Bank stocks grow 8% in December quarter, 2x sensex gain

MUMBAI: Indian bank stocks outperformed the broader market in the Oct-Dec quarter, with valuations rising sharply after GST cuts ahead of the festive season lifted consumption and strengthened expectations of a pickup in credit growth. Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence show the combined market capitalisation of the top 20 listed banks rose to about…

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Budget 2026: Assocham pitches incentives for hydrogen-based steel; green finance to cut carbon footprint

Ahead of the Union Budget for 2026–27, industry body Assocham has urged the government to roll out incentives for hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) production and concessional green finance to help the steel sector transition towards low-carbon manufacturing, PTI reported.In its pre-Budget recommendations, the chamber also called for incentives to promote waste-heat recovery systems and…

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US market today: Wall Street trades flat; defence stocks rally on Donald Trump’s military spending push

US stock indices were largely subdued in early Thursday trade, even as defence companies rallied sharply after President Donald Trump said he wants to significantly raise military spending.The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% in early trading, though it remained close to its recent all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 109 points, or 0.2%,…

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Big push for road safety: Govt mulls V2V tech in vehicles to cut accidents; spectrum earmarked

The government is working to introduce vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology to help prevent road accidents by enabling real-time information sharing between vehicles, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday, PTI reported.Addressing a press conference in New Delhi after chairing the annual meeting of transport ministers from states and Union Territories, Gadkari…

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US mortgage rates: 30-year home loan rate inches up to 6.16%, stays near 2025 low as housing demand remains cautious

The average interest rate on a 30-year US mortgage edged slightly higher this week but remained close to its lowest level of 2025, offering limited relief to homebuyers amid a still-challenging housing market, according to data released by Freddie Mac.The average long-term mortgage rate rose to 6.16% this week from 6.15% last week, when it…

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Global AI race: DeepSeek gains ground in developing nations; Microsoft flags widening gap

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is seeing rapid adoption across several developing countries, helping broaden access to generative artificial intelligence even as the overall gap between advanced and emerging economies continues to widen, according to a new Microsoft report.The report said global adoption of generative AI tools reached 16.3% of the world’s population in the three…

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Budget 2026: Why home loan rules need a fresh look

For self-occupied homes, the deduction for interest is capped at Rs 2 lakh a year – a figure unchanged since 2015. (AI image) Falling home-loan rates, increase in young population seeking to buy homes and a steady revival in residential sales have encouraged many to take the plunge into home ownership. Tax incentives continue to…

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