Biggest Winner

• The combined market capitalization of four of India's top-10 most valued firms increased by Rs 1.43 lakh crore last week. • State Bank of India (SBI) emerged as the biggest winner among the gaining companies during this period. • Market growth occurred despite volatility caused by the RBI's monetary policy decision, geopolitical uncertainties, and the new Closing Auction Session (CAS) framework for F&O stocks.

• IBM has issued a warning that the high costs of AI infrastructure and cybersecurity are consuming a significant portion of corporate technology budgets. • The report highlights a shift in spending patterns, where the financial demands of implementing generative AI are "draining" funds from other IT initiatives. • This trend matters as it indicates a potential imbalance in tech investments, forcing companies to prioritize AI capabilities over traditional digital maintenance.

• The market capitalization of six of India's top 10 most valued firms increased by a combined Rs 88,678.1 crore during the last week of trading. • ICICI Bank emerged as the biggest winner of the surge, with HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries also seeing significant gains in valuation. • Conversely, the overall growth was tempered by valuation drops experienced by major companies including Bharti Airtel, TCS, and LIC.

As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’Middle East crisis – live updatesIn a war where there have been no winners, Israel’s prime minister looks set to be the biggest loser entering a fragile and vague ceasefire with Iran.After years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats against Iran, his stunts at the UN’s general assembly, the dodgy dossiers endlessly wafted under the noses of the world’s media, and diplomatic pressure on successive US presidents to agree to a war against Iran, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust. Continue reading...