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For most investors, the focus is often on finding the right stock, entering at the right valuation, and identifying the next multibagger. Far fewer spend time understanding what may be the more difficult aspect of investing—knowing when to sell.Speaking at the ET Alpha Wealth Summit on Thursday on "The Art of the Exit," Rajiv Thakkar, CIO and Director at PPFAS Asset Management said that successful investing is not just about buying well but also about staying invested long enough for compounding to work. In fact, before discussing reasons to sell, he spent considerable time explaining why investors should avoid selling in the first place.According to Thakkar, one of the biggest mistakes investors make is selling because a stock has not moved for a few months.Also Read | ET Alpha Wealth Summit: Future alpha may emerge from neglected markets and asset classes, says Kalpen Parekh Investors often spend significant effort researching a company, understanding management quality, assessing industry prospects and evaluating valuations. Yet after purchasing the stock, many lose patience if prices remain stagnant for six months or a year.https://youtube.com/shorts/RiLj-X02NNE?feature=share"Investments are meant for wealth creation, not entertainment," he said, cautioning against treating investing like a source of excitement or constant action.Another common trigger for unnecessary selling is reacting to news flow. Markets are constantly bombarded with information—wars, elections, crude oil fluctuations, interest-rate decisions, capital flows and economic data. Investors who react to every headline often end up making poor decisions.To illustrate this, Thakkar recounted the story of an investor who received advance information about the severity of the Covid outbreak in early 2020. Acting on that information, the investor sold his technology stocks before the market crash. While the prediction turned out to be accurate, fear prevented him from re-entering the market, and he ultimately missed one of the strongest rallies in technology stocks.The lesson, according to Thakkar, is that even correct information does not necessarily translate into successful investment outcomes. Thakkar was particularly critical of the concept of "profit booking."Investors often feel compelled to sell simply because a stock has appreciated significantly. However, he argued that wealth is created by allowing successful investments to compound rather than by repeatedly locking in gains.Frequent buying and selling may benefit brokers, exchanges and tax authorities, but it often works against long-term investors. Hyperactivity in portfolios can destroy wealth by interrupting compounding and increasing costs.Similarly, investors should avoid selling because another stock appears more attractive. This "buyer's remorse" mindset frequently causes investors to abandon good businesses prematurely in pursuit of seemingly better opportunities."If you manage to find a genuinely good business with strong management, a large opportunity set and reasonable valuations, the best course of action is often to simply stay invested," he said.Thakkar emphasised that investors in taxable jurisdictions such as India should maintain low portfolio turnover whenever possible. Unlike institutional structures such as mutual funds or investors in tax-free jurisdictions, individual investors face taxes and transaction costs every time they trade. Excessive churn can significantly reduce long-term returns.For wealthy investors, family offices and HNIs, the ability to remain invested and minimise unnecessary transactions often becomes a major source of compounding advantage.Also Read | ET Alpha Wealth Summit: India could unlock a $5 trillion export opportunity through FTAs, says Saurabh Mukherjea While most reasons for selling are flawed, Thakkar identified several situations where exiting an investment becomes necessary. The most obvious reason is the need for capital. If an investor requires money for a business opportunity, acquisition or personal objective, selling investments may be entirely justified. More importantly, investors must be willing to acknowledge mistakes.If an investment thesis turns out to be wrong because of flawed analysis, poor due diligence or changing circumstances, the best course is often to exit quickly rather than averaging down endlessly.According to Thakkar, investors who recognise mistakes early frequently outperform those who identify good opportunities but refuse to sell losing positions. Capital trapped in poor investments cannot be deployed into better opportunities. Fraud, naturally, represents an immediate reason to exit.One of the more challenging selling decisions arises when industries face structural disruption. Questions such as whether newspapers can survive the internet, whether thermal power can coexist with renewable energy or whether traditional automobile manufacturers can adapt to electric vehicles rarely have straightforward answers.Thakkar suggested that investors should not react impulsively but should continuously evaluate incoming evidence. Investment decisions should be driven by facts rather than sentiment. If the underlying business continues to deteriorate because of technological or structural change, investors must eventually acknowledge reality and exit.At the same time, distinguishing genuine disruption from temporary noise remains critical. Exceptional businesses are not immune to becoming overvalued. Thakkar pointed to situations where valuations become so excessive that future growth is already fully reflected in stock prices. In such cases, taking profits, paying taxes and reallocating capital may be sensible.He also noted that investors may sell a reasonably valued investment if a significantly superior opportunity emerges elsewhere.During the question-and-answer session, investors raised concerns about stocks that stop performing despite sound fundamentals. Examples such as Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel and even silver investments highlighted a common dilemma: should investors exit after years of gains and subsequent consolidation?Also Read | MF Tracker: Can ICICI Prudential Multicap Fund sustain its strong track record in a volatile market? Thakkar's response was that even excellent businesses can spend years moving sideways. Companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Infosys and Bharat Electronics have all gone through extended periods of stagnant share-price performance despite remaining fundamentally strong businesses.Investors should therefore distinguish between stock-price performance and business performance. As long as the underlying business continues to execute well, temporary market stagnation alone is not a