Amazon shares plunged nearly 8% in early Frankfurt trading on Friday, following a report of slowing online sales growth in the second quarter and a shift in consumer behavior towards cheaper purchase options.

Patel Integrated Logistics Ltd saw a 47% increase in Q1 profit, reaching Rs 1.53 crore due to higher demand for air cargo services. Revenue rose by 34.78% year-on-year to Rs 96.89 crores. Executive Director Mahesh Fogla expects double-digit growth and is considering monetizing non-core real estate for stakeholder benefit.

The Nifty and Sensex opened sharply lower on Friday, affected by declines in banking, auto, IT, and energy stocks. The sell-off mirrored a major drop in U.S. markets due to weak manufacturing data. Asian markets also fell, while rising oil prices added to market worries.

DLF broke out from a falling trendline resistance in July 2024, signaling a potential rise to Rs 960 in the coming weeks. After retesting its 50-week moving average, the stock has gained over 60% in the past year. Analysts suggest buying with a stop loss set at Rs 860.

Shares of food delivery giant Zomato surged 10% to a day’s high of Rs 257.95 after reporting a multifold increase in PAT for the June quarter. The company posted a PAT of Rs 253 crore, up from just Rs 2 crore in the same period last year. Following this strong performance, brokerages such as CLSA raised their target price to Rs 350.

Retail traders suffered substantial losses of Rs 52,000 crore in the derivatives market in FY24, leading SEBI to propose a seven-step plan to mitigate risks. Experts worry these regulations could increase hedging costs and push traders to other markets. The industry seeks a balanced approach to regulation without stifling market freedom.

The Indian market experienced a significant decline on Friday, with the BSE Sensex falling 814 points and Nifty50 down 282 points. Analysts identified crucial support and resistance levels, suggesting trading strategies for stocks like HDFC Bank and Bata India. Expert recommendations included specific targets and stop-loss levels for various stocks.

Tata Motors' shares fell by 4.7% following Q1 results that showed lower-than-expected margins in the passenger vehicles segment. While brokerages like UBS gave a sell call with a target price of Rs 825, others like Nomura and JP Morgan raised their targets. Analysts cited demand moderation and margin pressures as key concerns.

The Nifty and Sensex opened sharply lower on Friday, affected by declines in banking, auto, IT, and energy stocks. The sell-off mirrored a major drop in U.S. markets due to weak manufacturing data. Asian markets also fell, while rising oil prices added to market worries.

Jefferies has maintained a buy rating on ITC with a target price of Rs 585. The 3% growth in cigarette business volume met expectations, and stable taxation suggests continued momentum in the coming quarters. However, other segments fell short in terms of revenues and margins.

Multibagger stock Aayush Wellness has set August 5 as the record date for its 10:1 stock split. Today is the last day to buy shares to qualify for the split, which will convert each share with a face value of Rs 10 into 10 shares with a face value of Re 1. The record date was confirmed in July, and investors purchasing shares on or after this date will not be eligible for the split benefits.

Markets saw minor gains with the Nifty 50 starting strong then declining throughout the day. Mid-cap pharma and iron and steel stocks, such as ALKEM and Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd, showed promising technical indicators suggesting potential price increases. Both stocks were recommended for buying opportunities based on recent technical patterns.

Several companies, including Britannia Industries and Chambal Fertilizers, marked August 5 as the record date to identify shareholders eligible for dividends. Investors had to buy shares by the day before the ex-date to qualify. Specific dividend amounts were announced for each firm, and this served as the final day for share purchase for eligibility.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped as much as 2.8%, the most since June 2022, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. among the biggest drags. Japan’s Topix Index headed for a technical correction, while benchmarks in the tech-heavy markets of South Korea and Taiwan fell about 3%.

Amazon.com experienced a slowdown in online sales growth during the second quarter, as consumers opted for cheaper products. This cautious spending behavior caused an almost 8% decline in Amazon shares. Despite beating analyst expectations in profits and cloud computing sales, stiff competition and budget-conscious shoppers impacted Amazon’s projections for the upcoming quarter.

Numerous companies are expected to reveal their first quarter earnings, including Titan, Hindustan Zinc, and Delhivery. Titan's performance suffered due to high gold prices and regional competition. Analysts predicted a 6% YoY sales increase but a minor 1% decline in net profit for April-June 2024, highlighting challenges in the jewelry segment.

