DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Summary Data due at 1200 GMT Dec. 12BENGALURU, Dec 9 (Reuters) - India consumer price inflation likely cooled to a nine-month low of 6.40% in November mainly due to a moderation in food prices, according to a Reuters poll of economists. Food prices alone account for nearly 40% of the consumer price index (CPI) basket in Asia's third largest economy. The Dec. 5-8 Reuters poll of 45 economists predicted the second consecutive decline in inflation (INCPIY=ECI) to an annual 6.40% from 6.77% in October. The central bank maintained its inflation forecast for financial year 2022/23 at 6.7%, the same as a recent Reuters poll. Furthermore, there are upside risks to food inflation particularly from cereals."

☆ India’s Outlook Is Surprisingly Bright
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Megha Mandavia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Reserve Bank of India has leeway to rein in inflation. India’s central bank has further tightening to do, but the economy looks as though it can handle it. Stock investors, too, should consider taking a look: The South Asian country is well placed to handle a global slowdown next year, as long as rebounding global oil prices don’t play the spoiler.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee eyes stronger opening on subdued dollar, oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Anushka Trivedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee was expected to open slightly stronger against the U.S. currency on Thursday, amid weaker oil prices and as the dollar dropped overnight on growth concerns in the world's top economy. The partially convertible rupee was seen around 82.30-82.35 per dollar in the opening trades, compared to its previous close of 82.47. Monitoring debt and equity inflows will be key, but the rupee could head towards 82.50-levels, the trader added. Several executives at top U.S. banks this week have warned about this possibility. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India hiked the key repo rate by 35 basis points (bps) to 6.25% on Wednesday but sounded more hawkish than market expectations about fighting inflation.

☆ India cenbank hikes key policy rate by 35 basis points
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

However, the pace of rate hikes is reducing from 50 bps to 35 bps, in line with expected global hikes." The market needs to keep a close watch on global rate hikes and sticky core inflation." "We expect RBI to go for another 25 bps hike in its next policy, with the terminal rate at 6.5%. ANUJ PURI, CHAIRMAN, ANAROCK GROUP, MUMBAI"The 35 bps rate hike by the RBI - the fifth consecutive rate hike this year - comes as no surprise. We see a possibility of another 25 bps rate hike before a prolonged pause."

☆ Indian shares unchanged ahead of RBI policy decision
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Indian shares had a muted open on Wednesday, ahead of a widely expected interest rate hike by the Reserve Bank of India, though investors will focus on the outlook the central bank provides on its fight against domestic inflation. The RBI is widely expected to raise rates by a smaller 35 basis points (bps), after three back-to-back 50-bps moves to tame stubbornly high inflation. The Nifty and Sensex have climbed 9% each since the last RBI rate hike on September 30. The sustainability of the drop in crude prices is also uncertain. "A likely smaller rate hike will signal a mix of cautiousness and comfort while keeping all options open for the February policy depending on the conditions," Suvodeep Rakshit, chief economist at Kotak Instituitonal Equities, wrote in a pre-monetary policy note.

The monetary policy committee (MPC), comprising three members from the RBI and three external members, raised the key lending rate or the repo rate (INREPO=ECI) to 6.25% in a majority decision. "The MPC was of the view that further calibrated monetary policy action was warranted to keep inflation expectations anchored, break core inflation persistence and contain second round effects,” Das said as he announced the monetary policy committee's decision. We see a possibility of another 25 bps rate hike before a prolonged pause," Upasna Bhardwaj, chief economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank said. A 6.8% growth (rate) is robust," Das said. The Indian rupee dipped against the dollar after the policy decision and comments on inflation, while government bond yields rose.

