European markets up slightly as investors await tech earnings, and monitor oil (EUR:USD:)

• Several key stocks, including ITC, Happiest Minds, HDFC Bank, and ONGC, are identified as primary companies to watch for the September 1 trading session. • Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has announced plans to allocate over ₹30,000 crore toward capital expenditure throughout the current year.

• Bank of America (BofA) has updated its outlook on top European IT services and payments stocks following the second-quarter reporting season. • For one unnamed company, BofA increased the target multiple to 26 times 2026 price-to-earnings, up from 24 times, citing peer rerating.

• Indian benchmark indices traded in the red during the late session on August 31, 2026, with the Sensex dropping 307.24 points to close at 76,957.27. • Despite the overall market decline, several Nifty 50 stocks saw gains, led by ICICI Bank (+1.43%), Grasim (+0.98%), and Reliance (+0.75%).

• Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world's largest economies are meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, this Monday and Tuesday for G20 discussions. • The summit occurs as the U.S. administration simultaneously pressures allies to financially isolate Iran while imposing tariffs on several of those same partner nations.

• The global ETF industry experienced a record-high number of new fund launches in July, signaling a potentially transformative year for the sector. • This surge in activity reflects growing investor demand and a strategic shift by fund managers to offer more accessible, low-cost investment vehicles.

• U.S. equities experienced a volatile week starting August 25, 2026, initially dropping due to weakness in the technology and semiconductor sectors. • A Tuesday relief rally was triggered by falling oil prices as Middle East supply fears eased, though gains later stalled following a firm July Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report that revived inflation concerns.

• The Indian government has summoned Meta following the temporary restriction of a Facebook post made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • In industrial developments, Maruti Suzuki is expanding its manufacturing capacity in Gujarat, while Sarvam AI has announced plans to develop a trillion-parameter AI model.

• Indian markets closed lower following Friday's session, driven by MSCI rebalancing and rising expectations of a US interest rate hike after a speech by Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. • India's GDP growth was reported at 7.80%, while Cipla and the SBP Group entered into a new licensing agreement.

• Researchers have introduced NTA-SAFE, a new framework of five indicators designed to evaluate the sustainability, adequacy, and fairness of social protection systems. • The study applies this framework to five Asian nations—Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia—to analyze how they manage population aging.

• Indian benchmark indices, the Sensex and Nifty 50, traded in a choppy range on Friday but ultimately closed in positive territory near their daily highs. • Investor sentiment remained cautious due to Brent crude prices holding above $85 a barrel, which continues to be a primary concern for the market.

• The Straits Times Index (STI) closed at 5,755.360 on Monday, August 31, marking an increase of 0.97%. • DFI Retail emerged as the top-performing stock during the trading session.

• The provided text outlines the fundamentals of forex recession trading, focusing on how economic slowdowns and central bank interest rate shifts impact currency markets. • Key details include the importance of monitoring "hawkish" or "dovish" rhetoric from central banks, as discrepancies between expected and actual policies often trigger significant market volatility.