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.

Paytm Payments Bank is facing regulatory action from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for persistent non-compliance and violations, including inadequate Know Your Customer checks and cybersecurity standards. Existing customers can withdraw their funds without any constraints, but this incident serves as a wake-up call for all financial entities to prioritize compliance.

Reported Standalone quarterly numbers for Kitex Garments are: Net Sales at Rs 164.13 crore in December 2023 up 140.6% from Rs. 68.22 crore in December 2022. Quarterly Net Profit at Rs. 21.00 crore in December 2023 up 415.77% from Rs. 6.65 crore in December 2022. EBITDA stands at Rs. 41.11 crore in December 2023 up 1612.92% from Rs. 2.40 crore in December 2022.

Shree Cement's stock jumped 6% and hit a 52-week high following strong Q3 earnings. Net profit rose 165% YoY, revenue increased 20% YoY, and EBITDA was up 74% YoY. The company is executing a performance improvement plan and aims to reach 80 million tonnes production capacity by 2028. Nuvama upgraded the stock rating and raised the target price.

AksharChem (India) reported strong standalone quarterly results for December 2023, with a 15.99% increase in net sales and a 122.98% rise in quarterly net profit compared to the same period in 2022. EBITDA also showed a significant increase of 158.42%. EPS has increased to Rs. 0.41 from Rs. 1.77 in December 2022.

Railway-related stocks surged on Thursday morning ahead of the interim Budget, with IRCON International and Texmaco Rail & Engineering leading the gains. Experts predict a rise in investment and introduction of new projects and Vande Bharat trains. The BSE Sensex and Nifty also saw positive movements. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget at 11 am.