sufficient reason to sell.For investors worried about selling too early, Thakkar recommended a phased approach. Instead of attempting to identify exact market tops, investors can gradually reduce exposure over time. For instance, if a stock appears significantly overvalued, an investor might sell a portion every month rather than exiting entirely in one transaction.This systematic approach helps manage the emotional difficulty of selling while reducing the risk of poor timing. Another important consideration is position sizing. Addressing a question about highly successful investments such as Nvidia, Thakkar noted that even outstanding businesses can become disproportionately large components of a portfolio.When a single stock grows from a small allocation into a dominant position, investors face a different risk—wealth preservation rather than wealth creation. His solution is gradual trimming. Investors can periodically reduce oversized positions to maintain comfortable portfolio weightings while still participating in future upside.This approach may not maximise returns, but it significantly reduces the risk of catastrophic losses and helps investors sleep better during periods of volatility.Thakkar concluded by stressing the importance of diversification and long-term investing. Most individuals create wealth through a single business, profession or sector. Their financial portfolios should therefore diversify away from that concentration rather than amplify it.Whether through mutual funds, retirement vehicles such as NPS, EPF and PPF, or diversified portfolios, investors should focus on owning inflation-protected assets for long periods. "The lower the churn in a portfolio, the greater the opportunity for compounding," he said.Ultimately, successful investing is not about perfectly timing every entry and exit. It is about avoiding unnecessary activity, admitting mistakes quickly, remaining patient with good businesses and ensuring that no single investment becomes large enough to threaten long-term financial stability.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)If you have any mutual fund queries, message on ET Mutual Funds on Facebook/Twitter. We will get it answered by our panel of experts. Do share your questions on ETMFqueries@timesinternet.in alongwith your age, risk profile, and Twitter handle.
China is pitching itself as the global fulcrum for the next phase of artificial intelligence and a legion of robotics companies is lining up initial public offerings to test investor appetite.Unitree Robotics, one of the most recognizable names in the industry after its robots practicing martial arts made headlines, on Monday received approval for a listing in Shanghai. Its IPO will serve as an early test for what could be a broader wave of offerings. Hong Kong alone has at least 46 robotics-related companies in the pipeline, more than 10% of applicants, according to a report. Companies that have filed IPO applications include Leju Robotics and Deep Robotics. “Chinese humanoids are one step closer to IPOs, igniting market interest on humanoids in the second half of 2026,” Sheng Zhong, head of China industrials research at Morgan Stanley, wrote in a note. “Funds from most of the Chinese humanoids’ IPOs will go toward R&D, especially robot models.” The deep pipeline of robotics IPOs mirrors the fast rise of China’s AI ecosystem, where an array of listings whipped up an investor frenzy in the past six months. It also aligns with Beijing’s push to shift high-tech industries from innovation to large-scale deployment. China is rushing to set the pace of funding, industrialization and ultimately leadership in what Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang calls “physical AI.” Shares of OneRobotics (Shenzhen) Co. jumped as much as 18% in Hong Kong on Tuesday, while component maker Leader Harmonious Drive Systems Co. gained as much as 11% on the mainland. 131456136“This is the decade of the robot – and it belongs to China,” Barclays analysts, including Zornitsa Todorova, wrote in a note last month. “This leadership reflects a decade-long, state-guided push.”The firm says China’s robotics roll-out is already unmatched, accounting for 50% of global industrial robots and 85% of humanoids in 2025. Backed by coordinated industrial policy and tight supply-chain control, humanoids could reach about 3.8% of the nation’s labor capacity by 2035, it estimates. Unitree got a nice shoutout from Nvidia’s Huang on Monday, when he showcased his company’s endeavors in robotic AI. The two companies have partnered to build humanoid “reference” machines, featuring five-fingered hands and built-in chips to replace cumbersome “Frankenrobots” in research labs.Some investors remain more cautious, though, when looking at the companies’ fundamentals. Many robotics firms are expected to burn cash for years and concerns are mounting that valuations could run ahead of earnings.A gauge of humanoid robot stocks has fallen about 13% this year, after registering a 47% gain in 2025. ChinaAMC CSI Robot ETF, a major exchange-traded fund tracking robot-related stocks, has seen net fund outflows for most of this year. Valuations were also elevated, with the sector trading at about 40 times forward earnings, compared with about 14 times for the CSI 300 Index, according to Bloomberg-compiled data.“Investors trading at such elevated valuations are typically not driven by long-term fundamentals, but rather by the pursuit of short-term price gains,” said Shen Meng, a director at Beijing-based investment bank Chanson & Co. “It indicates that sentiment is driven more by market dynamics than by conviction or long-term vision.”The state-run China Securities Journal also struck a cautious tone in an editorial published Tuesday, warning that pre-IPO valuations may outpace fundamentals, with many firms still unprofitable, raising the risk of a sharp correction if growth or commercialization disappoints. Still, prospective issuers can look at the performance of China tech IPOs this year, with many listings thousands of times oversubscribed and producing big gains on their debuts. Two of those companies, AI model developers Knowledge Atlas Technology Joint Stock Co. and MiniMax Group Inc. last month gained inclusion in the Hang Seng Tech Index after massive rallies since their January listings. For investors, the robotics companies can also offer a way to benefit from the rapid expansion of a cutting edge industry, said Zhou Nan, founder and investment director of Shenzhen Long Hui Fund Management Co.“With continued advances in AI, the robotics sector is poised for substantial long-term growth,” Zhou said. “Robotics is expected to become a key driver of enterprise value, and progressively complement or replace human labor across a wide range of use cases.”
