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☆ The Fed needs the economy to slow from here. These funds could outperform
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

And while Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that the central bank's staff does not predict a recession, he did say that the economy will need to further slow in order to defeat inflation. "We have seen the impact, but not to the extent that the market expected or the Fed expected. He pointed to the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) and the JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF (JQUA) as funds that are capturing some of the market rally without adding outsized risk. Those are growth-oriented defensive equities with strong balance sheets, high revenue growth, which is what investors seek during slow revenue or slow economic environments," Smith said. QUAL YTD mountain This quality factor ETF has risen more than 20% this year.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Venkat Balakrishnan, Savita Subramanian, Andrew Smith, Smith, Charles Champagne Organizations: Federal, " Bank of America, Delos Capital Advisors, CNBC, JPMorgan U.S, Quality, Visa, Mastercard, of America, Investors, Bank of America Locations: U.S, Dallas

☆ Google says court order on Disney app fee in India temporary
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Disney in India has gone to court in what is the latest and most high-profile challenge to Google's policy of imposing a "service fee" of 11-26% on in-app payments. The service charge was introduced after an antitrust directive ruled against Google's earlier 15-30% fee and forced Google to allow third-party payments. An Indian court on Tuesday said Google should receive a lower 4% fee for in-app purchases from Disney+ Hotstar, and cannot remove Disney's app from its India app store, in what is a significant challenge to Google's payments business model. Disney, which runs the popular Disney+ Hotstar streaming app in India, has challenged Google's new billing system in a court in India's Tamil Nadu state. Its lawyers had argued Google was threatening to remove the Hotstar app if it didn't comply with new payments system.

Persons: Aditya Kalra, Tanvi Mehta, Rama Venkat, Nivedita Bhattacharjee Organizations: NEW, Google, Disney, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, BENGALURU, India, India's Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ AI startup Tractable raises $65 million in Series E round led by Japanese investment giant SoftBank
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Artificial intelligence startup Tractable has raised a $65 million Series E led by SoftBank. The startup deploys AI to visually assess damaged cars and properties for insurers. Artificial intelligence startup Tractable has raised $65 million in a round led by Japanese investment giant SoftBank. Tractable last raised funds in a $60 million Series D round when it was valued at over $1 billion. The company declined to comment on the valuation attached to its Series E round, which also included existing investors Insight Partners and Georgian.

Persons: SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, Son, Alex Dalyac, Venkat Sathyamurthy, Mohan Mahadevan, Nahoko Hoshino, Dalyac Organizations: Insight Partners, Vision Fund, Adobe, SoftBank Investment Locations: London, New York, Japan

☆ Belgium's Proximus to buy 58% stake in India's Route Mobile for $721 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Proximus Opal, a unit of Belgian telecom service provider Proximus Group, has clients such as Salesforce and Bytedance, while Route Mobile's clients include Amazon and Indian telecom service provider Airtel. However, Clear Bridge Ventures, an affiliate of some Route Mobile promoters, will buy a minority stake of up to 14.5% in Proximus Opal for about 299.6 million euros (nearly $337 million). Proximus Opal will also have to make an offer to buy an additional stake of up to 26% in Route Mobile at the same price from retail shareholders, according to Indian regulations. "The partnership ... paves the way for Route Mobile to achieve a billion-dollar annual revenue run-rate much sooner than the anticipated 3-4 year time frame," said Rajdip Gupta, Route Mobile's CEO, who will also lead the combined company. ($1 = 82.1570 Indian rupees) ($1 = 0.8910 euros)Reporting by Rama Venkat and Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Opal, Rajdip Gupta, Morgan Stanley, Rama Venkat, Sethuraman, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Route Mobile, Proximus, Airtel, Mobile, Route, Clear, Ventures, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Belgian, India, Bengaluru

