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[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Shares of HDFC Bank jumped 3.8% in Tuesday's early trade to their day’s high of 1875 on the NSE after the lender announced a reduction in its savings account interest rate, bringing it to 2.75%, the lowest among large private sector peers. The bank has lowered the rate by 25 basis points, with the revised rate already into effect from April 12, as per information on the bank’s website. The move comes shortly after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its second consecutive benchmark repo rate cut for the year. With this change, HDFC Bank’s savings rate now falls below that of major peers ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, both of which are currently offering 3% interest on savings balances below ₹50 lakh. The rate cut is likely to help the bank reduce its cost of funds, potentially supporting margins in a softening interest rate environment. However, the move may also draw scrutiny from depositors, especially in a competitive banking land...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced interest rates by 25 basis points and shifted its stance from neutral to accommodative, as was anticipated. The tone of the announcement suggested a cautious approach, indicating that the RBI is keeping its options open for future action should the global situation deteriorate. The RBI has further revised its projection for the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in FY26 to 6.5%, down from the previous estimate of 6.7%. While India is somewhat insulated from global tariffs, the potential effects of a worldwide recession cannot be completely overlooked. India’s retail inflation eased to a seven-month low of 3.61% in February 2025, falling below the RBI’s medium-term target of 4% for the first time since August 2024. Assuming a normal monsoon, the consumer price index (CPI) inflation is now projected at 4%, revised downward from the earlier forecast of 4.2%. The trade war can create excesses in the ...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] The UK's blue-chip FTSE 100 hit an all-time high on Friday, supported by a weaker pound after much softer than expected retail sales data boosted expectations of an interest rate cut next month. The FTSE 100 rose 1.4% to hit record highs and logged its fourth straight weekly gain. The midcap index rose 0.3% and registered its best weekly performance since October 2023. British retail sales fell unexpectedly in December, according to data that raised the risk of an economic contraction in the fourth quarter, adding to the challenges facing finance minister Rachel Reeves. Gilt yields moved lower across the curve, with the yield on 10-year notes easing to 4.661%. Sterling slid 0.6%, lifting shares of companies that earn most of their revenues overseas. Oil giant Shell rose 1.2%, while consumer goods company Unilever added 1.6%. Traders see an 82% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut by the Bank of England (BoE) in February, and are pri...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Europe's STOXX 600 ended the week on a high note, bolstered by a rally in tech stocks, while investors analysed the euro zone inflation report to assess the likelihood of a larger interest rate cut in December. The pan-European main stock index reversed earlier losses and was up 0.6% at 510.25 points on Friday, logging its first monthly gain since August. It rose 1% in November. On a weekly basis, it logged a modest 0.2% decline. Technology stocks were the biggest boost to the index, gaining 1.6%. Trading volumes were expected to be low, with the U.S. equity market open for half a day following the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. Euro zone flash inflation rose to 2.3% on a yearly basis in November, in line with forecasts. Markets are now pricing in a more than 80% chance of a 25 basis-point cut at the European Central Bank's meeting on December 12. Capital Economics' analysts think the case for a 50 basis point cut still ...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Wall Street's main indexes closed lower on Thursday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell dampened investors' hopes for another interest rate cut this year by saying the U.S. central bank need not rush to ease monetary policy. Powell said at a Dallas Fed event that with the economy still growing, the job market solid and inflation still above the 2% target, the Fed can deliberate carefully on rate cuts. While traders were still betting on a 25-basis point reduction at the Fed's December meeting, the probability fell to 62% from 76% earlier in the afternoon and from 82.5% on Wednesday, the CME FedWatch tool showed. "The comments from Powell put more cold water on what used to be a very optimistic outlook on the path for rate cuts," said Adam Hetts, global head of Multi-Asset at Janus Henderson Investors. "However, we can't take for granted that inflation and labor are in balance so this is an encouragin...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] Investors holding cash have been among the most dissed in the stock market of late. Equity evangelists are unable to wrap their heads around the fact that there is a segment of the market that prefers the safety of cash or its equivalent at this point over stocks that have extended their record-breaking run with the US Federal Reserve's interest rate cut - the first in four years - coming as a shot in the arm for bulls. Even the venerable Warren Buffett, who recently bolstered his cash chest to $280 billion, has not been spared the criticism. The preference to move to cash among investors is mostly linked to discomfort over elevated share valuations and excesses in various pockets of the market. Anecdotally, the cash or equivalent holdings of many of these investors range from 15% to 50% of the total portfolio. It's the more experienced, carrying the burden of having witnessed multiple market cycles, who have been nervous and main...

[hfe_template id='11223'] [ad_1] The Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points is likely to be a positive for Asian stocks as it gives the region’s central banks more room to loosen policy, analysts say. The rate cut will ease the pressure of tight monetary policy and assuage concern about weakening local currencies, said Gary Dugan, chief executive officer at Dalma Capital. The outcome is good for risk assets and high-yield currencies but FX moves may be muted in Asia as the Chinese yuan serves as an anchor, said Brad Bechtel, global head of foreign exchange at Jefferies. Here is a selection of comments from analysts: Straits Investment Management (Manish Bhargava, chief executive officer) Lower US interest rates could boost risk appetite for Asian stocks, driving capital inflows into emerging markets as investors seek higher returns. The initial phase of the Fed’s normalization cycle has been more assertive than expected, as the c...