Indian equity markets are cherishing the optimism around the proposed GST 2.0 reforms. Index heavyweights are also providing strong support to the indices and have helped maintain the positive momentum through the week.With this, domestic brokerage firm Motilal Oswal has picked its top 5 bets on a fundamental basis for a horizon of 1 year, with an upside potential of up to 26%.
Shridatta Bhandwaldar, Head of Equities at Canara Robeco AMC, manages over 1 lakh crore, drawing parallels between badminton and investing. He emphasizes discipline, focus, and resilience, honed through sports and music, as crucial for navigating volatile markets. Bhandwaldar's philosophy centers on scalable, capital-efficient businesses with quality leadership, viewing investing as a journey of self-discovery.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged a thorough review of the Federal Reserve, questioning its interest rate authority. He criticized the Fed's policies for allegedly fueling inflation and benefiting the wealthy, advocating for a shift in focus towards its core mandate.
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee remains undecided on a September rate cut despite recent job-market weakening data. He defended the Fed's independence, opposing any moves to undermine it. Goolsbee expects future nominees to take their roles seriously, amidst concerns about potential political influence from President Trump's nominee.
The U.S. economy created 22,000 jobs last month instead of an estimated 75,000, confirming softening labor market conditions, according to the Labor Department report. The three major U.S. stock indexes initially rose and broke records following the data, as traders of futures tied to the Fed's policy rate boosted bets that the U.S. central bank will trim rates in quick succession, starting this month, with a 50-basis-point easing now on the table.
Indian banks are accelerating efforts to fully implement SWIFT's ISO 20022 messaging standard by the November 2025 deadline, driven by directives from the Ministry of Finance and the RBI. Several major banks, including SBI and ICICI Bank, have already migrated to the new system. Failure to comply with the deadline could result in payment disruptions and penalties.
Indian equity indices ended flat amid choppy trading, with IT stocks declining due to US tariff concerns, offsetting auto sector gains fueled by GST cut hopes. For the week, however, markets gained 1%. Positive global cues and expectations of US rate cuts are expected to support a recovery next week, though Nifty faces resistance at 25,000.
Kalyan Kumar is expected to lead Union Bank of India. Lalit Tyagi is likely to transfer to Central Bank of India. Asheesh Pandey is dropped from consideration for a top post. The Financial Services Institutions Bureau had recommended Pandey. Reserve Bank of India had previously raised concerns about Pandey. Union Bank has been without a head since June.
Bank of Baroda has declared Reliance Communications' loan accounts, along with Anil Ambani, as fraudulent due to alleged fund misutilisation and improper transactions. This action follows similar declarations by SBI and Bank of India. Anil Ambani Group denies the allegations, asserting they will contest the claims in court, citing a consortium of 14 lenders and delayed proceedings.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new dual-slab GST structure expected to significantly boost India's economy. The government is also preparing a package for US tariff-affected export sectors and relentlessly working on next-generation policy changes. While not directly addressing tariff issues, the GST reform is anticipated to spur demand and provide some relief to affected sectors.