☆ Tesla in talks with India to set up factory with up to 500,000 annual capacity - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowBENGALURU, July 13 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has begun discussions with the Indian government for an investment proposal to set up a car factory in the country, with an annual capacity of as many as 500,000 electric vehicles, the Times of India reported on Thursday. The prices for the vehicles will start from 2 million rupees ($24,400.66), the report added. The discussions with the Indian government show a shift in strategy for the U.S. electric car maker. Last year, talks stalled after the Indian government refused to agree to a request from Tesla seeking lower import taxes on cars, which can be as much as 100%. India has strong potential for a sustainable energy future including solar power, stationary battery packs and electric vehicles, Musk said after meeting Modi, adding he hopes to bring SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service to the country as well.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, Narendra Modi, Modi, Rama Venkat, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Tesla, Reuters, U.S, Indian, Thomson Locations: India, Bengaluru

Another source inside Barclays' investment bank, talking anonymously because they are not authorised to speak to the media, said lower staff attrition at its technology and back office operations had started to worry cost-conscious managers. The BCG review could lead to layoffs, the source familiar with the review said, although no decisions have been made. Some top Barclays investors, however, told Reuters they would have misgivings about a plan to prioritise investment over capital distributions. But a recent shake-up at its investment bank has raised concern about Barclays' ability to compete amid a worldwide dealmaking slump. They are not valued properly together," said Alan Beaney, chief executive at RC Brown Investment Management, which has held Barclays shares since 2012.

Persons: C.S, shivers, Richard Marwood, Venkat, Edward Bramson, Richard Buxton, Alan Beaney, Elisa Martinuzzi, Mark Potter Organizations: Barclays, Boston Consulting, Reuters, Royal London Asset Management, Lehman Brothers, Jupiter Asset, RC Brown Investment Management, BNP, HSBC, Reuters Graphics Barclays, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: U.S, Africa

☆ India's Go First airline seeks investor interest as part of insolvency process
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, July 10 (Reuters) - India's Go Airlines (India) Ltd has invited investor interest in the company through a court-appointed administrator as part of the carrier's ongoing insolvency, a newspaper advertisement showed on Monday. Two bankers aware of the developments told Reuters on Monday that they expect Indian conglomerate Wadia Group - which used to own Go Airlines before it started bankruptcy proceedings - to be part of its insolvency process. Go Airlines and Wadia Group's Ness Wadia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "They (Wadia Group) are not disqualified by law to bid for the airline because there has technically been no default," this banker said. Right after the bankruptcy filing, the airline's then chief executive had told Reuters that the Wadia Group was completely committed to the company.

Persons: Ness Wadia, Whitney, Yagnoseni Das, Rama Venkat, Nivedita Organizations: Go Airlines, Wadia, Airbus, Reuters, Wadia Group, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Bengaluru, Siddhi Nayak, Mumbai

☆ Boeing to invest $100 mln in infrastructure, pilot training in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BENGALURU, June 23 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) has announced a $100 million investment in infrastructure and programs to train pilots in India, according to a White House statement released on Thursday. This comes on the heels of Air India signing firm orders of over 200 jets earlier this week from Boeing, which include 20 787 Dreamliners, 10 777Xs, and 190 737 MAX narrowbody aircraft. The development also comes along with a flurry of deals signed by U.S. and Indian companies on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday. Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Joe Biden, Rama Venkat, Rashmi Organizations: Boeing, Air India, U.S, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ India cabinet approves $11 bln revival plan for state-owned BSNL
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Rama Venkat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) advertisement painted on a wall outside its office in Kolkata, India, August 24, 2017. REUTERS/Rupak De ChowdhuriBENGALURU, June 7 (Reuters) - India's cabinet on Wednesday approved an 890.47 billion rupee ($10.79 billion) revival package for loss-making Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to help the state-owned telecom operator deploy 4G and 5G services in a market dominated by private players. "With this revival package, BSNL will emerge as a stable telecom service provider focused on providing connectivity to remotest parts of India," the cabinet said in a statement. Debt-laden BSNL, grappling with poor infrastructure, has been posting losses for the past 12 years. The losses narrowed to 69.82 billion rupees in the year ended March 2022 from 74.41 billion rupees a year ago.

