Core Insights - The banking hiring cycle in India is experiencing a resurgence, with top engineering and business schools seeing increased recruitment activity from private lenders and foreign banks [1][2] Group 1: Recruitment Trends - Major banks such as ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HSBC India, and Citibank are actively recruiting from campuses, indicating a return to robust hiring practices [2][5] - The hiring landscape has shifted from the previous year, where hiring slowed due to high dependency on contract employees and reduced attrition rates [3] - Financial firms are focusing on long-term competitiveness and digital capabilities rather than merely filling vacancies [4] Group 2: Credit Growth and Hiring Needs - Bank credit growth reached 14.6% at the end of January, up from 11.4% a year ago, signaling a recovery in corporate credit demand and a need for more hires across various teams [5] - The financial sector is seeing a significant increase in student placements in finance, with over 21% of the 2026 batch securing roles in this area, compared to 14.5% in 2025 and 19% in 2024 [6] Group 3: Focus Areas for Recruitment - Recruitment is heavily concentrated in three key areas: global capability centers, investment and wealth management, and technology-led banking [7][8][13] - Global capability centers are being scaled for operations, compliance, and risk analytics, while investment and wealth management roles are expanding due to a growing equity savings culture in India [8] Group 4: Technology Integration - Banks are increasingly hiring engineers to support digital transformation and build new customer engagement architectures, reflecting a shift towards technology-led banking [13][14] - HSBC reported a fivefold increase in engineering hires over the past two years, emphasizing the importance of technology talent in their strategic shift [16] Group 5: Fresh Talent and Attrition - The influx of fresh talent is partly due to high attrition rates at entry-level positions, necessitating ongoing recruitment of new graduates [17]

Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, LG Electronics, Lenskart Solutions, Max Financial, AstraZeneca Pharma,  Kirloskar Oil Engines, and Godrej Industries are among 344 firms scheduled to announce their earnings report for the third quarter (Q3FY26) on Wednesday.   Some other companies that are expected to declare their Q3 results today include Divi's Laboratories, Bayer CropScience, Patanjali Foods, Hindustan Motors, CARE Ratings, Protean eGov Technologies, IRCON International, and MSTC.  Oil India Q3 resu ...

Stock Market LIVE Updates, Wednesday, February 11, 2026: Indian equity benchmark indices, Indian equity benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty , are likely to witness a positive opening on Wednesday amid mixed global cues.    As a part of the MSCI's February 2026 index review, Aditya Birla Capital and L&T Finance have been added to the MSCI Global Standard Index. IRCTC is the only Indian stock that has been excluded from the index. AU Small Finance Bank will see a weight increase in the index due to a float ad ...

Market Overview - The GIFT Nifty is trading with losses of around 0.3% at 25,779, indicating a negative open for the benchmark index [1] - The Nifty 50 closed up more than 2.5% at above 25,700, marking its best performance since May 2025 [2] - Sensex increased by 2.54% to end at 83,739.13, with midcap and small-cap indices gaining nearly 3% [2] US Market Recap - A tech-led selloff caused stocks to retreat from near-record highs, with the S&P 500 dropping 0.8% and the Nasdaq 100 falling 1.6% [3][4] - Concerns over software stocks were heightened by Anthropic's automation tool, impacting investor sentiment [4] - Oil prices rose due to geopolitical risks, while gold rebounded after a significant decline [3] Asian Market Update - Most Asian shares fell following the US tech-led selloff, with Japanese and Australian stocks opening lower [5] - Advanced Micro Devices Inc. shares declined after issuing a disappointing sales forecast [5] Commodity Check - Oil prices increased for a second consecutive session, with West Texas Intermediate nearing $64 per barrel after a 1.7% gain [6] - Gold stabilized after recovering some losses, trading near $4,950 an ounce, having jumped over 6% in the previous session [7] Key Events - The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee meeting is set to start, with an interest rate decision to be announced on Friday [8] Earnings Reports - TCI Express reported a revenue increase of 5.9% to Rs 314.1 crore and a net profit rise of 14.8% to Rs 22.0 crore [11] - Mankind Pharma's revenue grew by 11.5% to Rs 3,567 crore, with a net profit increase of 7.6% to Rs 409 crore [11] - Aditya Birla Capital's total income rose by 13.1% to Rs 12,002 crore, with a profit increase of 10.5% to Rs 945 crore [12] Corporate Actions - NBCC (India) received work orders worth Rs 271.32 crore [26] - Tata Communications' CFO resigned, and Satin Creditcare Network appointed a new CFO [26] - JK Lakshmi Cement announced an increase in expansion project costs from Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 3,000 crore [26] Stocks in News - Aditya Birla Capital approved raising funds via NCDs within an overall borrowing limit of Rs 1,65,000 crore [26] - Varroc Engineering secured a strategic contract with a global EV OEM for AC-bi-directional wall chargers [26] - Shipping Corporation of India signed an MOU to acquire and operate vessels and containers [26]

