

At a time of global economic turmoil, why are some global markets like the US, Taiwan and South Korea rallying? Why has the Indian stock market slipped from record highs, giving negative returns over the last few quarters?

IT rally rages on! Infosys, TCS, other stocks jump up to 4% despite overall market weakness

The shares of Indian IT companies including Infosys, TCS and others continued to record sharp gains on Tuesday, pushing the Nifty IT over 3% higher even as the broader Nifty index slipped into the deep red.The Nifty IT index extended gains for the third consecutive session, jumping around 7% during the period to hit a high of 30,785 on Tuesday. Nifty crashed 3% during the same time to trade below 23,250.Infosys shares gained more than 4% to trade at Rs 1,257.90 apiece in the morning trading hours of Tuesday. The heavyweight IT stock has now gained nearly 9% in just three sessions. The shares of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) meanwhile jumped around 3.5%.Mphasis and LTI Mindtree shares jumped nearly 3% each, while HCL Technologies, Coforge, Tech Mahindra and Persistent Systems shares jumped around 2% each. Wipro shares were trading in the green with marginal gains.What’s driving the rally in IT stocks?The sharp surge in IT stocks comes after a significant decline earlier this year, following the launch of plug-ins for AI startup Anthropic's Claude Cowork agent, which could automate tasks across legal, sales, marketing, and data analysis. "We call it the ‘SaaSpocalypse,’ an apocalypse for software-as-a-service stocks," Bloomberg quoted Jeffrey Favuzza from the equity trading desk at Jefferies.While analysts continue to debate the future of IT companies following fresh AI advancements, investors were quick to analyse the cheap valuations, leading to some pockets of buying. Nuvama, in its note, had highlighted that the IT sector is setting up for a powerful comeback, not a collapse after the brutal AI-driven selloff.“We see no existential threat from Gen-AI,” the brokerage writes, arguing that enterprises will still need a “system integrator” to customise plug-and-play AI and software tools for their highly complex, brownfield technology stacks and to take ownership when “the system fails at 2 am.”The latest round of buying also comes ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next month, which would be the first under Chair Kevin Warsh. US President Donald Trump had selected Warsh partly on expectations that he would support lower borrowing costs to stimulate economic growth. However, rising inflation raised questions over the possibility of lowering rates."Indian IT firms are following suit of American companies like Anthropic and OpenAI by taking up contracts and tie-ups which are perceived as promising by investors," said Gaurav Sharma, head of Research, Globe Capital.Arbind Maheswari from BofA Securities told ET Now that the market globally is attracting flow towards only one story, at the front and centre of it is tech and AI. It is hard to pull away from that fact with a near-term vision. “There are people who believe that the whole business model of Indian IT services is put to question by the AI trade. The other side is that IT services companies will evolve and adapt and they have enough cash flow, they have the resilience, and they have shown this in the past where there were threats that seemed existential for the IT services space. This time obviously it is much bigger and it could last longer but I am sure there is enough that these companies have in them both in terms of depth of management and business models that they can evolve to adapt to the new AI world,” he added.Wipro to acquire additional stake in Aggne Global for $28.5 millionWipro announced that it will acquire an additional 20% stake in US-based insurtech company Aggne Global Inc through an all-cash transaction worth $28.5 million. The company said the transaction is expected to be completed by June 5.Earlier this year, the company acquired Mindsprint for $375 million as part of a broader $1 billion transaction with its parent, Olam Group. It also purchased select customer contracts from US-based Alpha Net Consulting LLC and its subsidiaries for $71 million.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Silver, gold open flat as investors assess Iran war peace deal uncertainty. Where are precious metals headed?