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced a significant change to trading hours in the equity derivatives segment with the introduction of the Closing Auction Session (CAS) framework.Starting August 3, 2026, the normal market closing time for equity derivatives will be extended by 10 minutes to 3:40 pm from the current 3:30 pm. While the extension is noteworthy, the bigger change lies in how closing prices for eligible securities will be determined.The move aims to ensure a smoother transition between the cash and derivatives markets at the end of the trading day while maintaining consistency in the pricing framework across segments.What is the closing auction session?The CAS is a structured trading window held at the end of the trading day. During this period, market participants place buy and sell orders to determine a single closing price for a security through an auction-based mechanism.Unlike the current system where prices evolve through normal trading until market close, the auction process discovers a fair closing price based on orders entered during the designated session.According to the exchange, CAS will initially apply only to securities in the cash segment that have derivative contracts available. The framework will roll out in phases, and any future expansion will be subject to SEBI guidance and separate operational instructions from the exchange.Why are derivatives trading hours being extended?Although CAS applies only to the equity segment, NSE decided to extend trading hours in the derivatives segment to ensure both markets remain aligned during the closing process.The exchange also clarified that the price bands and pre-trade risk control measures introduced as part of CAS in the cash market will be mirrored in the derivatives segment. This is intended to maintain consistency between the two segments during the closing phase of trading.How will the closing auction session work?The CAS will run for 20 minutes, from 3:15 pm to 3:35 pm. The process will begin with a transition phase between 3:15 pm and 3:20 pm, during which the reference price will be calculated using the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of trades executed between 3:00 pm and 3:15 pm.Between 3:20 pm and 3:25 pm, participants will be able to enter both market and limit orders. From 3:25 pm to 3:30 pm, only limit orders will be permitted. During this period, market orders cannot be modified or cancelled.The order entry session will close randomly at any point between 3:28 pm and 3:30 pm, after which the auction process will determine the final closing price.How will closing prices be calculated?One key point highlighted by NSE is that there will be no change in the methodology used to calculate closing prices of derivative contracts. The volume-weighted average price (VWAP) used for derivatives closing price calculation will continue to be based on trades executed during the final 30 minutes of trading. However, because market hours are being extended, that 30-minute window will now shift to 3:10 pm-3:40 pm instead of the current 3:00 pm-3:30 pm.For securities eligible for CAS, the closing price in the cash segment will be determined through the auction process.Ashish Nanda, President and Digital Business Head at Kotak Securities summed up the shift by noting that the market is moving from a "continuous trading close" to an "auction discovered close".Under the current framework, closing prices are derived from the VWAP of trades executed between 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm. Under the new framework, closing prices for F&O-eligible stocks will effectively be linked to a 20-minute auction process running from 3:15 pm to 3:35 pm.What happens if a stock is removed from F&O?NSE clarified that eligibility for CAS is linked to the presence of derivatives on the stock. If a security is excluded from the equity derivatives segment on both exchanges, it will no longer be eligible for the CAS.In such cases, the closing price will revert to the existing methodology and be determined using the VWAP of trades executed during the last 30 minutes of trading. However, if the security continues to be part of the derivatives segment on at least one exchange, it will remain eligible for CAS.What happens to pending orders?The exchange outlined operational changes relating to order management. All unexecuted special orders, including stop-loss orders and disclosed quantity orders, will be cancelled. Pending orders that fall outside the revised price band will also be cancelled automatically, and members will receive appropriate cancellation notifications.Why does this matter for traders?For many market participants, the biggest implication is that the final closing price may no longer mirror the last traded price visible on trading screens at 3:30 pm.According to Ashish Nanda, this could require adjustments to trading strategies, particularly for option writers and arbitrageurs who rely heavily on closing prices for valuation, settlement and hedging decisions.While the derivatives market will remain open until 3:40 pm, the broader shift is not simply about extending trading by 10 minutes. It marks a change in how closing prices for eligible securities are discovered, with the exchange moving toward an auction-based mechanism designed to determine a single closing price at the end of the trading day.What happens to existing market timings?Apart from the revised closing time, most trading schedules remain unchanged. The pre-open session in the derivatives segment will continue to begin at 9:00 am and the normal trading session will continue to start at 9:15 am. Similarly, the trade modification window will remain unchanged and continue until 4:15 pm.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
The long wait for the NSE public listing appears to be entering its final stretch. The exchange recently confirmed that it expects to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) by the second week of June, putting the country's most anticipated IPO one step closer to reality.The update has once again sparked interest in NSE's unlisted shares, which continue to change hands actively in the private market. With the DRHP now less than two weeks away, investors may want to know does it still make sense to buy NSE shares before the IPO?The answer from analysts is nuanced. Most experts agree that NSE remains one of India's strongest financial franchises. However, they also caution that investors should not treat the approaching IPO as an automatic opportunity for quick gains.NSE currently trades in the unlisted market at around Rs 1,950-2,050 per share, implying a valuation of roughly Rs 5 lakh crore. That valuation already reflects significant optimism around the company's eventual listing."NSE is clearly one of India's strongest capital-market franchises and remains one of the most awaited IPO candidates. However, investors looking to buy unlisted shares purely because the DRHP filing is close should exercise caution," said Paresh Bhagat, CIO of Veer Growth Fund and chairman of Mangal Keshav."The business quality is not in question. The key risk is valuation and entry price." Bhagat noted that based on FY26 profit after tax of around Rs 10,300 crore, the exchange is already valued at nearly 48-50 times earnings.While NSE enjoys dominant market share, strong profitability and significant cash generation, he believes much of that strength is already reflected in current unlisted market prices. One of the