Persons: Vivekanand Subbaraman, Sakshi Dayal, Rama Venkat, Krishna N, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Nigam Ltd, REUTERS, Sanchar Nigam Ltd, BSNL, Tata Consultancy Services, 5G, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Das, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, Chowdhuri BENGALURU, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ India's Glenmark Pharma reports lower Q4 profit as domestic sales weaken
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, May 19 (Reuters) - India's Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd (GLEN.NS) reported a 12.3% decline in fourth-quarter profit on Friday, hurt by higher input costs and lower demand in its domestic drugs business. Consolidated profit before exceptional items and tax fell to 3.09 billion rupees ($37.78 million) for the three months ended March 31, from 3.52 billion rupees a year earlier, the cetirizine maker said in a stock exchange filing. Glenmark, which caters to the therapeutic areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular and oral contraceptives, reported a 11.5% rise in quarterly net sales. Input costs for the quarter rose 11% to 8.77 billion rupees from a year earlier. Glenmark Pharma shares had climbed 9.6% in the March quarter, comfortably outperforming the Nifty Pharma index (.NIPHARM) that fell 4.6%.

☆ What does India's BJP losing Karnataka elections mean for Modi?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lost its only stronghold in the country’s south after voters in Karnataka state rejected the Hindu-nationalist policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party in crucial local elections last week. The opposition Congress party won 135 seats in the state’s legislative assembly, versus 66 for the BJP, giving Modi’s opponents a boost as they prepare to challenge India’s populist leader in next year’s general election. “Were they to lose some or all of the remaining state elections this year, including three big states in the (central and northern) Hindi belt, that may be further indication of waning support,” he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the crowd during campaigning for state elections in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on May 7. “A lot would depend on how Congress Party does in upcoming state assembly elections,” Verma said.

☆ Google zeroed in on these 3 categories of climate companies to boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

This year, the 12 companies mostly fell into three broad categories: Artificial intelligence, electric vehicle infrastructure, and providing companies with better data to decarbonize their operations. When I read the headlines about the dangers of the climate crisis, I feel a personal obligation to be a part of supporting innovative climate solutions to scale," Ridenour told CNBC. Google has hosted three climate change startup accelerators for North American companies in the last three years, and all 33 of the participants are all still operating, a spokesperson for Google told CNBC. "Teams are leaning deeper into developing AI and ML models to address climate change," Ridenour told CNBC. Cleartrace is particularly focused on measurement techniques for Scope 3 emissions -- emissions associated with a company's entire supply chain or value chain, which can be fiendishly difficult to track.

☆ India's Mankind Pharma soars 31%, valuing condom maker at almost $7 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Rama Venkat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, May 9 (Reuters) - Shares of Manforce condom maker Mankind Pharma Ltd (MNKI.NS) surged as much as 31% in debut trading on Tuesday, valuing the company at 566.43 billion rupees ($6.93 billion) in the country's biggest listing so far this year. The company, which also owns India's top at-home pregnancy testing kit Prega News, opened at 1,300 rupees, staying above that mark through the morning session and hitting its highest at 1,414 rupees. It was seeking a valuation of 432.64 billion rupees ($5.29 billion) at the upper end of a price band it set for its initial public offering last month. The strong debut will likely lift the sentiment for the IPO market overall." The company's IPO had an offer for sale of shares worth 43.26 billion rupees from existing shareholders, including its founder Ramesh Juneja, and allocated 12.98 billion rupees worth of shares to 77 anchor investors including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Government of Singapore, Goldman Sachs and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

