New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Sentiment towards India’s IT services sector has turned more bearish amid rising global uncertainties, although investors remain hesitant to take strong directional bets, a report said on Friday.BNP Paribas India said in its report that while uncertainty has increased, investors — particularly hedge funds — are avoiding clear market calls and are instead reducing exposure by trimming factor-based positions.The report noted that recent volatility, including rapid rev…

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) The Indian rupee depreciation post February 27 is, in fact, in line with other currencies, and better than currencies which appreciated significantly in the earlier period (April 2, 2025 to February 27, 2026), indicating that in an uncertain world pushing the limits on rupee depreciation as a shock absorber does not hold beyond an inflection point, according to SBI Research.Interestingly, the Indian rupee depreciated by 6.4 per cent between April 2, 2025 to February 27,…

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) India’s largest automobile firm, Maruti Suzuki, on Friday said that it added 502 new service touchpoints in the financial year ended March 2026, in the highest single-year network expansion in the automaker’s history, bringing its total after-sales service footprint to 5,926 touchpoints spread across 3,000 cities and towns nationwide.The newly added locations span a range of formats, including ARENA and NEXA workshops, Maruti Suzuki Sales and Service Points (MSSPs), and…

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) The cost pressures facing Indian auto companies are being systematically underestimated by the market, even as investor sentiment on India has taken a distinctly more cautious turn, according to a report released on Friday.A BNP Paribas analysis found investors reluctant to take a clear directional position on the market. Hedge funds were largely removing tilts and factor exposures from their portfolios, with several actively reducing gross exposure.The rapid reversal o…

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Global crude oil prices rose on Friday after US President Donald Trump warned of possible military strikes on Iran within two to three weeks, stoking fresh concerns over supply disruptions from the West Asia region.Brent crude futures traded at $109.24 per barrel, up 8 per cent, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were at $111.54 per barrel by 3:39 am (local time).Till Friday, US WTI futures jumped 11.94 per cent from the previous Friday’s close during the we…

Seoul, April 3 (IANS) South Korean stocks rose nearly 2.5 per cent late on Friday morning as Iran is said to be working on a protocol with Oman to monitor traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes for the reopening of the crucial shipping waterway.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 128.99 points, or 2.46 percent, to 5,363.0, reports Yonhap news agency.The index opened 2.7 percent higher, rebounding from a sharp decline the previous session, and maintained its …

Mumbai, April 3 (IANS) Indian equity markets closed lower for the sixth consecutive week amid escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia and sharp currency fluctuations, with both headline indices ending in the red during a shortened four-day trading week.Sensex ended at 73,319.55 on Thursday, down 263.67 points or 0.35 per cent, compared to the previous Friday’s close. Nifty 50 settled at 22,713.10, a decline of 106.50 points or 0.46 per cent on a week-on-week basis.In the final session of t…

Seoul, April 3 (IANS) The government will take stern measures, including legal means, against malicious activities aimed at taking advantage of recent market volatility through the spread of fake news and rumours, a senior finance ministry official said on Friday.”Spreading unfounded fake news in a time of extraordinary crisis is a serious matter that can fuel market anxiety and undermine trust in policy,” Moon Ji-sung, deputy minister for international economic affairs, said while presiding ove…

Bhubaneswar, April 2 (IANS) The Odisha government on Thursday held discussions with senior representatives from major oil and gas corporations to streamline the supply of LPG and other petroleum products across the state.​ The high-level review meeting was held under the joint chairmanship of the Minister of Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Krushna Chandra Patra, and the Minister of Housing & Urban Development, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra here.​The meeting, attended by Principal Secre…