Author: Legal Parivar

For most investors, 2025 will be remembered as the year bullion outshone equities. Gold surged nearly 82% on the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), while silver stunned markets with a massive 175% rally, emerging as the standout asset class of the year. In comparison, Indian equity benchmarks delivered modest returns. The Nifty 50 gained about 10%, while the BSE Sensex rose nearly 9%, offering stability but little excitement amid global uncertainty. Midcaps and Smallcaps Lag as Investors Seek Safety As the year progressed, mid-cap and small-cap stocks underperformed large caps, reinforcing a risk-off approach among investors. In periods of…

While mainstream coverage in television, print and digital media largely focuses on heavyweight bluechip companies backed by massive capital expenditure and large workforces, several smaller listed firms have quietly delivered strong financial performance away from the spotlight. Amid volatile markets and rising scrutiny of balance-sheet strength, capital-efficient, low-debt companies have increasingly drawn attention for their ability to generate returns without heavy reliance on borrowing. Two such firms—Jyoti Resins and Adhesives Ltd and Garuda Construction and Engineering Ltd—stand out for their strong return ratios and near debt-free balance sheets. Jyoti Resins and Adhesives: Strong Returns in a Competitive FMCG Niche Incorporated…

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) exited Indian equities at an unprecedented scale in 2025, withdrawing nearly ₹1.6 lakh crore (around USD 18 billion), marking the largest annual equity outflow on record, amid global macroeconomic uncertainty, volatile currency movements and rising bond yields in developed markets. The outflow surpasses the previous peak withdrawal of ₹1.21 lakh crore in 2022 and comes after a marginal net inflow of ₹427 crore in 2024. In contrast, 2023 had witnessed strong equity inflows of ₹1.71 lakh crore, highlighting the sharp reversal in sentiment this year. Global Factors Behind FPI Exit The massive sell-off was driven largely…

ITC Ltd’s share price has remained under pressure in 2025, weighed down by multiple structural and sectoral headwinds, including British American Tobacco (BAT) trimming its stake, continued concerns over a 40% GST slab on “sin” goods, weakness in the FMCG sector, and investor caution ahead of the ITC Hotels demerger. The stock has declined nearly 12% year-to-date, underperforming the benchmark Sensex, which has gained around 8% during the same period. Over a two-year horizon, ITC shares are down about 6%, although the company has delivered a strong return of over 105% in the past five years, highlighting its long-term wealth…

India’s power market regulator is reviewing the transaction fee structure charged by electricity exchanges, as it moves ahead with the long-awaited market coupling reform, a move expected to enhance efficiency, deepen liquidity and reduce electricity costs over time. Market coupling, approved by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) in July 2025 after more than two years of deliberations, will be implemented in a phased manner starting January 2026, beginning with the day-ahead market (DAM). Under market coupling, buy and sell bids across all power exchanges will be aggregated to discover a single market-clearing price, replacing the current system where prices…

The combined market capitalisation of seven of India’s top-10 most valued companies declined by ₹35,439.36 crore in a holiday-shortened trading week, with State Bank of India (SBI) emerging as the biggest laggard amid muted equity market sentiment. Despite the losses in heavyweight stocks, the BSE Sensex ended the week marginally higher, gaining 112.09 points or 0.13%. Stocks That Lost Market Value Among the top-10 companies, Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), ICICI Bank, SBI, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) witnessed a decline in their market valuations during the week. Stocks That Gained…

Railway stocks have been on a strong upward trajectory, extending their rally for the fifth consecutive trading session, with shares of RVNL, IRFC, IRCON International, RailTel Corporation of India, and IRCTC witnessing sharp gains. Over the last five sessions, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) shares have jumped from around ₹306 to ₹387.25, registering a gain of over 26.5%. Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) shares climbed from ₹110.81 to ₹133.60, delivering more than 20% returns to investors during the same period. Meanwhile, IRCON International stock surged from ₹150 to ₹178.25, logging an upside of nearly 19%. Shares of RailTel Corporation of…

Several listed companies, including Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), Avasara Finance Ltd, and A-1 Ltd, have announced key corporate actions such as bonus issues, stock splits, rights issues, and share consolidation. The ex-dates for these actions fall between December 29, 2025 and January 2, 2026, making these stocks important to watch in the coming week. Corporate actions like bonus issues, splits, and rights issues often impact stock prices, liquidity, and investor participation. Upcoming Bonus, Split and Rights Issue: Key Details Caspian Corporate Services Ltd Caspian Corporate Services has announced a share consolidation, with the record date set for December…

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the UGC NET December 2025 admit card for candidates appearing in the examination scheduled on 31 December 2025. The national-level eligibility test will be conducted between 31 December 2025 and 7 January 2026 in computer-based test (CBT) mode across the country. The UGC NET exam on December 31 will be held for subjects including Law, Social Work, Telugu, Tourism Administration and Management, Spanish, Prakrit, Kashmiri and Konkani. Candidates must download and carry the admit card to the examination centre, as entry will not be permitted without a valid hall ticket. Login Credentials Required…

In a major move aimed at strengthening governance, transparency and accountability in public sector enterprises, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has directed the Ministry of Coal to prepare a roadmap for listing all subsidiaries of state-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) by 2030, sources said. The initiative is expected to streamline corporate governance structures and unlock value through asset monetisation in India’s largest coal producer. Coal India accounts for over 80% of the country’s total domestic coal output. Highly placed sources said the PMO has issued clear instructions to list all arms of Coal India by 2030, underscoring the government’s focus…