Gold and silver prices opened little changed on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) on Tuesday as a stronger U.S. dollar and a sharp rise in crude oil prices weighed on sentiment, while investors awaited U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on a proposed extension of the ceasefire agreement with Iran. In the domestic market, MCX silver futures for July 2026 delivery were up Rs 167 to Rs 2,66,350 per kg. Gold futures for June 2026 delivery gained by Rs 258 at Rs 1,59,499 per 10 grams. In the previous session, silver and gold ended marginally higher.Market participants are now focused on upcoming U.S. economic data, including the nonfarm payrolls and employment reports due later this week, for clues on the strength of the labour market as concerns over inflationary pressures linked to the Middle East conflict continue to build. In the international market, spot gold was steady at $4,481.53 per ounce as of 0217 GMT, while U.S. gold futures for August delivery edged up 0.1% to $4,511.20 per ounce. Among other precious metals, spot silver rose 0.5% to $75.21 per ounce, platinum gained 0.5% to $1,932.50, while palladium slipped 0.4% to $1,356.90 per ounce. How should you trade gold?In the domestic market, MCX Gold June futures may extend losses toward ₹154,000 per 10 grams, tracking weakness in global bullion prices, says Jigar Trivedi of IndusInd Securities. Manoj Kumar Jain of Prithvi Finmart said silver is having support at Rs 2,63,600-2,61,000 and resistance at Rs 2,69,100-2,72,000. “We have suggested buying silver on Monday around 2,64,000 with a stop loss below 2,60,600 for the target of Rs 2,71,000; those holding buying positions as per given recommendations are suggested to strictly follow given stop loss and book profits around given target levels.Gold rates in physical marketsGold Price today in DelhiStandard gold (22 carat) prices in Delhi stand at Rs 1,14,672/8 grams while pure gold (24 carat) prices stand at Rs 1,25,088/8 grams.Gold Price today in MumbaiStandard gold (22 carat) prices in Mumbai stand at Rs 1,14,552/8 grams while pure gold (24 carat) prices stand at Rs 1,24,968/8 grams.Gold Price today in ChennaiStandard gold (22 carat) prices in Chennai stand at Rs 1,15,992/8 grams while pure gold (24carat) prices stand at Rs 1,26,536/8 grams.Gold Price today in HyderabadStandard gold (22 carat) prices in Hyderabad stand at Rs 1,14,552/8 grams while pure gold (24 carat) prices stand at Rs 1,24,968/8 grams.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Can Mamata keep TMC alive to fight another day, or will it slip out of her hands?

Can Mamata keep TMC alive to fight another day, or will it slip out of her hands?

Opinion: Blog | Skipped Meals, Waiter Jobs: Indian Student Describes His Never-Ending Battle Against Falling Rupee

In October 2025, I paid the first instalment of my tuition fee. It was 15,800 pounds, and the conversion rate was Rs 118 for a pound. By January, it further slipped to Rs 125 as I paid the second instalment.

CSBC Bihar Constable exam City Slip 2026 released

Bearish move or buying opportunity? Geojit's Anand James on Nifty levels and top stocks to watch