☆ India cenbank says digital currency transactions to stay largely anonymous
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nupur Anand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India started the pilot project for its digital currency, or e-rupee, from Nov 1, when it was opened for initial trial. Then only being used by banks for settlements with each other, the scope of the project was expanded to include consumers and retailers-led transactions from Dec. 1. "E-rupee is money, UPI is a payment method," RBI's Sankar said. "Digital currency is like payment of cash, it is possible that two private entities can provide wallet features and money can move in between them. That is not possible with UPI which has to be from one bank to the other," he said, adding that e-rupee provides privacy unlike UPI.

☆ India's c.bank set to raise rates; outlook on growth, inflation in focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Swati Bhat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe central bank's outlook, which will accompany the rates decision, will be an important pointer to future policy moves, economists said. Global crude oil prices have been falling in recent months but has yet to be reflected in domestic prices. Sabnavis, who does not see the RBI reducing its inflation forecast, pointed out that though global oil prices have come down, the government has not relaxed duties or taxes. "Hence, the consumer is still paying the same price and has not derived any benefit from declining oil prices." Lower oil prices may also be countered by higher than expected food prices.

Australia's central bank raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point to a 10-year high on Tuesday as expected, and said more tightening was needed. Australian stocks slumped 2.5% and the MSCI Asia ex-Japan stock index fell 1.2%, its biggest fall in over two weeks. Some days, investors look at sluggish activity through the 'bad news is good news' lens, betting that weak data will prevent central banks from raising rates too much. Other days, bad news is just bad news and Tuesday was one of them - bonds surged and oil slumped to its lowest since the first week of the year. Will bad news be bad news and good news be good news, or bad news be good news and good news be bad news?

☆ World Bank sees India's growth at 6.9% this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/FilesNEW DELHI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - India's economy is expected to grow 6.9% in the current fiscal year, the World Bank said on Tuesday, adding that it is well positioned to tackle global headwinds. The World Bank raised its forecast for India's growth to 6.9% for the current fiscal year from 6.5% earlier. However, the World Bank is confident that the global slowdown has a much lower impact on India, compared to other emerging economies. "We have no concerns about India's debt sustainability at this stage," World Bank economist Dhruv Sharma said, adding that public debt had declined. The report sees average retail inflation at 7.1% this year and warns that the fall in commodity prices could dampen inflationary pressures.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee below 82/USD for first time in a month, premiums at 12-yr low
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nimesh Vora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The rupee was at 82.2550 to the dollar at 10:58 a.m. IST, down from 81.79 in the previous session. The local unit dropped to a low of 82.34, a level last seen on Nov. 4. Talk of a mining company's large dividend payment-related dollar outflow was adding to the USD/INR upside momentum, they added. Meanwhile, USD/INR forward premiums fell more to slip to their lowest level in more than a decade. The RBI will raise interest rates by a smaller 35 basis points to 6.25%, according to economists polled by Reuters.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee likely to fall after robust U.S. data sparks rate hike fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nimesh Vora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee is expected to open lower versus the dollar on Tuesday after better-than-expected U.S. data rekindled worries on how high the Federal Reserve will hike rates. The rupee is projected to open at around 81.90 per U.S. dollar, weaker than the 81.79 closing in the previous session. The rupee has in the last two sessions declined despite a host of positive cues. The rise in Treasury yields and expectations that the Reserve Bank of India will deliver a smaller rate hike on Wednesday may push rupee forward premiums to new multi-year lows. The RBI will raise interest rates by a smaller 35 basis points to 6.25% in December, according to economists polled by Reuters.

☆ Mukesh Ambani will take credit where it’s due
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Boss Mukesh Ambani might do precisely that to fund a push by his $220 billion Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) conglomerate into consumer lending. The company is spinning off and listing its little-noticed non-bank financial company. More than rivals, Ambani is sitting on a treasure trove of data to assess the credit worthiness of borrowers. As a home-grown tycoon, Ambani has a better chance of success than other late entrants to financial services. On Oct. 21, Reliance revealed plans to spin off Reliance Strategic and rename it Jio Financial Services.