biggest assumptions among investors is that buying shares before the IPO guarantees a profit once the company lists. Analysts say that assumption may not always hold true.The eventual IPO pricing remains unknown. In many large public offerings, companies deliberately leave room for public market investors by pricing the issue below prevailing unlisted market valuations.If that happens, investors entering NSE at current unlisted prices could face limited upside or even temporary mark-to-market losses. "The pre-IPO window should not be seen as a guaranteed arbitrage opportunity," Bhagat said. "If the IPO is priced more reasonably for public-market investors, the gap versus current unlisted prices could be meaningful."Others echo the same concern. "I would avoid buying NSE unlisted shares purely on the expectation of the upcoming DRHP filing," said Arpit Jain, Joint Managing Director at Arihant Capital Markets."While the filing could be an important milestone in the IPO journey, a significant portion of the optimism around the listing is already reflected in the current unlisted market price." Jain pointed to several high-profile IPOs in recent years where strong excitement before listing did not necessarily translate into exceptional post-listing returns.He said investors should focus on valuation, offer pricing, market conditions and the final IPO structure rather than rushing to buy shares simply because the DRHP is approaching.At the same time, few analysts dispute the quality of the underlying business. NSE remains India's largest stock exchange and dominates equity derivatives trading. The exchange reported total income of Rs 18,713 crore and consolidated net profit of Rs 10,302 crore in FY26.Its capital-light business model, strong cash flows and dominant market position have made it one of the most sought-after names in the unlisted market.According to Nitant Darekar, Research Analyst at Bonanza, NSE currently trades at around 45 times FY26 earnings, based on earnings per share of Rs 41.62. While that valuation is not cheap, it remains below some listed peers."NSE remains a capital-light near-monopoly," Darekar said. "At around Rs 1,950-2,170 in the unlisted market, it trades near 45x FY26 earnings. That's rich, but below BSE at around 70x and MCX at around 80x."Darekar added that the recent settlement of the long-running co-location case has removed a major overhang on the IPO process. However, he cautioned that the exchange's earnings remain linked to derivatives trading activity, which can be volatile, especially after regulatory changes in the futures and options segment.He also highlighted another practical consideration for investors. "The urgency is real. Post-DRHP, fresh unlisted purchases face a one-year lock-in. But valuation, not the calendar, should drive the decision."That point is particularly important because many retail investors view the narrowing pre-IPO window as a reason to buy immediately.Ishan Tanna, Senior Associate at Ashika Capital, said history suggests otherwise. "Historically, buying unlisted shares very close to the IPO stage has not always offered the best risk-reward for investors," he said."In many cases, the biggest gains are made when IPO visibility is low and uncertainty is high. Once the DRHP gets filed and listing draws closer, valuations often become expensive as the IPO excitement premium starts getting priced in."Tanna said NSE remains a rare financial infrastructure asset with strong profitability and a dominant position in Indian capital markets, making it attractive for long-term investors.However, investors chasing quick listing gains should recognise that late-stage entry into pre-IPO stories often carries greater risks than many assume.For now, the consensus among market experts is that NSE remains one of India's highest-quality businesses and its IPO will likely attract enormous investor interest. But with the stock already trading at elevated valuations in the unlisted market, investors may need to focus less on the countdown to the DRHP and more on whether the current price adequately compensates them for the risks ahead.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)
Japan has increased the maximum fees that foreign nationals may be charged for renewing or changing their residency status, with the new cap set at 100,000 yen ($630) for standard residency permits and 300,000 yen for permanent residency applications. according to a report by Nikkei Asia. The measure was approved by the Japanese parliament on Friday as the country prepares for a growing foreign resident population and plans new integration programmes. The previous upper limit for residency renewal or status-change fees was 10,000 yen. According to Japan's Immigration Services Agency, the revised fee structure reflects services provided to foreign residents. While the law sets the maximum amounts, the actual fees will be decided later through a cabinet order. Under the proposed structure, fees for standard residency permits will vary depending on the length of stay. A three-month residency period is expected to cost about 10,000 yen, while a five-year permit could cost around 70,000 yen. The current fee for in-person renewal applications is 6,000 yen regardless of the duration of stay. Additional revenue to fund integration measures The fee for permanent residency applications is expected to rise to about 200,000 yen. The government said reductions or exemptions will be available for applicants facing financial hardship, and the Immigration Services Agency plans to issue guidelines on eligibility for such relief. The higher fees could generate up to 90 billion yen in additional revenue. Japan's foreign resident population exceeded 4 million at the end of 2025, and the government said the funds will be used to strengthen measures that help foreign residents adapt to life in the country. Planned initiatives include expanding consultation services offered by local governments, improving Japanese-language education and supporting programmes that teach daily-life rules and customs. The government intends to introduce these educational programmes in phases beginning in fiscal 2028. The revenue will also help cover the costs of addressing illegal residency cases. Previously, fees collected were limited to covering administrative expenses such as personnel costs. Faster rollout of JESTA screening system The legal revisions also include changes affecting short-term visitors. Japan will introduce the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA) as early as fiscal 2028, two years earlier than originally planned, as per Nikkei Asia report. Under the system, travellers from visa-exempt countries will need to submit information online before departure, including their travel purpose, occupation and accommodation details. Authorities will use the information to screen travellers before arrival. Airlines will be required to deny boarding to passengers who do not obtain authorization. The government said the system is expected to help prevent illegal stays while simplifying immigration procedures and reducing waiting times at airports. The legislation faced opposition from the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party, which argued that the fee increases would place an excessive burden on foreign residents. However, the measure was passed by parliament and is set to take effect as Japan continues to adjust its immigration and residency policies amid rising foreign arrivals and residency numbers.