Shareholders of Adani flagship to get 251 shares of Adani Wilmar for every 500 shares held

Wealth managers suggested trimming investments in risky and underperforming schemes as the Nifty hit 25,000. They advised taking profits from high-performing PSU and defense funds, and reviewing schemes that failed to beat their benchmarks. Investors were guided to shift towards large-cap portfolios and gilt funds for more stable returns.

VALUATION COMFORT Top consumer stocks beaten down despite being near 52-wk highs; benign demand to drive interest amid mkt correction

BROADER CONCERNSMargin pressure, deposits and regulatory changes cloud sector; depressed valuations offer cherrypicking opportunities

The Nikkei share average in Japan fell 5%, reaching its lowest point in six months, due to concerns about the U.S. economy and Japan's central bank policies. Major losses were seen in the technology and financials sectors, with the Nikkei Volatility index hitting its highest since April.

Over the last five years, Nifty's growth paralleled earnings, with a 152% rise in market capitalization and a 126% increase in profits. The market value grew 20% annually between FY19 and FY24, while earnings rose by 18%. Analysts predict 13-15% earnings growth in FY25, which current valuations have already discounted.

Patel Integrated Logistics Ltd saw a 47% increase in Q1 profit, reaching Rs 1.53 crore due to higher demand for air cargo services. Revenue rose by 34.78% year-on-year to Rs 96.89 crores. Executive Director Mahesh Fogla expects double-digit growth and is considering monetizing non-core real estate for stakeholder benefit.

The Nifty 50 index saw a 5,000-point rally mainly fueled by domestic fund investments of ₹3.3 lakh crore. Reliance Industries and other major firms contributed significantly to the gains. While the market remains highly valued, ongoing fund flows could push the index higher, with potential short-term corrections expected.

India's Nifty index surpassed the 25,000 mark for the first time, buoyed by positive cues from the US. The Sensex also saw a record high during the session, while midcap and smallcap indices declined. Foreign Portfolio Investors net purchased shares worth Rs 2,089 crore, reflecting strong market interest.

Investor anxiety grew on Wall Street Thursday, with the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) hitting a three-month high of 19.48. This followed significant drops in U.S. stocks—1.4% for the S&P 500 and 2.3% for the Nasdaq Composite. Economic slowdown fears have led to increased trading in VIX options.

U.S. chip stocks suffered a major decline, largely influenced by a cautious forecast from Arm Holdings, which prompted worries about the pace of AI returns. This led to a substantial drop in Arm shares. The broader market, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, also experienced significant losses. Intel disclosed plans to reduce its workforce and suspend its dividend.

The domestic markets closed slightly higher as Nifty surpassed the 25,000 milestone, amid a consolidation phase. The Nifty futures indicated a negative opening. Global markets showed mixed trends, and oil prices saw a minor rise. Several stocks entered the F&O ban, and multiple companies were due for Q1 results announcements.

“HDFC Life stock has surpassed is previous supply zone and witnessing strong follow up from the last few weeks. Traders can buy for a target of Rs 745 in the next 2-3 weeks,” Shivangi Sarda, Analyst, Derivatives and Technical Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said.

Japanese stocks dropped for a second day amid growing expectations of further rate hikes by the central bank. Asian equities also declined, following Wall Street's losses due to weakening US economic data. The broad Topix index in Japan dropped more than 4%, while tech stocks like AI chipmaker SK Hynix fell sharply.

Sensex reached a new peak, closing 126 points higher, and Nifty crossed the 25,000 mark for the first time. Titan, Hindustan Zinc, ITC, Tata Motors, Zomato, Adani Enterprises, and SpiceJet shared their quarterly results. ITC reported a small rise, while Tata Motors and Adani Enterprises showed significant profit growth. SpiceJet canceled flights due to operational reasons.

In the last two years, probably each segment of the financial services have gone through a scrutiny by the RBI. Yes, it did create short term headwinds for many segments as there was some bit of the tightening and of course the episode in which companies were banned also happened. But three simple questions, is a sector like financial services better placed after the clean up by RBI. Second, if an economy like India is growing, can it happen that this sector does not does not grow? Third, probably to some extent the reason for why these stocks have underperformed, can FPI stay away from these stocks and when they come back. There is a high probability that all answers to three questions go in favor of the stocks and the outlook is improving.

After reaching a peak of Rs 710 on December 12th, 2023, HDFC Life stock experienced a 200-point range fluctuation. However, it found support above Rs 500 on June 4th, 2024. Following this, the stock rebounded sharply from a low of Rs 511 on June 4th, reclaiming key moving averages and signalling a positive trend for investors. The Supertrend indicator confirmed this bullish momentum with a buy signal on June 13th, propelling the stock to a remarkable 20% rally within a month.

