Business

With Christmas around the corner, many customers remain confused about bank operations as online messages and local notices give mixed signals. People planning cash withdrawals, cheque deposits or branch visits are often unsure whether Christmas Eve is a working day or a bank holiday. To avoid last-minute inconvenience, it is important to understand how bank…

BoFA Securities has a buy rating on Varun Beverages with the target price at Rs 550. Analysts said that VBL has acquired Twizza, the no 4 player in South Africa, enhancing production capacity with its three backward integrated facilities. This complements the company’s manufacturing footprint and strengthens VBL’s market position. The deal was done at…

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday seized on stronger-than-expected third-quarter growth to claim an “economic golden age,” arguing that tariffs and his tax policies were driving a sharp acceleration in activity even as official data pointed to lingering inflation pressures and a softening labour market.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US economy’s…

Pakistan government on Tuesday sold its national airline, PIA, for Rs 135 billion to a consortium led by Arif Habib investment firm on Tuesday. The sale, organised through a bidding process in Islamabad, marks the largest transaction in Pakistan’s history. It aims to revive the once-prestigious carrier that had been struggling due to years of…

The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday approved US-based private equity firm Blackstone’s proposal to acquire up to 9.99 per cent stake in Federal Bank through warrants, clearing the way for the global investor’s entry into the private sector lender.In a release, the fair trade regulator said the proposed transaction involves Asia II Topco XIII…

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday announced a fresh liquidity infusion, unveiling plans to purchase government securities worth Rs 2 lakh crore and conduct a $10 billion dollar-rupee swap auction to ease conditions in the banking system.The central bank said the open market operations (OMO) purchases and the USD/INR buy-sell swap auctions will be…

After nearly four years of underperformance, India’s information technology stocks are entering 2026 with expectations shaped more by realism than hype, as investors assess whether artificial intelligence can finally revive growth after a prolonged slowdown.The Nifty IT index is trading close to a four-year low, a sharp reversal from the pandemic-era boom that once made…

US consumer confidence weakened in December, sliding to its lowest level since President Donald Trump rolled out sweeping tariffs earlier this year, as households grew more anxious about high prices, trade levies and job prospects, according to a survey by the Conference Board.The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1…

RBI deputy governor Poonam Gupta is upbeat on India’s growth prospects, especially due to a series of reforms. In her first interview since taking charge eight months ago, she tells TOI that the recent movement of the rupee is not a concern. Excerpts:What’s your overall assessment on growth and inflation, and are we nearing the…

US stocks were largely steady near record levels in early trade on Tuesday after government data showed the American economy expanded at a stronger-than-expected pace in the third quarter, pushing Treasury yields higher even as equity moves stayed muted in holiday-thinned trading. The S&P 500 hovered close to its all-time high set earlier this month,…