Market volatility took center stage following a sharp late-Friday sell-off triggered by MSCI rebalancing and global cues. While cautious sentiment prevails, Anand James, Chief Market Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, highlights critical Nifty support levels that could prevent further damage. In this exclusive interview, he breaks down the June series rollover data, IT sector resilience, and top stock picks.Edited excerpts from a chat:The sell-off seen in the last 30 minutes on Friday has scared traders as to what could be in the offing on Monday morning. What do you think?IMD’s below-normal monsoon forecast and uncertainty over US-Iran talks in the backdrop gave an ominous feel to the drop that unfolded towards Friday’s close. However, the steepness of the fall is apparently due to MSCI rebalancing, with futures and options segment appearing reluctant to match such move. Nevertheless the large red candle registered on Nifty’s chart needs to be acknowledged, and we will start the new week on a cautious note. That 23500 was defended, gives us reason to be optimistic, but slippage past the same, or inability to reclaim the 10 day SMA near 23750 will confirm bearishness calling for 22800.Nifty has been seeing profit booking at higher levels in last few weeks. What does the rollover data indicate for the June series?The rollover data for June series suggests a cautious to mildly negative undertone despite selective strength. Nifty’s rollover dropped to 69.98% in May, below the 3-month average of 73.05%, indicating reduced willingness to carry forward positions, likely reflecting profit booking at higher levels. Similarly, Bank Nifty rollover moderation points to some cooling in conviction within the heavyweight banking segment.Market breadth has weakened as well, with only 52% of stocks closing positive vs 91% in April, highlighting broader profit-taking pressure. While strong rollovers in select sectors like Oil & Gas, Metals, Power and Infra signal pockets of resilience, weakness in Pharma, Healthcare, and Transportation suggests lack of uniform participation.Although long buildup was visible in Telecom, Capital Goods, and Pharma, the early trend in June appears cautious. Importantly, banks-despite prior long build-up-have started the June series on a weak footing, with heavyweights like SBI and HDFC Bank under pressure, which could weigh on Nifty due to their high index weight.Nifty IT is showing signs of resilience even during sell-off. What are the charts indicating at?The Nifty IT index is showing early signs of a trend reversal after a prolonged corrective phase. On the daily chart, the formation of an inverted head and shoulders pattern suggests a base-building process, with prices currently hovering near the neckline zone around the 29,500-29,600 region. A sustained move above this level could confirm a breakout and trigger momentum towards higher resistances.On the higher timeframe, the weekly MACD is on the verge of a bullish crossover, indicating a potential shift from bearish to positive momentum. This aligns with improving price structure and supports the medium-term recovery thesis.From a longer-term perspective, the monthly candlestick is forming a pin bar Doji, typically seen near inflection points, highlighting rejection of lower levels around the 27,000-28,000 zone and signaling demand absorption.However, confirmation is key. Immediate support lies near 28,000, while a decisive breakout above the neckline could open upside towards 31,000-32,000. Failure to sustain above key resistance may keep the index range bound.HFCL was among the top gainers of the week. Do you see signs of the momentum continuing in the week ahead?Long wicked candle on Friday, with a close above upper bollinger band point to a mix of strong trending nature and emerging cautiousness. Oscillators appear reluctant, but are yet to confirm an impending collapse. With these in the backdrop, longs may be held on to, but ideally with a stop loss placed near 168.Natco Pharma fell 14% on Friday after weak Q4 results. Do you see signs of bottom-fishing emerging in the coming week?Yes. The single day red candle which has resulted in a break of structure, is likely to be followed by bottom fishing and a pull back rally that could extend 3-4%. However, we do not see enough signs to indicate that such pull back attempt could sustain.Give us your top ideas of the week. INDIANB (LTP: 833)View: BuyTarget: 930SL: 790 Indian Bank continues to maintain a structurally strong uptrend on the weekly chart, characterised by a series of higher highs and higher lows since early 2024. The recent profit booking since April seems to have found a support near 800 healthy consolidation after a sharp rally, with the stock holding firmly above the 780-750 support zone, which now acts as a strong demand base.Despite the recent pullback from near 1000 levels, the correction appears time-wise rather than price-destructive, suggesting profit booking rather than trend reversal. The presence of a rising support trendline reinforces the bullish structure.Momentum indicators are cooling off from overbought levels, which is constructive in a trending market. The RSI is stabilising near the mid-zone, providing room for a fresh upside leg, while MACD is approaching levels where a potential bullish crossover on lower drawdown could emerge.SHYAMMETL (LTP: 973)View: BuyTarget: 1080SL: 930 Shyam Metalics is exhibiting a strong bullish breakout from a descending trendline on the weekly chart, indicating a potential resumption of the broader uptrend after a period of consolidation. Price has decisively moved above the 950-960 resistance zone, which also coincided with prior swing highs, adding conviction to the breakout.The structure reflects higher lows formation, suggesting steady accumulation. Momentum indicators are turning supportive with RSI trending upward above the mid-zone, while MACD has delivered a bullish crossover with rising histogram, reinforcing improving momentum. Weekly Supertrend breakout adds to positivity. Volume expansion near the breakout area further validates buyer participation and strengthens the breakout reliability. Additionally, price holding above short-term supports near 930 indicates a favorable risk-reward setup.As long as the stock sustains above the breakout zone, it is well-positioned to extend its upward move towards the 1080 target.

US-Iran News LIVE: Oil climbs, gold slips as peace deal remains elusive

US-Iran News LIVE: The US and Iran traded messages over the weekend seeking changes to a draft a peace agreement that would extend a ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz, but a concrete peace deal remains elusive so far. Tune in for LIVE updates:

Silent Tragedy In Nagpur: Man Suffers Fatal Fall, Bedridden Wife Starves To Death In Scorching Heat

Gangadhar Bhongade, 77, a retired defence employee, slipped and fell in the kitchen, while his bedridden wife reportedly died of starvation and dehydration.