The findings highlight how the housing market, one of the biggest employers in a country of around 1.4 billion people, is likely to remain a stable contributor to growth in Asia's third-largest economy going forward. Relatively modest interest rate risk partly explains why all but one of 10 analysts who answered an additional question said the chances of a significant slowdown in the housing market over the coming year were low. Nine of 11 respondents said either an economic slowdown or rising rates would be the biggest challenge for first-time homebuyers. "While India ... has been quite resilient amidst global disturbances, the chances of a slowdown in India cannot be ruled out," said Anuj Puri, chairman of ANAROCK Property Consultants. (For other stories from the Reuters quarterly housing market polls:)Reporting by Milounee Purohit and Indradip Ghosh in Bengaluru Polling by Maneesh Kumar Editing by Hari Kishan, Ross Finley and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's Nov services activity growth hit 3-mth high, high inflation a concern
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Indradip Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P Global India services purchasing managers' index (INPMIS=ECI) rose to 56.4 in November from 55.1 in October, beating the 55.4 estimate in a Reuters poll. It remained above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction for a 16th straight month, its longest stretch of expansion since October 2016. However, growth is widely expected to slow in the coming quarters as high-interest rates hamper economic activity. "Evidence of stubborn inflation may prompt further hikes to the policy rate at a time when global economic challenges could negatively impact on India's growth," added De Lima. Stronger expansion in services activity alongside better-than-expected manufacturing growth boosted the composite index to a three-month high of 56.7 in November from 55.5 in October.

☆ Indian shares slip as oil jumps on easing China COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Indian shares dipped at open on Monday, as oil prices jumped following China's unwinding of COVID-19 restrictions, while investors awaited the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy decision due later in the week. Oil prices rose after OPEC+ held its output targets in its meeting on Sunday and easing China curbs offered hopes of a rebound in fuel demand. Rise in oil prices is a negative for oil-importing countries like India, where crude oil constitutes the most in the country's import bill. Nifty Metal index was the top sectoral gainer, adding 1.11%, led by Hindalco (HALC.NS), National Aluminium (NALU.NS). Indian markets are also focused on the central bank's monetary policy decision, which is due on Wednesday.

If U.S. financial conditions continue to ease and implied market volatility remains well-anchored, bulls will stay on the front foot. On the Asian policy front, further evidence that the burst of 'jumbo' hikes is over will also support risk appetite. The fiscal policy focus this week will be on China, with the Communist Party's Politburo meeting early this month to lay out the government's strategy and guidelines for the year ahead. Analysts at Goldman Sachs expect policymakers to reiterate a 'supportive' stance in light of weak economic activity recently. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

MUMBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A month into India's pilot project for using an official digital rupee for inter-bank and institutional transactions, stakeholders are seeing no benefits, several bankers said. But in the initial trial banks have been using it for settlements with each other - with no particular advantage, according to bankers. Another issue is that, since e-rupee transactions do not wholly replace those using established procedures, they add to banks' accounting work. It would also offer a safer means of digital payment in retail use, the RBI said. UPI, an instant real-time consumer payments system that lets users transfer money between banks without disclosing account details, has been a factor in India's soaring digital payment volume.

☆ India’s Central Bank to Launch Retail Pilot of Digital Rupee
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Shefali Anand | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

India’s central bank will launch its first pilot of a digital rupee for individual users on Thursday, putting it ahead of many major economies in the journey toward a sovereign virtual currency. The Reserve Bank of India has said a digital rupee could provide Indians a safe alternative to risky private digital currencies.

☆ India stocks to rise 9% by end-2023 despite slowing economy - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Indradip Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary poll dataBENGALURU, Nov 30 (Reuters) - India's stock market, which rallied to a record high this week, is forecast to rise another 9% by the end of 2023 despite widespread expectations of a gradual slowdown in the economy, according to market experts polled by Reuters. The benchmark BSE Sensex Index (.BSESN) touched an all-time record high of 62,887.40 on Tuesday, surging more than 23% from this year's low of 50,921.22 hit on June 17. The Sensex was then forecast to rise to 68,000 by end-2023, for a total gain of around 9%. The Nifty 50 (.NSEI), which has also hit a record high, was forecast to gain 4.7% from Tuesday's close of 18,618.05 to 19,500 by mid-2023, and reach 20,500 by end-2023. But by most measures, the Indian market looks overbought.

