‘Kitna deti hai?’ is no longer enough as Indian car buyers start doing the maths beyond mileage and EMI

Japan’s Nikkei index fell as semiconductor stocks declined, mirroring Samsung’s drop. High-flying memory maker Kioxia shares experienced a significant decrease. Investors shifted towards financial and other undervalued stocks, boosting their performance. The broader Topix index saw a slight slip after reaching a record high. Banking shares and Toyota Motor saw notable gains during the session.

A focus on core rather than headline inflation goes against the Reserve Bank of India’s inflation-targeting mandate. This is likely to cost the country dearly. Perhaps the MPC needs a reminder of the advice given by one former RBI governor to another.

A significant drop in gold prices has led to margin calls on some gold loans, particularly those with bullet repayments. Loans requiring regular monthly installments are largely unaffected. The recent price correction, driven by geopolitical events and interest rate concerns, has reduced the value of pledged gold, increasing loan-to-value ratios. New RBI regulations and a…