Minor landslip near railway track in capital

Nagpur man slips, dies in house; bedridden wife starves to death amid extreme heat

A 77-year-old retired defence employee and his bedridden wife were found dead in their locked Nagpur home. The husband likely died first after a fall, leaving his wife to succumb days later to dehydration and starvation in the extreme summer heat. Their tragic end highlights a painful and lonely death due to lack of immediate support.

MSCI index rejig, US-Iran deal worries spook Dalal Street

Mumbai: India's equity indices fell 1.5% on Friday, posting losses for the month, as outflows on account of MSCI index rebalancing triggered a late decline during the trading session. The extension of the tentative ceasefire deal by 60 days eased oil prices but did little to improve sentiment in equities, with Donald Trump yet to sign off on it.The NSE Nifty closed at 23,547.75, down 1.5%, or 359.40 points, while the BSE Sensex ended at 74,775.74, down 1.4% or 1,092.06 points. For May, the Nifty and Sensex slipped 1.9% and 2.8% lower, respectively.Both indices were on track to post modest gains on Friday but selling in the last 30 minutes sent shares tumbling."The MSCI rebalancing led to outflows worth ₹8,000-8,500 crore, which were slightly higher than previous instances, but that was due to float adjustments in certain names like Bajaj Finance, HUL, TCS, and many others," said Abhilash Pagaria, head of alternative and quantitative research, Nuvama Wealth. "This is a one-time new methodology adjustment that weighed on the market on Friday."When global index providers like MSCI add or remove stocks in their indices, passive funds tracking these are forced to buy or sell them in line with the new weights.131402604Fear Gauge Jumps On Friday, Federal Bank, MCX, Nalco and Indian Bank were added to the MSCI Standard Index, while Hyundai Motor India, Jubilant FoodWorks, Kalyan Jewellers and RVNL were excluded.According to Nuvama Alternates, India's weight in the MSCI Standard Index is expected to remain broadly stable at around 12%, with the overall stock count unchanged as four got added and four were excluded.All sectoral indices ended lower on Friday with the IT index bucking the weak trend. Nifty Oil & gas dropped 2.5% while Nifty Metal and Auto indices fell around 2%. Nifty Consumer Durables and FMCG indices declined close to 1.5% while Bank Nifty slid 1.1% lower.Even before the sell-off linked to the MSCI index rejig, gains were measured in response to the provisional deal between the US and Iran."The deal for extension of ceasefire between the US and Iran is not yet signed and it doesn't seem that either of them is in a hurry to sign the deal either," said UR Bhat, cofounder and director, Alphaniti. "The nuclear material in Iran remains a point of contention and investors don't expect a concrete agreement immediately. If the stalemate continues and oil prices shoot up, then the market could see declines. However, if it is signed, then some respite is likely."Brent crude oil futures eased about 2% to nearly $90 on Friday after rising 0.5% on Thursday.The India VIX volatility index jumped 8% to 16.2 on Friday, suggesting traders are not convinced that risks have subsided. The measure was, however, down 9% in the week. "Nifty is stuck in a downward sloping range of around 24,000 levels on the higher side and 23,250-23,000 on the lower side," said Vipin Kumar, AVP, Globe Capital Market. "These levels are unlikely to be broken in the coming week."Foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth a net Rs 21,105.9 crore on Friday, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 16,764.1 crore. In May, foreign investors sold shares worth Rs 49,192 crore."Overseas investors could continue to churn large-cap holdings. However, the broader market remains resilient and poised for outperformance," said Pagaria.Out of 4,463 shares traded on the BSE, 1,611 advanced, and 2,673 declined. The Nifty Midcap 150 index declined 1.4%, while the Nifty Smallcap 250 ended 0.7% lower. In the past week, the two gained 1% and 1.2%, respectively.