NEW DELHI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - India posted annual economic growth of 6.3% in its July-September quarter, less than half the 13.5% growth in the previous three months as distortions caused by COVID-19 lockdowns faded in Asia's third-largest economy. Economists warned, however, that growth momentum may ease in the December quarter due to higher interest rates and slowing exports. "Even as domestic growth drivers on services side continue to remain robust, weakening global demand amid tightening financial conditions remains the key risk for growth outlook for India," said Garima Kapoor, economist at Elara Capital. Slowing global growth has also started to hurt exports, which fell 17% over a year ago in October. "Services on the supply side and investments in the demand side would continue to be the main drivers of growth," said Sujan Hazra, chief economist at Anand Rathi.

☆ India's economy likely slowed to annual 6.2% in July-Sept: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Indradip Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Data due at 1200 GMT on Wednesday, Nov. 30BENGALURU, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The Indian economy likely returned to a more normal 6.2% annual growth rate in July-September after double-digit expansion in the previous quarter, but weaker exports and investment will curb future activity, a Reuters poll showed. In April-June, Asia's third-largest economy showed explosive growth of 13.5% from a year earlier thanks mainly to the corresponding period in 2021 having been depressed by pandemic-control restrictions. The 6.2% annual growth forecast for latest quarter in a Nov. 22-28 Reuters poll of 43 economists was a tad lower than the RBI's 6.3% view. Meanwhile, the RBI raised its key policy interest rate to 5.9% from 4.0% in May and is widely expected to add another 60 basis points by the end of March. "Between December and February, the headwinds to growth may become more evident," said Deutsche Bank's Das.

☆ Indian banks' loan growth to accelerate despite higher interest rates -Fitch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Loan growth at Indian banks will accelerate to 13% in this fiscal year despite the RBI raising interest rates, as economic activity picks up after a pandemic led lull, Fitch Ratings said on Monday. read moreStrong loan growth will, however, put pressure on core equity tier 1 ratios if credit growth exceed expectations, limiting buffers to absorb potential future losses, the ratings agency said. Deposit growth is seen at 11% this year and the next, slower than loan growth. Increased deposit rates may put some pressure on margins, but lower credit costs should offset pressure on profitability, Fitch said, adding that near-term asset quality risks appeared contained. "Deposits' large role in banks' funding mix are likely to remain a credit strength for Indian banks, despite some normalisation in household savings after being boosted during the pandemic," the note said.

☆ Indian shares set to open lower on China COVID woes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Foreign institutional investors bought a net 3.69 billion rupees ($45.17 million) worth of equities on Friday, while domestic investors sold a net 2.96 billion rupees ($36.24 million) worth of shares, as per provisional NSE data. ** Larsen & Toubro Financial Holdings (LTFH.NS): Completed divestment of its mutual fund business to HSBC Asset Management (India) and received 34.84 billion rupees. The company also realised surplus cash balance of 7.65 billion rupees in L&T Investment Management. ** VA Tech Wabag (VATE.NS): Signed an agreement with Asian Development Bank towards raising 2 billion rupees through unlisted non-convertible debentures. ($1 = 81.6850 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The rupee ended unchanged at 81.6850 per U.S. dollar last week. "Markets are sensing a softening of approach from the U.S. Federal Reserve and that's giving legs to risk assets. The benchmark 10-year bond yield finished flat at 7.3012% last week. It is expected to stay within a 7.25%-7.33% band this week, with a break below 7.25% considered highly unlikely, the trader said. Many Asian countries are scheduled to release manufacturing data, with China's factory activity data due Wednesday.

Search resuls for: "The Reserve Bank of India"

25 mentions found