NEW YORK: Businesses big and small have started receiving tariff refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump lacked the constitutional authority to impose higher import taxes on goods from nearly every other country.The process could grind to a halt, however, after the Trump administration said Friday that it intended to appeal a federal judge's order to allow all companies that paid the invalidated duties to seek refunds, not just the ones that filed lawsuits.Until the Department of Justice informed the judge of its planned appeal, the refund system overseen by U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been working fairly smoothly. Refunds reached the bank accounts of the first successful applicants on May 12, about three weeks after importers and their customs brokers could start submitting claims through an online system, according to CBP.Applications for refunds totaling $85 billion - more than half of the $166 billion the agency estimated the government owes to companies that paid the tariffs on imported goods - were accepted for processing as of May 22, CBP reported in a legal filing earlier in the week. It said it had so far directed the Treasury Department to issue $20.6 billion in refunds.Also read | US probes Reid Hoffman group over funding lawsuits against Trump, source saysThe administration revealed its appeal preparations while objecting to a demand by Judge Richard K. Eaton for CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott to appear in the U.S. Court of International Trade to answer questions about how long it would take to repay all 330,000 importers that might be eligible for refunds. The judge scheduled a June 9 hearing on why he shouldn't require the government do whatever it takes to speed up the process.Justice Department lawyers asked Eaton to allow one or two of Scott's deputies to appear in his place, arguing that as a high-ranking presidential appointee, the CBP chief could not be compelled to testify. They also argued that Eaton exceeded his authority when he determined in March that the Supreme Court's ruling entitled "all importers of record'' to refunds."For that reason, defendants intend to appeal the court's universal injunction," the lawyers wrote, adding that CBP would continue to move "as quicky as it can to process refunds in a phased approach" for businesses that filed legal complaints asserting their rights to refunds.In a written reply, Eaton said he needed to hear directly from Scott whether the government would return all of the money it collected between when Trump put what he called "reciprocal" tariffs on most countries in April 2025 and when the Supreme Court struck them down in late February."It is undisputed that the remedy for this unlawful collection is for the United States government to refund the unlawfully collected duties," the judge wrote.Refunds coming in phasesMore than 1,000 companies, including large ones like Costco, Goodyear Tire, banana and pineapple distributor Dole Fresh Fruit, and department store chain Kohl's, filed lawsuits to recoup their tariff costs. The judge said Wednesday he intended to allow cases he put on hold while CBP figured out how to handle refund claims - they numbered 485 in mid-March - to proceed.Also read | Minority union at Samsung Electronics to challenge pay deal in courtCustoms and Border Protection is handling refund claims in phases, focusing first on payments that weren't finalized before the Supreme Court handed down its 6-3 decision. CBP officials have said those later payments were more straightforward to process.Importers are required to make estimated tariff payments when goods enter the U.S. The declared items then enter a process called "liquidation," in which CBP determines how much in import taxes was owed. The decision becomes final after 180 days unless the payer contests the bill.In Friday's filing, the Justice Department said the agency did not have the technological ability or the legal authority to recalculate liquidated accounts without "importer-specific orders" in each lawsuit.Price cuts promisedSome national retail chains said they planned to use their tariff refunds refunds to lower customer prices on some items. Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told analysts last week that the company would implement price cuts even though the maximum refund it might be eligible for represented less than half of 1% of Walmart's $483 billion in annual U.S. sales.Costco intends to return the tariff costs that it passed on to members, CEO Ron Vachris said. How much of its refund the big-box retail chain redistributes, when and in what form, depends on factors such as the size of the refund, when it arrives, and developments in a lawsuit seeking tariff compensation for Costco customers, Vachris told investors Thursday.Consumers could first see refunds from shipping companies such as FedEx, UPS and DHL, which acted as customs brokers when they delivered products ordered from overseas. The companies charged either the sellers that shipped the packages or the buyers who received them and turned the tariffs they collected over to CBP.All three promised to return any refunds they get to the customers that paid the import taxes. Last week, FedEx said it was "working to swiftly process refunds and return them to the shippers and consumers who originally bore those charges."Putting refunds back into the businessThe Supreme Court invalidated only the country-by-country tariff rates Trump set by citing the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Others he imposed under different rationales remain in effect. Trump also has moved to introduce new tariffs since the court's Feb. 20 ruling.Some smaller companies told The Associated Press that the tariff refunds they've received so far would go toward paying remaining or future tariffs or getting back on solid financial footing after more than a year of uncertainty and additional costs.Jay Foreman, CEO of toy company Basic Fun, said he received about $450,000, or 7% of his total claim, over two consecutive days. He took the repayment as a positive sign but said that after having less than $10,000 refunded since then, the process seemed like a "total slow roll.""It's time to release the funds back into the economy, especially given how much we and others need these funds to support our businesses and fund our operations," Foreman said.Men's grooming brand Manscaped has received about 30% of the $12 million in refunds it applied for, President Kevin Datoo said. He said the San Diego company deferred investments and took on debt to pay tariffs on imports from Indonesia, China and elsewhere in Asia last year."We need to shore up the balance sheet because there's still a whole second chapter here," Datoo said.Melkon Khosrovian, who owns Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles, said he applied for a tariff refund of about $90,000 for 17 different shipments and has received $18,000 covering four of them. Certain types of herbs, spices and packaging are hard to find domestically, so Khosrovian said he imports them.The tariffs were "painful," he said. He invested money to automate his bottling process last year so he wouldn't have to pay as many workers. The move allowed him to reduce his 13-person staff by three, but Khosrovian noted that the White House had argued the tariffs would create more U.S. manufacturing jobs."Our choices were bad and worse: raise prices and lose customers, or keep prices the same and not make any money," he said.
