The RBI’s proposed curbs on flexi loans could reshape how India’s self-employed workers and small businesses borrow. While the move aims to prevent evergreening of bad debt, it could also restrict a useful source of flexible working capital. The bigger question is whether tighter oversight can curb misuse without shutting out genuine borrowers.

The Nifty 50 index might soar to 50,000 in the next six to nine years. This forecast hinges on the fluctuations of price-to-earnings ratios. A surge in retail participation and robust domestic investments is solidifying market resilience, even as foreign institutional investors scale back their stakes in Indian equities. The nation’s economic growth and rising…

Japan’s Nikkei fell 1.1%, ending its five-session rally as Middle East tensions disrupted oil supplies and revived inflation concerns. Rising crude prices and bond yields pressured equities, while shipping stocks gained on expectations of higher freight rates. Technology shares were mixed as investors assessed geopolitical risks, valuations and corporate earnings prospects.

Voltas among 4 F&O stocks with a sharp rise in futures open interest

South Korean shares surged 2.73%, extending gains for a sixth session as chipmakers rallied on optimism over AI demand. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led advances, while foreign investors bought Rs 65,000 crore-equivalent shares. The won strengthened, though bond yields rose as investors awaited Nvidia’s results for further signals on AI growth.

Shares of One 97 Communications faced a downturn following a notable block deal involving Resilient Asset Management, a firm linked to Paytm’s founder. It’s estimated that shares worth around Rs 2,949 crore were sold in this secondary transaction, with the possibility of extending the stake to Rs 4,895 crore. Goldman Sachs facilitated this considerable share…

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of Paytm, has set an ambitious target of generating one billion dollars in free cash flow. He envisions that fintech companies will capture a larger share of the growing lending market. Focusing on profitability, Sharma plans to pivot away from ventures that lack clear returns.

Japan’s 10-year government bond yield climbed to its highest level since 1996, driven by rising global bond yields, renewed inflation concerns and growing expectations of a Bank of Japan rate hike as early as September. The move highlights increasing pressure on Japan’s bond market as investors reassess the outlook for monetary policy.

Citadel Securities has urged the SEC to reconsider its proposal to eliminate the order protection rule, warning it could weaken market liquidity, price discovery and retail investor protections. The market maker argues the change may divert trades from public exchanges and recommends alternatives, including minimum trading-volume thresholds for exchanges to qualify for protected status.

Sham Foam shares are set to list on the BSE SME platform on August 18, with grey market trends pointing to a largely flat debut. The Rs 40.48-crore IPO was subscribed 2.40 times overall, while the issue comprised a fresh issue of 31 lakh shares priced at Rs 130 apiece.