Core Insights - The year 2025 presented a mixed experience for Indian mutual fund investors, with returns varying significantly across different fund categories, ranging from –20% to 178% [1] - Equity performance was notably divergent, with large-cap funds showing resilience while small-cap strategies faced challenges due to increased volatility [1] - Thematic funds reflected sector-specific cycles rather than overall market trends, while debt funds experienced diminishing returns as the year progressed [1] Equity Funds - The Nifty 500 index saw a sharp correction after peaking in September 2024, followed by a V-shaped recovery, with the Nifty 100 Total Return Index gaining about 10% YTD by December 23, 2025 [4] - Large-cap funds led returns with 7.5%, while mid-cap and small-cap funds lagged at 2.4% and –4.1% respectively, contrasting sharply with 2024's performance [6] - Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) showed strong performance, with large-cap funds achieving an XIRR of 13.4% [7] Sector and Thematic Funds - Transportation and Banks & Financial Services sectors led returns at 18% and 16% respectively, while defensive sectors like Technology and Pharma underperformed [10] - Large-cap funds managed corrections better during market troughs, with declines of less than 9% compared to larger drops in flexi-cap and small-cap funds [12] Debt Funds - The RBI cut the repo rate by 125 bps to 5.25%, supported by low inflation, allowing for a favorable environment for debt funds [21] - G-Sec yields softened initially but later increased due to supply pressures, with long-duration funds posting modest YTD returns of 2.9% to 5.3% by December 23, 2025 [22] - The overall debt fund universe recorded a notable AUM increase of 23%, reaching ₹19.4 lakh crore by November 2025 [25] Gold and Silver ETFs - Gold and silver ETFs were standout performers, with silver surging 178% and gold returning 78% YTD [26] - Trading volumes for silver ETFs significantly outpaced gold ETFs, with total traded value for silver ETFs reaching ₹1.3 lakh crore, a 560% increase from the previous year [29] Hybrid Funds - Multi-asset allocation funds emerged as top performers with an average return of about 16.4%, benefiting from diversified exposure [31] - Aggressive hybrid funds delivered modest returns of around 5.7%, with significant performance dispersion among schemes [33] - Investor flows favored multi-asset allocation funds, which attracted the highest inflows at ₹39,631 crore [35] International Funds - International funds showed a wide range of returns from 9% to 178%, with US equity funds being the backbone of allocations [36] - The DSP World Gold Mining Overseas Equity Omni FoF achieved an extraordinary 178% return, driven by a rally in gold prices [39] - Regulatory constraints on overseas investments by Indian mutual funds limit incremental flows, impacting subscription opportunities [42][43]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of ensuring that fintech lending apps are approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to avoid frauds and scams [1] Borrowing Process - The borrowing process through loan apps is described as quick and seamless, involving an online application and eKYC verification, which assesses the borrower's repayment ability through documents like credit reports and bank statements [2] - Once approved, the loan amount is transferred immediately after deducting processing charges [2] Popular Approved Loan Apps - Stashfin offers a credit limit of up to ₹5 lakh with a 30-day interest-free period [3] - Fibe provides loans up to ₹5 lakh in just two minutes, with no foreclosure charges and options for loans against mutual funds [3] Loan Offerings from Various Institutions - Aditya Birla Capital provides instant loans for up to 12 months at an interest rate of 19.45% per annum, and for longer tenures at 20.45% per annum, requiring a minimum credit score of 650 for better approval chances [4] - IDFC First Bank offers loans up to ₹10 lakh starting at 9.99% per annum, with repayment tenures ranging from 9 to 60 months [4] - Money View provides loans up to ₹10 lakh with tenures between 3 to 60 months [5] - Kredit Bee offers loans at interest rates between 12% to 28% per annum for amounts between ₹6,000 to ₹10 lakh, with repayment periods from 6 to 60 months [5] - Lazy Pay allows loans between ₹3,000 and ₹5 lakh without physical documents, requiring KYC and auto-pay setup, with repayment options from 3 to 24 months [5] - CASHe provides loans between ₹50,000 to ₹3,00,000 with tenures from 9 to 18 months [6] - ZestMoney offers a credit facility of up to ₹2 lakh with no paperwork, repayable in 3, 6, 9, or 12 parts [6] - mPokket provides small loans as a credit limit of up to ₹50,000, requiring PAN, Aadhaar, and proof of education for KYC [6]