The World Health Organization on Friday announced the first recovery of a confirmed Ebola patient in the outbreak raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo."The DRC has said that on May 27, a patient recovered and left the hospital and has been discharged into the community," the WHO's Anais Legand told reporters.She said it marked the "first" among patients who had been confirmed to have Ebola, but stressed that she expected there had been other recoveries among people who have not yet received laboratory confirmation of test results."This is the first one" to be discharged from a care centre "following two negative tests", said Legand, a WHO technical officer on viral haemorrhagic fevers.She said the WHO had to date recorded 17 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in the DR Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15, out of 125 confirmed cases and over 900 suspected cases.In neighbouring Uganda, seven cases have also been confirmed, including one death.
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank will explore the use of CBDC in cross-border transactions besides expanding the digital rupee to more direct benefit transfer schemes and domestic retail space during the current fiscal year. During 2025-26, the central bank launched multiple Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilots under direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes of the Centre and state governments, leveraging the programmability capability of CBDCs, said the RBI's annual report for 2025-26. On cross-border payments, the RBI signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on digital asset collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in 2025-26. Also, bilateral discussions with MAS and the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) were held for operationalising a cross-border CBDC pilot. The Reserve Bank also joined multilateral BIS-Innovation Hub-led initiatives, which are focused on enhancing cross-border payments through CBDCs. The Reserve Bank plans to expand the CBDC pilot to cover new use cases under DBT schemes and the domestic retail space, while exploring additional pilots on tokenisation of financial assets and widening participant coverage. On cross-border payments, the RBI intends to operationalise bilateral CBDC pilots with select use cases and deepen engagement in multilateral projects. "Exploring a bilateral/multilateral crossborder CBDC pilot with select use cases and engaging in multilateral projects on cross-border payments on technical and governance standards" is one of the RBI's agenda for FY27. Providing a framework for testing of innovative products/services leveraging CBDC under the CBDC and Asset Tokenisation (CAT) sandbox is also on the RBI's to-do list during the current fiscal year. The value of bank notes in circulation in digital form CBDC-R stood at Rs 771.66 crore as on March 31, 2026, as compared to Rs 1,016.46 crore as on March 31, 2025.
Wockhardt shares rallied sharply on Friday, surging 7.87% to hit Rs 1,910.50 after the pharmaceutical company received a major regulatory boost for its breakthrough antibiotic, Zaynich. Notably, the stock has climbed nearly 12% in just the last two trading sessions, reflecting strong investor optimism following the development.In an exchange filing, Wockhardt announced that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the import and marketing of its indigenously discovered and developed first-in-class antibiotic, Zaynich (Zidebactam/Cefepime), in India.The approval covers the treatment of adult patients suffering from complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis, as well as cases involving concurrent Gram-negative bacteremia.The nod is backed by strong results from the pivotal ENHANCE-1 Phase 3 clinical trial, a multinational, randomised, double-blind study comparing Zaynich with Meropenem — one of the widely used antibiotics for severe infections.The results significantly favoured Zaynich. The study showed that 89% of patients treated with Zaynich achieved clinical cure and microbiological eradication, compared with 68.4% in the Meropenem arm, delivering a treatment advantage of 20.6%.Even more striking were the outcomes in high-risk bacteremia patients, where Zaynich posted an 89% response rate versus just 44% for Meropenem, highlighting its potential as a game-changing therapy in severe drug-resistant infections.The company stated that Zaynich could emerge as a critical weapon against carbapenem-resistant infections — an area where existing treatment options like colistin and polymyxins often face limitations due to toxicity and weaker efficacy. Importantly, the drug is designed to combat metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-mediated resistance, one of the toughest and most widespread antibiotic resistance mechanisms in India.Wockhardt Shares: Price trend and technical outlookWockhardt shares have surged nearly 27% over the past month, while the stock has skyrocketed an astounding 946% in the last three years, turning investor wealth nearly 10-fold during the period. The company currently commands a market capitalisation of around Rs 28,777 crore.On the technical front, Trendlyne data indicates that Wockhardt’s 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 72.3. An RSI above 70 is generally considered overbought, suggesting the stock could witness some profit-booking or a short-term pullback after the recent sharp rally.However, the overall trend remains firmly bullish, with the stock trading above all 8 out of 8 key simple moving averages (SMAs), indicating sustained strength in momentum.