Informist, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025 Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Equity Alert: Auto cos up on report China lifts rare earth magnet export curbs

MUMBAI--1100 IST--Following media reports that China had lifted curbs on rare earth magnet exports to India, shares of automobile and auto part makers surged. Large-caps such as Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, and Eicher Motors rose 2-4%. Ola Electric Mobility rose 8.6% to a high of INR 44.78 and was the top gainer among Nifty 200 constituents.

China lifted curbs on export of fertilisers, rare earth magnets, and tunnel-boring machines to India, The Economic Times reported, adding that these were the three asks that India had from Beijing when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his counterpart Wang Yi in July. The report said Yi, who is on a two-day visit to India, gave an assurance that China had already acted upon it. The shipments to India have already begun, the report said quoting people familiar with the matter.

The Indian government and companies pertaining to the automobile sector had flagged concerns to Chinese officials that the shortage of rare earth magnets would severely impact production and had wanted China to lift the curbs on these minerals. This would "benefit the entire (automobile )ecosystem", an analyst at a foreign brokerage tracking the sector said.

At 1058 IST, shares of Tata Motors were up 3.3%, and those of Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp were up 1.7?ch. Ola Electric traded over 7% higher. Auto-part makers such as Samvardhana Motherson, Sona BLW Precision Forgings, and Motherson Sumi Wiring India were up 4-8%. (Gopika Balasubramanium)

Equity Alert: Textile cos rise; govt scraps duty, cess on cotton imports

MUMBAI--1038 IST--Most textile companies rose in early trade Tuesday, with the likes of Vardhman Textiles, Raymond Lifestyle, Welspun Living, and Alok Industries up 2-7%, after the government temporarily scrapped both import duty and agriculture infrastructure and development cess on cotton imports. The US has been urging India to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers on various farm products, including cotton, soybean, corn, and dairy products to gain market access.

"We believe this is the right move taken by government to safeguard interest of textile industry...there is possibility that it will be extended till the government signs an appropriate deal with US in the near future," ICICI Direct Research said in a report. The government has scrapped these taxes till Sept. 30. Currently, customs duty on imports of cotton stands at 11%, the report said.

The decision to remove import duty is expected to improve raw material availability for India's textile sector and directly benefit American exporters. India competes with countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China when it comes to textile exports. While Bangladesh has been hit with a 35% tariff by the US, Vietnam will be levied 20% tariff. (Akash Mandal)

Equity Alert: Indices open marginally higher; consumer-facing cos mixed

MUMBAI--0942 IST--Benchmark indices managed only marginal gains in early trade after rising around 1% on Monday. Shares of consumer-facing companies were mixed after recording bumper gains on Monday on hope that lower GST rates on goods may revive consumption in the economy.

At 0941 IST, the Nifty 50 was slightly up at 24899.35 points. Index heavyweight Reliance Industries led the gains, rising nearly 2%. Among others, shares of Bharti Airtel also rose nearly 2%.

On Monday, Reliance Industries said its fast-moving consumer goods subsidiary, Reliance Consumer Products, has forayed into healthy beverage space. Sentiment around the company was also positive as crude oil futures fell overnight due to the possiblity of peace talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. At 0931 IST, the October futures of Brent crude were down 0.5% at $66.26 per barrel.

Indian markets likely tracked sentiment in global markets, which was also muted ahead of US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later this week. US indices had ended flat Monday and other indices in Asia were mixed Tuesday.

Among consumer-facing stocks, Hero Motocorp, Eicher Motors, and Titan Co. extended Monday's gains and were up 0.4-1%. Some profit-booking was seen in shares of Nestle India, which were down nearly 1?ter gaining over 5% on Monday. Shares of Maruti Suzuki were down 0.4?ter rising nearly 9% Monday.

