Market Snapshot USD/INR ₹92.64 +0.3% Nifty 50 Index 23,002.15 -3.3% India 10-Year Bond Yield 6.72% -0.01 Spot Gold ($/oz) $4,702.18 +1.1% S&P 500 Futures 6,675.75 +0.2% Market data as of 08:21 AM IST, Mar. 20, 2026, or the previous close for Indian markets. Data is subject to provider delays. Good morning... I’m Alex Gabriel Simon , with your daily market update at the end of a nerve-wracking week...
Market Snapshot USD/INR ₹92.64 +0.3% Nifty 50 Index 23,002.15 -3.3% India 10-Year Bond Yield 6.72% -0.01 Spot Gold ($/oz) $4,702.18 +1.1% S&P 500 Futures 6,675.75 +0.2% Market data as of 08:21 AM IST, Mar. 20, 2026, or the previous close for Indian markets. Data is subject to provider delays. Good morning... I’m Alex Gabriel Simon , with your daily market update at the end of a nerve-wracking week for equity investors. Local shares look set for more weakness after Thursday’s sharp selloff erased a fragile three-day rebound in just one session. Even with Asia trading firm this morning — helped by a slight cooling in oil prices — sentiment may not improve. Traders remain reluctant to take fresh positions ahead of the weekend. This puts the Nifty on track for a fourth straight week of losses, with the near-term outlook clearly risk-off. While this month’s slide has pushed technical indicators into oversold territory , any bounce may be short-lived unless geopolitical tensions ease and energy prices cool decisively. Brent crude declined about 3% to trade below $106 a barrel after closing at its highest level since July 2022, but remains elevated and continues to strain India’s import-heavy economy. In today’s newsletter we explain why: Most analysts are bullish on banks Growth stocks are in demand Demand for premium spirits is rising But first, India’s top private lender is looking unusually cheap. Markets Buzz: A Bargain Trade? HDFC Bank is trading at about two times book — its cheapest level since at least the pandemic — as the governance crisis weighs on its near-term outlook. The pressure is sharper because state-run rivals, helped by vast branch networks, are gathering deposits more easily and expanding into other services. State Bank of India, the biggest, is valued at $104 billion versus HDFC Bank’s $132 billion, but the valuation gap is narrowing. Three Things to Start Your Day Top private banks are still analysts’ favorites Private lenders are facing growing sc...
The leaders of some Pacific countries have appealed for help with oil supplies while others urge against “panic buying” as the import-reliant nations grapple with fears over possible fuel shortages and escalating costs caused by war in the Middle East. Oil prices have surged to nearly $110 a barrel after strikes against energy infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf states. “Pacific island nations are...
The leaders of some Pacific countries have appealed for help with oil supplies while others urge against “panic buying” as the import-reliant nations grapple with fears over possible fuel shortages and escalating costs caused by war in the Middle East. Oil prices have surged to nearly $110 a barrel after strikes against energy infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf states. “Pacific island nations are especially vulnerable to fuel supply disruptions and rising costs because [most countries] rely almost entirely on imported fuel,” Paul Barker, executive director at the Institute of National Affairs in Papua New Guinea, said. “Many of these economies are relatively weak, with limited purchasing power and strong reliance on remittances and foreign aid, leaving them exposed to global price shocks,” Barker said. He added that higher fuel costs threaten key industries such as tourism and “make delivering basic government services to remote islands increasingly difficult”. In Samoa, about two-thirds of the country’s energy generation comes from imported diesel fuel. Speaking after a meeting with the New Zealand leader, Christopher Luxon, the Samoan prime minister, La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, said he had asked if it was possible to divert fuel to his country in case of crisis. “We don’t know what’s going to happen next,” La’aulialemalietoa said. He said Samoa secured its fuel supply from Singapore and other nations, but had asked Luxon to help “cover us in case something happened”. And in Tonga, where 80% of its energy generation comes from imported diesel fuel, the prime minister, Lord Fakafanua, said New Zealand and Australia were “sharing intelligence” with his country to help them best prepare for shortages. “What we can do is prepare as best we can, and part of that is the sharing of intelligence with our partners such as Australia and New Zealand. My concern is about ensuring that we have enough energy for the country,” he said, adding that “for now we seem to be ...
