The Finance Minister has announced withdrawal of all outstanding disputed direct tax demand up to Rs 25,000 in her budget speech. The announcement has been made to provide the ease of living of the taxpayers. This move will benefit 1 crore tax payers as per the speech.As per the Budget 2024 speech, Moreover, in line with our Government’s vision to improve ease of living and ease of doing.

Dabur India's Burman family has bought a 3.6% stake in Religare Enterprises for Rs 277 crore on the NSE, increasing their ownership to 24.77%. Meanwhile, Mahesh Udhav Buxani sold a 1.37% stake in Religare for Rs 106 crore. The four entities of the Burman family have been approved by the CCI to acquire a total of 31.27% stake in REL.

Industry stakeholders, including tech startups and venture capital funds, are pushing for a framework and eligibility norms from the Indian government to allow Indian companies to directly list on overseas stock exchanges. This move would enable Indian companies to access global capital and tap into specialized investors in new markets.

Paytm was affected by major business restrictions after RBI's action against Paytm Payments Bank (PBBL). The worst-case scenario could result in a loss of Rs 300-500 crore on their annual earnings. However, the company is taking immediate steps to comply with RBI's directions and is expecting to continue improving their profitability.

In the October-December quarter, IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd reported a 32.49% increase in net profit to Rs 187.42 crore, with total income rising to Rs 2,077 crore. The company's expenses also rose to Rs 1,783 crore. Its private InvIT associate was awarded two projects in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Union Budget's impact on stock market has decreased due to reforms outside the budget. Certain sectors like infrastructure, defence, railway, and auto could see positive changes. Road construction, rural consumption, renewable energy, and rooftop solar may also receive support. Some potential stocks to watch include Cochin Shipyard, RITES, KNR Construction, and Tata Power.

Sebi received a fee of Rs 22.75 lakh from three entities - Oneil Capital Trust, Oneil Capital Management India, and Anupam Singh - to settle a case of investment limit breach by Oneil Quant Fund. After the settlement, the regulator ordered that the proceedings against them are settled. Sebi observed that the fund violated the concentration limit for two companies.

Cement stocks such as UltraTech Cement, ACC, Ambuja Cement, Dalmia Bharat, and Shree Cement will be in focus ahead of the interim Budget on February 1. Analysts expect strong demand, lower input costs, and government initiatives to drive profitability for these companies. However, there are also concerns about potential oversupply due to recent capacity additions.

Marriott International has added 12 properties in India and over 60 in the Asia Pacific region (excluding China). This brings their total number of hotels and residences to over 560 in the region. Their development pipeline for the region now stands at over 320 hotels and they have signed deals for approximately 18,000 rooms.

The last budget's emphasis on capital expenditure boosted infrastructure stocks, and the government may continue this trend despite fiscal constraints. Private investment is also improving but still needs support. The recent Rs 10 lakh crore capex announcement was a game-changer, driving economic growth and the CNX Infrastructure Index up.

Budget Day holds significance in predicting the economic outlook and is reflected in equity markets. Indian market has seen a gain of 20% since last year's budget. As interim budget approaches, focus would be on major announcements from Finance Minister. MTNL, Petronet LNG, Shree Digvijay Cement Co, and Shriram Finance are expected to give 17-20% return in short-medium term.

On February 1, oil-marketing companies raised the price of 19-kg commercial LPG gas cylinders by Rs 14 to Rs 1,769.50 per cylinder. This comes on the day of the interim Budget presentation and is a monthly adjustment. Domestic LPG prices remain unchanged. LPG has various uses including as motor fuel, cooking gas, and for heating and refrigeration.

RBI has banned Paytm Payments Bank from offering all banking services, leading to concern and disappointment in the fintech industry. Some see it as a harsh decision and one that may ultimately destroy the bank. Issues with compliance, including KYC and data storage, were cited as the reasons for the ban.

Raamdeo Agrawal, Chairman and co-founder of Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL), discussed his positive outlook on the capex boom in an interview with Moneycontrol. He believes that the upcoming Budget will further boost this trend and sees opportunities in companies related to capex, power, and infrastructure. Agrawal also highlighted the stable leadership of the current government.

📍The Indian government is preparing to announce their pre-election budget, with hopes of boosting consumption amidst a slowdown in private final consumption expenditure and rural demand. 📍Previous interim budgets have taken measures to stimulate consumption, such as income support for small farmers and tax rebates. 📍Government finances are strong, providing room for incentives.