Shares of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) are expected to be in focus on Thursday as the company reported a 5% year-on-year (YoY) increase in its net profit for Q2FY25, with profit reaching R 3,395 crore for the quarter ended September 2024. Strong Revenue Growth Driven by Projects & Manufacturing L&T achieved a consolidated revenue of Rs 61,555 crore for the quarter, marking a robust 21% YoY growth.

Dividend Stocks: NTPC and Tech Mahindra share price in focus as today remains the record date for determining dividend payout is today. NTPC Dividend details_ The Board of Directors of NTPC on 24 October had declared in their meeting decided, to pay first interim dividend of ₹2.50 per share) on the face value of paid-up equity shares of Rs. 10/- each for the financial year 2024-25.

HDB Financial Services, a non-banking lending unit of HDFC Bank, has filed for an IPO worth up to Rs 12,500 crore ($1.49 billion), with HDFC Bank selling shares worth up to Rs 10,000 crore and HDB Financial issuing fresh shares worth up to Rs 2,500 crore. HDB Financial will use its IPO proceeds for capital requirements, including onwards lending.

📈 Amid mixed global cues, benchmark indices started on a flat note today. 📊 At 9:16 AM, the Sensex lost 136.15 points or 0.17% at 79,806.03 and the Nifty was down 29.05 points or 0.12% at 24,311.80. 📢Bandhan Bank (⬆️1.06%), and Torrent Pharma (⬆️0.83%) appeared as the top performers on the Nifty50 at open. Tata Power, L&T, Cipla stocks are in focus today.

Ernst & Young resigned as Super Micro Computer Inc.'s auditor, citing concerns over governance and transparency, leading to a 33% stock plunge, the worst in six years, amid an ongoing US Department of Justice probe into accounting rule violations. Ernst & Young raised questions about Super Micro's commitment to integrity and ethics.

Renewable energy power producer ACME Solar Holdings Ltd has set a price band of Rs 275-289 per share for its IPO, which will open on November 6 and close on November 8, aiming to raise Rs 2,900 crore. The company plans to utilize Rs 1,795 crore from the fresh issue to repay debt and the remainder for general corporate purposes.

Asian equities fell Thursday after US stocks and government bonds dropped as robust economic data blurred the picture for imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts. Shares in Australia and Japan opened lower, and a gauge of US-listed Chinese companies slipped in New York trading on Wednesday. US futures declined, weighed down by post-market losses for Microsoft Corp. shares, which fell around 4%.

Oil prices rose for a second day after US crude inventories decreased, with West Texas Intermediate trading near $69 a barrel and Brent above $72, amid ongoing Middle East tensions and anticipation of two key events next week, including the US election and a Chinese legislative meeting that may impact oil demand.

Swiggy co-founders could see gains of nearly Rs 180 crore during the company’s initial public offering between November 6 and November 8. Sriharsha Majety and Lakshmi Nandan Reddy Obul stand to book Rs 68 crore in gains each when the company goes public next week. Both have pledged up to 0.78% of their current shareholding for the IPO.

Bengaluru-based upskilling platform Simplilearn is targeting an initial public offering (IPO) by the end of FY26, after establishing a track record of profitability, according to co-founder and chief operating officer, Kashyap Dalal. The Blackstone and GSV-backed company is currently evaluating both Indian and US markets for the potential listing.

The reduction in the import duty from 15% to 6% has led to huge buying of gold jewellery and encouraged investment during the third quarter of the calendar year 2024, according to the Gold Demand Trends Q3 2024 report, released on Wednesday by the World Gold Council. Sachin Jain, regional CEO, India, World Gold Council, said: “India’s gold demand in Q3 ended September 2024 witnessed an 18% yoy.

US markets ended lower in mid-week trading as traders digested a slew of economic data and ahead of results from megacap names like Microsoft and Meta Platforms, which reported after the bell. The Dow Jones declined 0.2%, S&P 500 fell 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6%, led lower by a fall in chip companies like Nvidia, AMD and a 33% drop in shares of Super Computers.

Exchange traded funds tracking gold and silver prices witnessed a five-fold surge in turnover on October 29 - when Dhanteras, which marks the start of Diwali, was celebrated. Better tax structure for these products and strong returns in the recent past prompted investors to buy gold and silver ETFs on that day, considered auspicious for buying precious metals.

Venture Debt firm Alteria Capital on October 31 has announced a Rs 200-crore debt investment in Gurugram-based direct-to-home food essentials brand  Country Delight as demand for fresh food delivery and quick commerce is increasing in the Indian market. This strategic funding comes at a time when Country Delight is preparing for significant expansion and an impending IPO.

Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services plans to raise ₹950 crore through equity shares and securities to fund strategic growth and operational enhancements, following a 112% revenue growth in Q1FY25 with a 10.7% EBITDA margin. The company also appointed a new Non-Executive Director and saw its shares close 0.3% lower at ₹439.