Palantir Technologies (PLTR +1.91%) trades at about 80 times its annual sales. The average company in the S&P 500 today trades at roughly 3 times sales. A price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of that magnitude puts Palantir in territory that almost no company in the index has ever occupied and, more importantly, held on to. CEO Alex Karp has argued that these metrics are meaningless for his company. He rece...
Palantir Technologies (PLTR +1.91%) trades at about 80 times its annual sales. The average company in the S&P 500 today trades at roughly 3 times sales. A price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of that magnitude puts Palantir in territory that almost no company in the index has ever occupied and, more importantly, held on to. CEO Alex Karp has argued that these metrics are meaningless for his company. He recently told investors that "the way in which we view value is obviously no longer relevant." He believed that traditional valuation frameworks can't capture what Palantir is. He would argue -- and Palantir bulls would too -- that the company is one of a kind. Maybe they're right, but investors have heard versions of that kind of thinking before, and it has rarely worked out. Beyond the valuation, there are real questions To be sure, Palantir is executing at an incredible level and has genuinely carved out a key role for itself within the federal government and across large organizations in the U.S. I'm not denying that. But to truly be one of a kind, the company has to continue doing this for years to come. And it likely can't maintain its current growth pace without more international clients. Palantir generates 77% of its revenue in the United States. International commercial revenue rose 8% year over year last quarter. That seriously lags its U.S. growth. Karp has said that the company "doesn't have the bandwidth to do anything that's difficult outside of America" and that countries in the E.U. don't "get AI." I think it has a lot more to do with how the company is viewed outside of the U.S. -- countries around the world are suspicious of sharing sensitive data with an organization with such close ties to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. intelligence community at large. As much as Palantir is blazing a trail and outclassing its competition at the moment, I'm not sure how long that can last. Can Palantir remain "one of a kind" with tech giants like Microso...
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) trades at about 80 times its annual sales. The average company in the S&P 500 today trades at roughly 3 times sales. A price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of that magnitude puts Palantir in territory that almost no company in the index has ever occupied and, more importantly, held on to. CEO Alex Karp has argued that these metrics are meaningless for his company. He rec...
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) trades at about 80 times its annual sales. The average company in the S&P 500 today trades at roughly 3 times sales. A price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of that magnitude puts Palantir in territory that almost no company in the index has ever occupied and, more importantly, held on to. CEO Alex Karp has argued that these metrics are meaningless for his company. He recently told investors that "the way in which we view value is obviously no longer relevant." He believed that traditional valuation frameworks can't capture what Palantir is. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » He would argue -- and Palantir bulls would too -- that the company is one of a kind. Maybe they're right, but investors have heard versions of that kind of thinking before, and it has rarely worked out. Beyond the valuation, there are real questions To be sure, Palantir is executing at an incredible level and has genuinely carved out a key role for itself within the federal government and across large organizations in the U.S. I'm not denying that. But to truly be one of a kind, the company has to continue doing this for years to come. And it likely can't maintain its current growth pace without more international clients. Palantir generates 77% of its revenue in the United States. International commercial revenue rose 8% year over year last quarter. That seriously lags its U.S. growth. Karp has said that the company "doesn't have the bandwidth to do anything that's difficult outside of America" and that countries in the E.U. don't "get AI." I think it has a lot more to do with how the company is viewed outside of the U.S. -- countries around the world are suspicious of sharing sensitive data with an organization with such close ties to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. ...
