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Business Standard

• Indian equity markets are expected to kickstart the day in positive territory, influenced by favorable global cues. GIFT Nifty futures indicated a solid start.
• ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company is set to list on the bourses today, among other mainboard IPOs.
• HCLTech has agreed to acquire Hewlett Packard Enterprise's (HPE's) telecom solutions business for approximately $160 million in cash, aiming to bolster its presence in the telecom sector, particularly in 5G network transformation.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) is among other stocks under investors' radar today.
• A market expert suggests that five banks—ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, SBI, and Bank of Baroda—could see rallies of up to 30% in 2026.
• Nuvama has trimmed its FY26-27 earnings estimates for Voltas, citing demand woes.
• India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as the world's largest retail fast-payment system, accounting for nearly half of all digital payments globally by volume.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is scheduled to conduct a ₹30,000 crore underwriting auction for government securities today, December 19.
• An analysis highlights why China has advanced while India has lagged in the global middle-class map, attributing it to an elite focused on finance and a working class hindered by inequality.
• Regulatory and factor-market reforms are deemed crucial for India's growth, with the liberalization of insurance FDI expected to attract more global insurers and enhance governance standards.
• The Indian Coast Guard has detained 35 Bangladeshi fishermen and seized two vessels for allegedly fishing illegally within India's exclusive economic zone.
• Crown Cement is undergoing a leadership transition, with the second generation taking the helm amidst financial and industry-wide challenges.

Economic Times

• An article explores why India has fallen behind China in the global middle-class map, pointing to an elite gaining wealth through financial ventures while a significant portion of the workforce faces entrenched caste and gender disparities.
• After substantial spending, companies are now questioning whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) is genuinely delivering real business value, with many boards struggling to see a return on investment.
• India and Oman have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), granting India unprecedented market access, including duty-free access for 98% of its exports to Oman.
• Discussions revolve around the performance of defence stocks like HAL and BEL, the manganese bottleneck in India's steel dream, and whether Swiggy stock is showing signs of bottoming out.
• Santosh Rao anticipates market rotation rather than a Santa rally by year-end.
• Exim Routes is expected to make a strong market debut on the NSE SME platform today, with grey market premiums indicating significant investor interest.

Mint

• Indian stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, concluded Thursday's session on a flat note due to a lack of fresh market triggers, but are expected to open higher today following positive global cues and cooling US inflation data.
• Chandan Taparia has recommended specific stocks for today, including Tech Mahindra and Hindalco Industries as "buy" and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders as "sell."
• Vaishali Parekh recommends Ashok Leyland, Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores, and Hindustan Copper as intraday buy calls.
• Sumeet Bagadia suggests buying Pricol, Sansera Engineering, Blue Star, Jindal Stainless, and Automotive Axles.
• The India VIX, the volatility index, has plunged by about 15% in December to a record low, indicating market confidence but also prompting vigilance against sudden volatility spikes.
• Vodafone Idea has successfully raised ₹3,300 crore through Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs).
• The government is reportedly considering replacing India's rural job guarantee scheme (MGNREGS).

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