Stocks on Wall Street are slumping alongside bond yields on Thursday after more signals suggested the U.S. economy's growth is slowing.

Stocks on Wall Street are slumping alongside bond yields on Thursday after more signals suggested the U.S. economy's growth is slowing.

Wall Street's major stock indexes opened higher on Thursday driven by the Federal Reserve's indications of a potential September rate cut and a positive sales forecast from Meta. However, a pullback in chip stocks limited the gains.

Indian benchmark equity indices registered record closing highs on Thursday, boosted by prospects of a US interest rate cut in September. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.15% higher at 81,867, while the NSE Nifty50 index ended above the 25,000 level."The crucial hurdle of 25,000-25,100 levels remains intact and the Nifty was not able to break above this area decisively. Chances of further consolidation or minor dip are not ruled out in the short term. Immediate support is at 24750 levels," said Nagaraj Shetti of HDFC Securities.Here are 6 stock recommendations for Friday:"The underlying trend of Nifty continues to be positive. Having moved above the key overhead resistance of 24,400 levels (1.618% Fibonacci extension), the Nifty could now advance towards another important resistance of 24,960 levels (1.786% Fibonacci extension) in the near term. Immediate support is at 24,250 levels," said Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities.Here are 6 stock recommendations for Wednesday:

Wall Street's major stock indexes opened higher on Thursday driven by the Federal Reserve's indications of a potential September rate cut and a positive sales forecast from Meta. However, a pullback in chip stocks limited the gains.

Shake Shack shares jumped around 16% after topping market expectations for second-quarter same-store sales, as demand for its burgers and chicken sandwiches stayed robust even as competition intensifies for value meals in the United States.

Over the decade spanning 2014 to 2023, the Nifty 50 closed positive on six occasions (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022) and negative in the remaining four (2015, 2017, 2019, 2023). The highest gains were seen in 2021 (8.7%), followed by 2022 (3.5%) and 2014 (3%). Conversely, the steepest decline occurred in 2015 (-6.6%), with lesser dips in 2017 (-1.6%), 2019 (-0.9%), and 2023 (-2.5%).

Short covering refers to the buying of shares to close an existing short position, signaling a shift from extreme bearishness to bullishness. In Thursday's trading session, five stocks saw short covering. Here's the list:

Wall Street's major stock indexes opened higher on Thursday driven by the Federal Reserve's indications of a potential September rate cut and a positive sales forecast from Meta. However, a pullback in chip stocks limited the gains.

Meta soared nearly 9% on Thursday after its rosy revenue growth signaled that strong digital-ad spending on its social media platforms can cover the cost of its AI investments.

Nagaraj Shetti of HDFC Securities believes that the Nifty index is facing resistance at the 25,000-25,100 level and may experience short-term consolidation or a minor dip. He identifies 24,750 as a key support level to watch.

On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve maintained its key interest rate at 5.25–5.5% for the eighth consecutive time, as expected, while signaling the possibility of a rate cut in its next meeting in September. From the Nifty stocks, Power Grid Corporation, Coal India, ONGC, HDFC Bank, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories were the top gainers, rising 2-4%. On the other hand, M&M, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp, Britannia, and Tata Motors ended with cuts.

The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates for the first time in four years, following a close 5-4 vote by its policymakers. The central bank reduced borrowing costs by a quarter-point to 5.0%, with Governor Andrew Bailey leading the decision. He emphasized the BoE's cautious approach to future monetary policy adjustments.

The company also reported total domestic sales of 70,161 units in July 2024, marking an 11% YoY decline compared to 78,844 units sold in July 2023.

On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve maintained its key interest rate at 5.25–5.5% for the eighth consecutive time, as expected, while signaling the possibility of a rate cut in its next meeting in September. From the Nifty stocks, Power Grid Corporation, Coal India, ONGC, HDFC Bank, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories were the top gainers, rising 2-4%. On the other hand, M&M, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp, Britannia, and Tata Motors ended with cuts.

The board has approved the scheme of demerger of Tata Motors into two separate listed companies. The merger of Tata Motors Finance with Tata Capital is also underway and expected to conclude over the course of next 9 to 12 months.

The demerger scheme also includes Adani Enterprises' strategic investment in Adani Commodities. The demerger will also provide scope for independent collaboration and expansion, it said.