Key Points Palantir trades at roughly 80 times sales -- more than 25 times the S&P 500 average. Despite strong execution and a dominant U.S. presence, Palantir's international growth seriously lags and could hamper future growth. Historically, only 10% of S&P 500 companies that reached even half of Palantir's current valuation went on to beat the market over three years. 10 stocks we like better t...
Key Points Palantir trades at roughly 80 times sales -- more than 25 times the S&P 500 average. Despite strong execution and a dominant U.S. presence, Palantir's international growth seriously lags and could hamper future growth. Historically, only 10% of S&P 500 companies that reached even half of Palantir's current valuation went on to beat the market over three years. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) trades at about 80 times its annual sales. The average company in the S&P 500 today trades at roughly 3 times sales. A price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of that magnitude puts Palantir in territory that almost no company in the index has ever occupied and, more importantly, held on to. CEO Alex Karp has argued that these metrics are meaningless for his company. He recently told investors that "the way in which we view value is obviously no longer relevant." He believed that traditional valuation frameworks can't capture what Palantir is. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » He would argue -- and Palantir bulls would too -- that the company is one of a kind. Maybe they're right, but investors have heard versions of that kind of thinking before, and it has rarely worked out. Beyond the valuation, there are real questions To be sure, Palantir is executing at an incredible level and has genuinely carved out a key role for itself within the federal government and across large organizations in the U.S. I'm not denying that. But to truly be one of a kind, the company has to continue doing this for years to come. And it likely can't maintain its current growth pace without more international clients. Palantir generates 77% of its revenue in the United States. International commercial revenue rose 8% year over year last quarter. That seriously la...
Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at Capital.com, says "right now there seems to be, still, a degree of complacency that things will be resolved swiftly enough." Rodda tells Bloomberg Television that the situation looks "a little bit bearish to my eyes." (Source: Bloomberg)
Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at Capital.com, says "right now there seems to be, still, a degree of complacency that things will be resolved swiftly enough." Rodda tells Bloomberg Television that the situation looks "a little bit bearish to my eyes." (Source: Bloomberg)
(RTTNews) - Indian shares look set to edge higher on Friday after oil prices reversed course before finishing in negative territory in the New York trading session overnight. Brent crude futures were down nearly 3 percent below $106 a barrel in early Asian trade after seven U.S. allies announced their support for a potential coalition to reopen the strait of Hormuz for commercial ships and oil tan...
(RTTNews) - Indian shares look set to edge higher on Friday after oil prices reversed course before finishing in negative territory in the New York trading session overnight. Brent crude futures were down nearly 3 percent below $106 a barrel in early Asian trade after seven U.S. allies announced their support for a potential coalition to reopen the strait of Hormuz for commercial ships and oil tankers, and U.S. President Trump asserted that he had no plans to commit ground forces to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. However, oil disruption worries persist, with reports suggesting that Iran's latest attack on Qatar has damaged facilities that produce about 17 percent of its liquefied natural gas export capacity. Iran warned on Thursday that it would carry out more severe retaliatory strikes if the U.S. and Israel attack its energy facilities again. Explosions were heard today in the Iranian capital Tehran, with air defense systems activated in response, the local news outlet Jamaran reported. Benchmark indexes Sensex and Nifty plunged around 3.3 percent each on Thursday to snap a three-day winning streak on the back of hawkish Fed comments and soaring oil prices following fresh attacks on West Asian gas hubs. Domestic currency markets were closed on Thursday for Gudi Padwa holiday. Foreign investors net sold shares worth Rs 7,558 crore on Thursday while domestic institutional investors net bought shares to the extent of Rs 3,864 crore, according to provisional exchange data. Asian markets were little changed this morning as China's central bank decided to keep its key interest rates unchanged. Gold edged up to trade at $4,687 an ounce but remains on track for a third weekly drop. The dollar index hovered near 99 after losing more than 1 percent in the previous session. U.S. stocks ended modestly lower overnight, trimming earlier losses as an early spike in crude oil prices eased on comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the country had acted alone in ...