Business

Asian markets traded mixed on Wednesday as fading momentum in artificial intelligence-linked stocks, elevated oil prices and concerns over persistent inflation kept investors cautious.Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged up less than 0.1% to 62,774.94, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.9% to 7,708.05 after recovering some recent losses.Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 8,645.80.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng…

UBS has a buy on Indian Hotels with the target price at Rs 900. Analysts said the company reported resilient Jan-March quarter (Q4FY26) numbers despite geopolitical headwinds, with consolidated revenues rising 14% on the year (YoY) to Rs 2,770 crore and profit after tax (PAT) up 15% YoY to Rs 600 crore.This was underpinned by…

Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday after posting gains for three straight sessions, as investors closely monitored the fragile ceasefire linked to the Iran conflict and awaited the outcome of a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.As per Reuters, Brent crude futures fell 82 cents, or 0.76%, to $106.95…

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday raised import tariffs on gold and silver to 15% from 6%, according to Reuters. The move is aimed at curbing precious metal imports and easing pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.The sharp increase in duties comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to avoid buying gold…

NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the ongoing global challenges should act as a “wake-up call” for Indian industry to become self-efficient and productive, make better use of free trade agreements, and reduce dependence on imports to strengthen the economy.Amid trying times, India has an opportunity to outshine others, he…

MUMBAI: Mitsui OSK Lines, which runs one of the largest shipping fleets globally, on Tuesday said that container rates may rise further as there is a gap between freight rates and increase in cost as bunker oil prices have doubled in Asia.During an interaction with TOI, the Japanese company’s global president and CEO Jotaro Tamura…

NEW DELHI: India’s entry-level smartphone market suffered a collapse in the first quarter of 2026. Rising component costs and weakening consumer demand reshaped the country’s handset landscape, according to new data from IDC.India’s overall smartphone shipments declined 4.1% year-on-year to 31 million units in Q1 2026, but the steepest pressure was concentrated in devices priced…

BENGALURU: India’s Gen Z workforce is embracing what experts describe as “portfolio careers” – balancing multiple professional identities and income streams simultaneously. New research from LinkedIn shows that 75% of Gen Z entrepreneurs in India now manage multiple income streams, significantly higher than the 62% among Gen X entrepreneurs. The findings point to a growing…

NEW DELHI: Retail inflation, based on consumer price index (CPI), inched up for the third consecutive month to 3.5% in April from 3.4% in March on account of acceleration in food prices, data released by NSO showed Tuesday. The food index rose 4.2% in April, above 3.9% in the preceding month. Fuel inflation decelerated sharply…

BENGALURU: The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) Tuesday said it has deepened its partnership with American laboratory technology giant Agilent Technologies, giving a far wider range of Indian researchers access to some of the most sophisticated drug-testing equipment in the world, without having to buy it themselves.Think of it as a library, but…