Business

Asian markets traded mixed on Wednesday as fading momentum in artificial intelligence-linked stocks, elevated oil prices and concerns over persistent inflation kept investors cautious.Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up less than 0.1% to 62,774.94, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.9% to 7,708.05 after recovering some recent losses.Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 8,645.80.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng…

UBS has a buy on Indian Hotels with the target price at Rs 900. Analysts said the company reported resilient Jan-March quarter (Q4FY26) numbers despite geopolitical headwinds, with consolidated revenues rising 14% on the year (YoY) to Rs 2,770 crore and profit after tax (PAT) up 15% YoY to Rs 600 crore.This was underpinned by…

Surendra Mehta, national secretary of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association, said the increase was largely expected as the government looks to contain the current account deficit. He added that elevated gold and silver prices could further impact consumer demand. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to refrain from purchasing gold for a…

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday raised import tariffs on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, according to Reuters. The move is aimed at curbing precious metal imports and easing pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.The sharp increase in duties comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to avoid buying gold…

NEW DELHI: The ongoing West Asian crisis is a “live balance of payments stress test” for the country – directly impacting inflation, the exchange rate and the current account, chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said at the CII Annual Business Summit Tuesday. “Managing the current account credibly, financing it and preventing further currency depreciation…

NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the ongoing global challenges should act as a “wake-up call” for Indian industry to become self-efficient and productive, make better use of free trade agreements, and reduce dependence on imports to strengthen the economy.Amid trying times, India has an opportunity to outshine others, he…

MUMBAI: Mitsui OSK Lines, which runs one of the largest shipping fleets globally, on Tuesday said that container rates may rise further as there is a gap between freight rates and increase in cost as bunker oil prices have doubled in Asia.During an interaction with TOI, the Japanese company’s global president and CEO Jotaro Tamura…

NEW DELHI: India’s entry-level smartphone market suffered a collapse in the first quarter of 2026. Rising component costs and weakening consumer demand reshaped the country’s handset landscape, according to new data from IDC.India’s overall smartphone shipments declined 4.1% year-on-year to 31 million units in Q1 2026, but the steepest pressure was concentrated in devices priced…

BENGALURU: India’s Gen Z workforce is embracing what experts describe as “portfolio careers” – balancing multiple professional identities and income streams simultaneously. New research from LinkedIn shows that 75% of Gen Z entrepreneurs in India now manage multiple income streams, significantly higher than the 62% among Gen X entrepreneurs. The findings point to a growing…

NEW DELHI: Retail inflation, based on consumer price index (CPI), inched up for the third consecutive month to 3.5% in April from 3.4% in March on account of acceleration in food prices, data released by NSO showed Tuesday. The food index rose 4.2% in April, above 3.9% in the preceding month. Fuel inflation decelerated sharply…