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Shares of Jaiprakash Power Ventures (JP Power) jumped another 7% on Friday, extending gains to a whopping 28% over just two sessions, while Adani Power shares hit a fresh 52-week high amid optimism over the latter's stake acquisition in the former.Shares of JP Power rose to Rs 24.50 apiece on Friday morning. The stock has rallied nearly 31% so far this week. Trading volumes continue to remain high, as more than 24 crore shares worth Rs 572 crore were traded on NSE in just 15 minutes from opening.Adani Power shares, meanwhile, gained more than 2% to hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 254 apiece on Friday. The stock has jumped more than 69% so far in 2026 and 128% in one year as soaring temperatures across India hiked hopes for higher power demand.Last week, Adani Power said it has signed definitive agreements with Jaiprakash Associates (JAL) to acquire a 24% stake in Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited (JPVL) along with the 180 MW Churk thermal power plant in Uttar Pradesh under the NCLT-approved resolution plan for JAL.The Adani Group company said it entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire JAL’s 24% stake in JPVL for around Rs 2,994 crore. Additionally, it has signed a business transfer agreement to acquire the Churk thermal power plant and associated assets, including JAL’s 11.49% stake in Prayagraj Power Generation Company Limited, for Rs 1,200 crore.Adani Power's acquisitions will strengthen its generation portfolio and expand its footprint in the thermal power sector, the company said. It added that they will be completed through cash consideration and are expected to close on the “Effective Date” under the approved resolution plan, which is scheduled to occur within 90 days from the NCLT approval granted on March 17, 2026.The Adani Group last Thursday paid around Rs 6,000 crore to lenders of debt-ridden Jaiprakash Associates as the first tranche of its Rs 14,535 crore resolution plan, marking a key milestone in one of the longest-running insolvency cases. "The fund transfer happened on Thursday. This was a big day for lenders because they will receive a large amount after such a long delay," a person aware of the development told The Economic Times.The insolvency proceedings involving Jaiprakash Associates have been underway for a few years, after the company formally entered the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) in June 2024. The Allahabad bench of the National Company Law Tribunal approved Adani Enterprises' resolution plan on March 17 this year.Also read: Legacy of Jaiprakash Associates will be carried forward under Adani, says Jaiprakash Gaur(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Mumbai: After a crushing court defeat, India's money gaming fraternity is now dreading whether the taxman would come after the companies' directors.The law allows the goods and service tax (GST) authorities to recover dues from board members of private limited companies if unpaid tax, interest, or penalty cannot be salvaged from the entities.Most real money gaming platforms were run by closely-held companies. While a director can escape personal liability if he demonstrates that the unpaid tax was not caused by gross neglect and wilful misstatement, many show cause notices, which triggered the legal feud, allege fraud and suppression of facts.Also read | Billionaire's FOMO: Ultra-rich pouring money into AI stackIn cases of frauds, the tax office can levy penalty of 100% of the tax demand. Platform managements are hoping for some relief from the fine print in Wednesday's Supreme Court (SC) judgement which upheld GST authorities stand to impose 28% tax on full value of bets. The ruling is yet to be released.By validating the SCNs, the SC effectively overturned earlier lower court rulings favouring gaming companies and dismissed the argument that 'games of skill' require different tax treatment under the GST framework for actionable claims.The GST Act provides for extended limitation period, enabling the department to issue SCNs up to five years from the due date of filing the relevant annual return in cases of fraud.131377275According to Ritesh Kanodia, partner, Aurtus Consulting, "There is strong legal support, including Supreme Court rulings, that when a matter involves a complex interpretation of the law, it cannot be treated as fraud or suppression. In this case, there was genuine ambiguity on whether GST applies at all and, if it does, on what value. Even the Karnataka High Court had earlier ruled in favour of taxpayers, which shows that the issue was debatable. Because of this, there is a strong argument that the 100% penalty may not be justified, thoughthe normal penalty (around 10%) may still apply."Ashish Karundia, founder of the eponymous CA firm, agreed that notices invoking the extended limitation period can certainly be challenged. "To sustain demands under Section 74, the department must establish fraud, wilful misstatement, or suppression with intent to evade tax. Gaming companies are likely to argue that their operations, filings, and transaction trails were fully disclosed, and that the dispute pertains purely to legal interpretation rather than any concealment of facts," said Karundia.If the department eventually chases the directors, it has to send separate notices and examine their roles individually.Also read | A blueprint for West Bengal’s evolution from an entrepot to a production hubHowever, for earlier periods (July 2017 to March 2020), companies may be eligible for the Government's amnesty scheme, which provides a full waiver of interest and penalties, provided fraud is not established (i.e., a Section 74 notice [100% penalty] gets converted into a Section 73 Notice [10% penalty]). So, in many cases, companies may ultimately end up paying only the tax amount, said Kanodia.The companies have sought 12 weeks to reply to the adjudication panel in the GST department which would be followed by final tax demands and appeals before higher courts.The GST law was amended in 2023 to make online gaming, casinos, and horse racing taxable at 28% on the full face value of bets, regardless of whether it's game of skill or chance. These changes, applied retrospectively, imposed liabilities for past periods when the law was not explicit. Before 2023 companies were paying 18% tax on the fees platforms collected.Last year, the government hurriedly enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, 2025 that completely prohibits online money games. The SC order on Wednesday not only puts a large financial burden on gaming companies but may also weaken their argument that since gaming is a state subject, the activity cannot be banned by a central law.