☆ KKR to invest $250 million more in India's Serentica Renewables
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies KKR & Co Inc FollowBENGALURU, May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. private equity firm KKR & Co Inc (KKR.N) will invest an additional $250 million in Serentica Renewables, the Indian decarbonisation platform said on Monday. "This latest investment will support the company's effort to achieve 4000MW of installed renewable energy capacity that will aid clean energy delivery to large-scale industrial customers," Serentica Renewables said in a statement. KKR, which jointly holds Serentica with billionaire Anil Agarwal's Twinstar Overseas Ltd, had in November committed to invest $400 million in the company. Founded last year, Serentica focuses on industrial decarbonisation by making renewables the primary source of energy for the commercial and industrial sectors, that use more than 50% of the electricity generated in India. Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya and Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Allegations against former Barclays CEO Staley 'very serious' - CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - Allegations made against British bank Barclays' former CEO Jes Staley regarding his ties with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are "very serious", the lender's current CEO C.S. Venkat said the allegations were being adjudicated in New York, which he said was the "right and proper place". Both seek money damages and neither lawsuit names Staley as a defendant. In U.S. filings this week, Staley accused JPMorgan of using him as a "public relations shield" and said the allegations lacked legal or factual basis. A former investor in the bank last week said the lender should have made more checks over the matter.

☆ Indian carrier Reliance Jio's profit, rev growth hit five-qtr low
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, April 21 (Reuters) - Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, the telecom arm of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd (RELI.NS), reported its slowest profit and revenue growth in five quarters on Friday, due to higher expenses and lack of recent tariff hikes. Jio, India's biggest telecom carrier by subscribers, said net profit rose 13% to 47.16 billion rupees ($574.8 million) in the three months ended March 31, from 41.73 billion rupees a year ago. Its revenue from operations grew 11.9% to 233.94 billion rupees. Jio's revenue growth has been around 23% to 29% in the last four quarters, while profit has increased by 18% to 21%. ($1 = 82.0420 Indian rupees)Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru;Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Musk says unaware why Twitter India pulled posts on BBC documentary critical of Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In January, India ordered the blocking of a BBC documentary which questioned Modi's leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying that even sharing of any clips via social media was barred. The government had issued orders to Twitter to block over 50 tweets linking to the video of the documentary, Kanchan Gupta, an adviser to the government, had said. While the BBC had not aired the documentary in India, the video was uploaded on some YouTube channels, Gupta had said. "The rules in India for what can appear on social media are quite strict and we can't go beyond the laws of the country," he said. "If we have a choice of either our people go to prison or we comply with the laws, we will comply with the laws..." Musk said.

☆ Barclays CEO Venkat completes treatment for cancer, in remission
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - British bank Barclays (BARC.L) said on Friday that its chief executive C.S. Venkatakrishnan has completed treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer, and is now in remission. "I am pleased to inform you that I have completed the treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma that I commenced last November. I am now in remission (no evidence of disease)," Venkatakrishnan told colleagues in a letter, according to a company statement. The CEO, known inside the bank as Venkat, had previously said in November that doctors viewed his prognosis as "excellent" and that he would keep working when possible, while receiving treatment in New York.

BENGALURU, March 2 (Reuters) - U.S. boutique investment firm GQG Partners has bought shares worth $1.87 billion in four Adani group companies, marking the first major investment in the Indian conglomerate since a short-seller's critical report sparked a stock rout. U.S-based, Australia-listed GQG has, through block deals, bought shares worth 154.46 billion rupees in four Adani group companies, including the conglomerate's flagship firm Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS), a regulatory filing showed. GQG took a 3.4% stake in Adani Enterprises for about $662 million, 4.1% in Adani Ports for $640 million, 2.5% in Adani Transmission for $230 million, and a 3.5% stake in Adani Green Energy for $340 million. "This transaction marks the continued confidence of global investors in the governance, management practices and the growth of Adani Portfolio of companies," said Adani Group CFO Jugeshinder Singh. In the run-up to the announcement, Adani group shares rallied, with Adani Enterprises climbing nearly 35% over the last three sessions, Adani Ports 11% and Adani Green Energy 16%.