Shares of textile companies rose after the government temporarily scrapped import duty on cotton, which is likely to bring down costs for companies. The government has removed import duty on cotton till Sept. 30, The Economic Times reported. Post this, shares of Vardhman Textiles, Welspun Living, Raymond rose 4-8%. (Anshul Choudhary)

Equity Alert: Indices seen flat to tad higher; mkt awaits GST reform details

MUMBAI--0809 IST--Benchmark indices are likely to begin the session on a positive note Tuesday, but gains are likely to be capped as investors await more details regarding the government's proposed GST reforms, which was the major trigger for the strong gains on Monday. The Nifty 50 is likely to trade in a range of 24650-25000 during the session.

While the Nifty 50 briefly crossed the 25000-point mark for the first time in nearly a month Monday, it is unlikely to sustain the level. There have to be multiple triggers for the Nifty 50 to rise above the 25000 level and ultimately claw back to its lifetime high, analysts said.

The derivatives contract of the GIFT Nifty shows a positive start for the market. At 0804 IST, the GIFT Nifty's August contract was at 24963.50 points, 87 points higher than the Nifty 50's latest close. On Monday, the Nifty 50 closed at 24876.95, up 245.65 points or 1%. The BSE Sensex ended at 81273.75, up 676.09 points or 0.8%.

Overnight, indices in the US ended largely unchanged as investors await a host of earnings from the likes of Walmart, Home Depot, and Target. They also await the Federal Reserve's annual symposium, where Fed chief Jerome Powell will speak Friday. Asian indices were mixed in early trade as investors waited for tariff and rate-cut related cues from the US.

Jewellery retailer Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle will debut on bourses during the session, with its issue price set at INR 517 per share. Its initial public offering was subscribed 2.7 times. (Akash Mandal)

Equity Alert: Asian indices mixed amid peace talks between Trump, Zelensky

MUMBAI--0803 IST--Equity indices in Asia were mixed in early trade Tuesday, with markets in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Australia down, while those in China and Japan were slightly up. Indices were mixed amid peace talks between US President Donald Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other European leaders.

Trump and other leaders met in the US Monday, with media reports saying Trump pushed Ukraine to sign a peace deal with Russia. The leaders also spoke about some security guarantees for Ukraine.

Crude oil prices were down slightly following reports that Trump had fixed a meeting of Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. At 0753 IST, the October futures contract of Brent crude traded 0.5% lower at $66.30 per barrel.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index was down 0.7?ter rising for three straight sessions, during which it gained 1.5%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was slightly higher after falling for three straight sessions, during which it lost nearly 2%.

Market Participants await US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later this week. Powell is expected to provide cues on the health of the US economy and possiblity of a rate cut at the US central bank's next meeting in September. The CME FedWatch Tool indicated a nearly 84% probability that the Fed will cut interest rates by 25 basis points in September. (Anshul Choudhary)

Equity Alert: US indices end flat Mon before Fed Powell's Jackson Hole speech

MUMBAI--0735 IST--Equity indices in the US ended largely unchanged Monday ahead of US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later this week. The market is awaiting cues from Powell on the outlook for the US economy and the possibility of a rate cut at the next Fed meeting in September.

The CME FedWatch Tool showed there was a 84% probability of the Fed cutting interest rates by 25 basis points in September. US indices ended flat Monday after gaining for two straight weeks. The S&P 500 index had gained over 3% in the previous two weeks, before ending unchanged on Monday.

Market participants closely tracked a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other European leaders. Media reports said they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, but exact details of such guarantees were not known. Dow Jones reported that Trump had fixed a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and this was confirmed by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary General Mark Rutte in an interview with Fox News.

Market participants also await the earnings of some retail companies, including Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, and Target. These earnings are important at a time when tariffs by the US are likely to push inflation higher and hurt consumer sentiment.

Following are the closing levels of US indices Monday:

(Anshul Choudhary)

End

US$1 = INR 87.21

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

Edited by Avishek Dutta

All prices from National Stock Exchange, unless otherwise specified.

All percentage changes for share prices are rounded off to the nearest whole number; percentage changes for index values are rounded off to one decimal place.

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