India is undertaking the revision of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and plans to release the new series on June 1, 2026, marking the tenth revision of base year. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has broadened the scope of the index to include 120 new item groups and enhance the granularity by providing separate indices for numerous sectors.The base year of IIP is being shifted to 2022-23 from 2011-12. The new IIP will track several new items such as magnetic stripe cards including debit and credit cards, CCTV cameras, non-woven textile products, aircraft and spacecraft parts, stents, and vaccines.The revised series significantly widens the scope of industrial activity captured in the index by adding emerging and previously underrepresented sectors such as rare earth minerals, gas supply, water management and waste treatment.MoSPI has also overhauled the product basket to better reflect contemporary industrial production patterns, replacing obsolete items with newer commodities and aligning the series with the updated National Industrial Classification (NIC)-2025 framework. The revised basket now comprises 1,042 products mapped to 463 item groups, including 120 new item groups. MoSPI has dropped 64 item groups from the list, which include kerosene, fluorescent tubes and CFLs, tubes for bicycle, tricycle and rickshaw tyres.The new series introduces more granular sub-indices, including separate tracking of renewable and non-renewable electricity generation, allowing policymakers to better monitor India’s evolving energy mix. The mining and quarrying segment has also been split into dedicated indices for fuel minerals, metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals.The revised methodology also allows statistical authorities to replace permanently shut factories with comparable operating units and induct newly commissioned large factories into the sample base during the life of the series. This is expected to improve the representativeness and timeliness of industrial output data.MoSPI will use a geometric mean-based approach to transition from the 2011-12 base series to the new 2022-23 series.Why is the base year being revised?According to a government release, the IIP base year is revised to reflect structural changes in the economy, technological progress, and the growth of new industries and products. “Revising the base year ensures that the index accurately represents current production patterns and provides more reliable data for economic analysis and policy-making,” MoSPI said.A Report of the Technical Advisory Committee for ‘New Series of All India Index ofIndustrial Production 2022-23’ highlighted the need for periodic revision which arises from the dynamic nature of the economy.“The structure of production, the relative importance of industries, and the range of products manufactured undergo continuous change over time,” it said, adding that regular revisions of the base years of economic indicators like IIP are therefore essential to ensure that they remain representative of current industrial activity.The index must continue to accurately reflect evolving economic realities.Citing “significant” advancements in statistical methodologies and computational capabilities over the period, MoSPI report said that the processes that were difficult to execute have now become relatively easier to implement.The new IIP series retains the existing sectors of Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity. However, it expands the scope by including Gas Supply and Water Supply, Sewerage & Waste Management activities, giving a broader and more accurate picture of industrial production. In the Mining sector, the new IIP series also includes minor minerals and rare earth minerals along with major minerals, making the index more comprehensive.131367884The item basket for sectors, other than Manufacturing, is selected based on the nature of activities and key measurable outputs of each sector. MoSPI, in certain cases, has held consultation with concerned ministries and departments.The new item baskets are as follows:The ‘Mining & Quarrying’ basket includes 34 minerals comprising fuel minerals and metallic & non-metallic minerals regulated, along with 1 rare earth mineral and 9 minor minerals.The ‘Electricity’ basket covers total electricity generation from both renewable and non-renewable sources.The ‘Gas Supply’ basket uses the volume of gas supplied or distributed through mains/pipelines as the item of measurement.Under the ‘Water Supply, Sewerage & Waste Management’, the government tracks water supply through tap connections, sewerage through sewerage/septage connections and waste management through the quantity of waste collected and processed.MoSPI has formed the item groups for IIP by aggregating products based on similarity within the industry group to ensure consistency, comparability, and operational feasibility in monthly data reporting.The government has also kept the revision of substitution of the factories in the new series of IIP to address the challenges of prolonged non-response or closed factory.While the six use-based categories—Primary Goods, Capital Goods, Intermediate goods, Infrastructure/ Construction Goods, Consumer Durable Goods and Consumer Non-Durable Goods—remain the same as the 2011–12 series, individual item classifications have been reviewed in detail and updated.Why is IIP important?The report recognised that the index is “not just a technical statistical indicator, but an important measure” that stakeholders understand the health and direction of the economy.The IIP provides one of the earliest signals of industrial performance, and hence plays a crucial role in economic planning, policymaking, and market analysis.The index plays a pivotal role in tracking cyclical conditions, informing fiscal and monetary policy deliberations, and shaping expectations of businesses and investors, helped by macro and sectoral analysts.MoSPI believes in the idea that economic statistics must keep pace with the economic transformations, and hence new products, emerging technologies, evolving production systems, and changing patterns of industrial activity are being included in the index calculation.“Industrial statistics cannot remain fixed while industries themselves are rapidly changing,” it said in the report cited above.