August 20, 2026

TOP NEWS

War update: US President Donald Trump has announced the launch of an unprecedented “crushing economic operation” against Iran after the two countries failed to reach a deal, warning that any country offering Tehran a lifeline will face severe financial retaliation. Trump said Washington may resume talks with Tehran at “some point”, stating that US demands remain focused strictly on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Asian markets opened in green and gift nifty indicates a 150 points positivity on the bourses

 

BSE Limited: has entered into an agreement with global index provider MSCI and will explore launching futures and options contracts in India linked to a number of MSCI indexes, the stock exchange said on August 19. Any launch will be subject to regulatory approvals. BSE did not disclose which MSCI indexes could form the underlying benchmarks for the proposed derivatives or provide a timeline for their introduction. The agreement could broaden BSE's derivatives offering by allowing investors and fund managers to trade contracts linked to MSCI benchmarks. MSCI indexes are among the world's most widely tracked investment benchmarks. About $21 trillion in assets was benchmarked to MSCI indexes as of December.  Positive

 

Gravita India ; Gravita India plans to add 59,200 MTPA of copper recycling capacity to its Mundra facility in Gujarat with an investment of ₹64 crore by March 2029. This development, which is fully funded by internal accruals, will serve as a backward integration mechanism for its planned Mandvi factory, enhancing logistics and supply chain resilience. 

 

LCL Limited : The company delivered a strong Q1FY27 performance on a YoY basis, with revenue increasing 59% YoY to ₹503 Cr, reflecting robust business growth. EBITDA grew much faster at 176% YoY to ₹100 Cr, resulting in a significant 840 bps expansion in EBITDA margin to 19.9% from 11.5% last year, indicating strong operating leverage and improved profitability. Consequently, net profit surged 292% YoY to ₹66.3 Cr, highlighting a sharp improvement in earnings quality and overall operating performance.

 

KFin Tech: General Atlantic to offload ₹1,209-crore stake in KFin Technologies via block deals: US-based private equity firm General Atlantic, through its affiliate General Atlantic Singapore Fund Pte, is likely to offload up to 6.9% of its equity stake in financial services firm KFin Technologies Ltd through block deals,  as per the media source. The proposed sale will involve approximately 1.18 crore shares, amounting to a deal size of ₹1,209.5 crore. The floor price for the transaction is set at ₹1,025 per share, representing an 8.3% discount to KFin Tech’s current market price, as per the media.

 

Muthoot Finance: The stock is expected in focus  for the day as the gold prices sharply rose yesterday. So, positive for the gold lenders like Muthoot Finance, Manappuram Finance and other related stocks

 

EMS: EMS has received the lowest bidder (L-1) status from the Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Rajasthan, for the construction of a water treatment plant and other ancillary works in Kota, Rajasthan. The estimated order value is Rs 190.86 crore. Positive

 

Minda Corp:  Spark Minda, subsidiary of Minda Corporation)  making an investment of Rs. 1200 crore its two new manufacturing units in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region. Minda Corp has market cap of Rs. 17,655 crore. Positive for the company.  Positive

 

 

Macro Wrap

  • FOMC Minutes: July FOMC minutes showed most officials favored holding rates, though several wanted a hike and said more increases may be needed if inflation stays high. They noted tighter financial conditions, broad-based price gains, and an outlook of similar inflation but slightly weaker growth. Chair Warsh floated cutting to six meetings a year, with no change for 2026. Sentimentally bullish for Non yielding assets (Gold/silver Cyptos)
  • The dominant driver of the session was the US Treasury’s announcement of expanded buybacks of longer-dated bonds, which triggered a sharp bull-flattening move in the curve. Effective 9 September, the US Treasury will double the size of liquidity support buyback operations to at least USD4bn. The 30Y yield fell 10bp following the announcement, and the curve flattened. The move was interpreted as Washington signalling a willingness to support liquidity in the long end of the market, and it helped broader equity indices recover from earlier weakness. The dollar fell in tandem with yields.
  • On the geopolitical front, US President has asked the global countries to  boycott and isolate Iran through Economic and financial measure to put them under pressure for the deal and negotiations, Investors remain concerned about the lack of prospects for ending the conflict, which has kept naval traffic disrupted through the Strait of Hormuz and energy prices elevated.
  • The DJIA, S&P500, and Nasdaq Composite each rose by 0.2%, , while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 2.1%. Euro Stoxx 50 dipped 0.4%.
  • The Dollar Index fell 0.8% to 98.83. EUR USD rose 100 pips to around 1.1680. The US 2Y yield edged down 1bp to 4.16%, the 10Y fell 6bp to 4.65%, led by the long-end rally following the Treasury buyback announcement. The 30Y fell sharply by 9bp to 5.19%. The German 10Y yield was little changed at 3.26%. The UK 10Y yield fell 4bp to 5.04%.
  • Brent crude oil prices edged up 0.7% to USD 91.62, supported by ongoing supply uncertainty stemming from the Strait of Hormuz disruption. Gold rose 4.2% to USD 4,520. Silver rose 5.7% to USD66.98.

OTHER NEWS

Fedbank Financial Services: The subsidiary of Federal Bank said it will consider a proposal to raise funds of up to ₹2,500 crore through debt instruments, including non-convertible debentures, at a board meeting scheduled for August 25, 2026.

 

Autoline Industries: Autoline Industries has secured a new business award from Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles for the supply of four critical components for hatchback applications. The business is expected to generate annual incremental revenue of approximately Rs 80 crore, while the associated tooling is expected to contribute one-time revenue of approximately Rs 30 crore.  Positive

 

Hyundai Motor India | South Korean auto major said it will increase the prices of its vehicles by up to 1% across its portfolio, effective September 2026. The price revision has been necessitated by rising input and commodity costs, higher operational expenses, and continuing geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, among other factors.

 

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)  fined two entities—Copthall Mauritius and Mansi Shares & Stock Brokers—a total of ₹3.7 crore for manipulating the newly introduced Closing Auction Session (CAS) during the Sensex expiry day on August 13, 2026 . 

Details of the SEBI Action

·       The Fined Entities: Copthall Mauritius was penalized for wrongful gains of ₹2.96 crore and Mansi Shares for ₹71.64 lakh.

·       The Violation: The firms used aggressive and opposite price-impacting strategies during the CAS to artificially shift index prices and benefit open derivative positions.

·       Regulatory Restrictions: SEBI impounded their wrongful gains, barred both entities from accessing the securities market/CAS trading, and froze their accounts pending further review.

SEBI's Stance: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey warned that attempts to manipulate or defame the CAS framework will face stern action, affirming that the new closing auction system remains a permanent and vital market reform.