Gold demand drops 70% after sharp duty hike in India

Kolkata: Gold demand in India slipped about 70% since the government more than doubled import duty from earlier this month, adding to already tepid consumer sentiment amid higher fuel and food prices due to the Iran war.Demand fell to about 7.5 tonnes in the fortnight ended May 27 from around 25 tonnes a year earlier, according to industry estimates. The government increased the import duty on gold to 15% from 6% with effect from May 13."Reports trickling in from jewellers across India shows that there has been a 70% drop in demand after the import duty was hiked," said Surendra Mehta, national secretary of India Bullion & Jewellers Association (IBJA). "The unorganised trade, which comprises 65% of the gold trade, has been worst hit due to the duty hike."Also Read: India's gold import problem may already have a solution at homeJoy Alukkas, chairman of gold jewellery retail chain Joyalukkas, attributed the demand weakness to several factors. "It is not only the high import duty that has dented the demand," he said. "The Prime Minister's appeal to stay away from gold for a year has also impacted consumer sentiment in a big way. At Joyalukkas, we are seeing demand dropping by more than 35%. We are not sure whether it will slip further." 131398034Mehta at IBJA said apart from the gold import duty hike, higher petrol and diesel prices and food items are also weighing on consumer sentiment "as they are not willing to spend on gold now".The effective tax burden on gold, including goods and services tax (GST), has risen to 18.45% from 9.18% after the duty increase. The government raised duties against the backdrop of a weak rupee, elevated crude prices, and geopolitical tensions, while also tightening import rules and capping duty-free imports under the Advance Authorisation Scheme."At present, gold is not in the priority list of consumers," said Mehta. "Moreover, it is now the period of Adhik Maas, when Hindus generally avoid buying anything precious. What is more surprising is that the investment demand for gold has slowed down."Also Read: Kriti Sanon joins GIVA as investor and brand ambassadorThe slump may weigh on investment demand in the second quarter of 2026 after a strong start to the year, said jewellers.Gold Exchange Schemes Take OffIndia's bar and coin demand rose 34% from a year ago to 62.3 tonnes in the March quarter.India consumes about 800-850 tonnes of gold annually. On Friday, gold of 999 purity traded at about ₹1.57 lakh per 10 grams, excluding GST, in Mumbai's spot market.Volumes are weak in south India, traditionally one of the country's biggest gold-consuming markets. Some consumers are also shifting towards lighter and lower-carat jewellery while sales of old gold have risen sharply, according to jewellers. "Consumers are not stretching their budgets," said B Govindan, chairman of Bhima Jewellery. "They are buying whatever fits their budget and therefore choosing lightweight and lower-carat jewellery. On the contrary, there is a huge rush among consumers to sell old gold and take cash back home."Industry executives noted the varied impact of the import duty increase across segments, with many retailers indicating a pause in procurement. "Large chain stores saw a brief period of panic buying after the announcement, driven by expectations of further measures, and while they expect a slowdown in sales, they remain relatively resilient given inventory buffers and continued support from bridal demand," said Kavita Chacko, research head at the World Gold Council (WGC).Mid-sized and regional jewellers are continuing to see demand from affluent customers but are expected to rely more on gold exchange programmes and tighter inventory cycles going forward, she said. "Smaller retailers appear the most vulnerable: already stretched by persistently high prices, they now face added pressure from sales volumes and profit margins," said Chacko.

Quote of the day from The Office: ‘I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually…'

Life’s happiest moments often feel ordinary until time passes and memories turn them into treasures. As Andy Bernard’s iconic line from ‘The Office’ reminds us, the “good old days” are happening now — cherish them before they slip into nostalgia.

Filmmaker Anik Dutta died by suicide, say cops

Kolkata police have concluded that filmmaker Anik Dutta's death was a suicide. Investigations revealed a note, slippers on the roof, and CCTV footage showing Dutta proceeding directly to the rooftop. The postmortem report confirms injuries consistent with a fall from a significant height, solidifying the suicide theory.

Landslip in Lahaul and Spiti, Met predicts wet spell in Himachal Pradesh from May 28

The Shimla Met office issued an orange warning for hail, thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in five districts of Himachal Pradesh

Supreme Court forwards to EC plea to time-stamp VVPAT slips as cure for last-hour vote surge on polling days

The petition said the VVPAT slips, however, should not have any details to identify the voter, including the EPIC number or the name of the elector. The time-stamped VVPAT slip could be preserved for six months or more, the latter in case there was a dispute.

Hyderabad Airport's Viral Dog Video — And A Nation Still Fighting Over What To Do With 52 Million Street Animals

The footage from RGIA is more than an embarrassing slip — it is a window into a national debate that has reached the highest court in the land.