India's annual retail inflation rate (INCPIY=ECI) rose to 6.52% in January from 5.72% in December, government data showed on Monday. January's retail inflation was above the Reserve Bank of India's upper targeted limit of 6% for the first time since October and much higher than the 5.9% estimate, according to a Reuters poll of 44 analysts. Food price inflation, which accounts for nearly 40% of the consumer price index (CPI) basket, rose to 5.94% in January from 4.19% in December. STICKY CORE INFLATIONIndia's core inflation in January was nearly flat at 6.09% to 6.10% from last month, according to two economists. "We expect core inflation to remain elevated in Feb-March given the ongoing pass-through of higher input costs by producers," said Aditi Nayar, chief economist at ICRA.

☆ Indian shares rise ahead of RBI policy decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Market participants will focus on the RBI's commentary on the future trajectory of rate hikes, liquidity, the country's economic outlook and whether the central bank changes its stance from "withdrawal of accommodation" to "neutral." The RBI had raised key lending rate by 35 basis points in December, after three straight 50 bps hikes, and had said its fight against inflation was not over yet. Fed's Powell said on Tuesday disinflation has started and that he expects significant declines in inflation this year, raising hopes of less aggressive rate hikes in the future. Wall Street closed higher overnight, while MSCI's gauge of the broader index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was up 0.75%. Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India Budget 2023: Here's what the experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

"This budget, therefore, has rewritten the rules for financilisation of savings in India, which will induce expenditures rather incentivise savings. LAKSHMI IYER, CEO-INVESTMENT ADVISORY, KOTAK INVESTMENT ADVISORS LTD"India budget 2023 has offered a multi-dimensional view. The 3 Cs which stand out are - Capex increase - consumption boost - capital gains tax status quo. Additionally, the budget has provided significant direct tax benefits to individuals which will help increase disposable income and support spending. The budget keeps in mind the needs of future India while focusing on Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.

☆ Instant View: Adani's $2.5 billion offer rides out share storm with investor backing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

COMMENTARYAMBAREESH BALIGA, INDEPENDENT MARKET ANALYST, MUMBAI"The FPO did get subscribed, thanks to a few institutional as well as large family offices. DEEPAK JASANI, HEAD OF RETAIL RESEARCH, HDFC SECURITIES, MUMBAI"For Indian markets, one of the concern areas is out of the way for the time being as this was weighing on investor sentiment. Since the current market price is below the offer price, the retail subscription was low as investors can rather buy it from the market." That was their focus area considering the fact that there was a difference between the market price and the floor price of the FPO. It seems that retail investors did not consider the fact that there is more to rates than just the price."

☆ Instant view: India's Adani slammed by $48 bln stock rout, clouding record share sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COMMENTARYJ.P.MORGAN"While the Hindenburg report focused mainly on equity valuations within the group, we are primarily concerned about the underlying credit profiles of group companies given underlying bank exposures. Clearly given the size of the group and outstanding debt, this has also impacted the banks." So if a report comes and stocks see a sharp fall, lot of margin calls also get triggered. At least 40% of the group's debt is exposed to Indian banks, so that exposure is what people are worried about in banks. Reporting by Rama Venkat and Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adani Group fallout drags Indian shares to 3-month low
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Indian shares fell more than 1% to a three-month low on Friday, as banks continued to lead the market lower along with Adani Group companies in the wake of a short-seller attack on the conglomerate. He said the hammering of Adani Group stocks has upset investor sentiment and created a crisis of confidence. Adani Ports (APSE.NS) and Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) were the top losers on the Nifty 50 on Friday, ahead of the latter's $2.45 billion follow-on public offering (FPO). The heavyweight financials sector (.NIFTYFIN) again led the slide, falling more than 2% even though brokerages said banks' exposure to the Adani Group was within manageable limits. The drop in Indian stocks was in contrast to their Asian peers, which hit a near nine-month-high after strong U.S. economic growth data eased recession worries.

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