The dollar strengthened on Thursday as US jobless claims decreased, reinforcing the Federal Reserve's decision to not cut interest rates. The drop in unemployment benefits also reflects a strong labor market. However, there may need to be an improvement in global data for the dollar to weaken. Expectations for a rate cut have decreased, leading to higher US Treasury yields.

Apple's exclusive release of the Vision Pro headset is creating a resale market where prices have gone far beyond its $3,500 starting price. On various marketplaces, the device is being sold for significantly higher prices, with some sellers even asking for as much as $6,000. Despite the high demand for the device, experts believe that this may not represent typical consumer behavior.

Attentive, an AI-based SaaS firm, raised $7 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures. The investment will support product development and the company's mission to transform the construction and outdoor services industries. Co-founder and CEO Shiva Dhawan stated that their AI-driven solutions can automate manual workflows and increase productivity.

New York Community Bancorp faced its third credit-rating cut due to concerns over its exposure to the struggling commercial real estate market. This also affected lenders in Europe and Asia, with Germany's Deutsche Pfandbriefbank calling it the worst real estate crisis since the financial crisis. NYCB's shares and bonds fell, and there are fears of a global contagion from the CRE sector.

The Indian company Dynamatic Technologies and Airbus have signed a deal for Dynamatic to make all door variants for A220 planes in India. This is the largest contract awarded by Airbus for doors. It is part of a larger trend of planemakers increasing their sourcing from India, with Airbus expected to double its value of parts sourced from the country in the coming years.

Stock exchange data shows bulk deals in several companies: Knowledge Marine & Engineering Works, Megatherm Induction, Kalyan Jewellers India, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Avalon Technologies, Paradeep Phosphates, and Venus Pipes & Tubes. Notable investors involved include Bandhan Mutual Fund, Ashish Kacholia, Goldman Sachs, and HDFC Mutual Fund.

Wall Street's main indexes opened flat on Thursday following earnings reports from Walt Disney and Spirit Airlines, while investors also assessed softer-than-expected jobs data and remarks from policymakers on interest rate cuts. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 42.09 points, or 0.1%, at the open to 38,719.45. The S&P 500 opened higher by 1.44 points, or 0.03%, at 4,9993.62.

Global private equity firm Warburg Pincus sold a significant 8.4% stake in Kalyan Jewellers India through the open market on Thursday for Rs 2,931 crore. Warburg Pincus, through its affiliate Highdell Investment, cumulatively sold 8,67,29,971 shares at an average price of Rs 338 a share, bulk deals data on BSE and NSE showed.

The state cabinet is considering an amendment to the BBMP Act-2020 that would provide relief to property owners who have defaulted on their tax payments. This comes after MLAs and MLCs from Bengaluru raised concerns about the issue at a high-level meeting convened by deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, and several MLAs criticized the BBMP's decision to penalize and seize properties of defaulters.

The Ramco Cements has reported a growth of 59.48 per cent in its net consolidated profit during the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Its profit after tax stood at Rs 81.67 crore in Q3 FY24 as against Rs 51.21 crore it registered in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, the company said in a BSE filing.The company's net consolidated total income stood at Rs 2,117.39 crore.

JK Lakshmi Cement reported a 93.94% increase in net consolidated profit in the quarter ending in Dec 2023. Company's total income also saw a growth of 9.10%. The board declared an interim dividend of Rs 21 per share and approved raising funds up to Rs 2,500 crore for expansion and growth opportunities. The company achieved high capacity utilization and a subsidiary commissioned a new clinker line.

Grasim Industries, part of Aditya Birla Group, recorded a 48% growth in net profit for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, driven by strong demand for building materials and heavy infrastructure spending. Consolidated revenue was also up 11.6%, while cement sales are expected to continue rising due to government spending and housing demand. Lower prices affected standalone performance.

Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) is avoiding purchase of Russian Sokol crude oil and is relying mostly on Urals, as payments are not being cleared by intermediate banks, a company source said on Thursday. The official declined to be identified due to the sensitivity nature of the information. Presently there are no offers for Sokol grade crude and the Urals market has also become tight.

The Indian government has recently released a white paper on the state of the economy, highlighting the challenges left behind by the previous administration and showcasing its own successes. The paper discusses key factors such as inflation, external stability, fiscal deficit, capital expenditure and GDP growth, comparing data from before and after 2014.

Oil prices rose over 2% on Thursday due to Israel rejecting a ceasefire offer from Hamas and unexpected drops in U.S. fuel stocks. Brent crude breached $80 a barrel for the first time since Feb. 1, with U.S. WTI also seeing gains. Diplomatic efforts continue, and refinery maintenance in the U.S. and Europe's diesel shortage are helping to maintain positive sentiment.