Several Nifty500 stocks are trading at valuations far above their industry averages, signalling strong investor optimism or possible overvaluation. Companies like The India Cements, FACT, and Delhivery lead the list with exceptionally high P/E ratios, reflecting heightened growth expectations or market confidence relative to their sector peers.

Headline indices Nifty and the BSE Sensex ended in the red on Thursday, recording their second successive losses amid selling pressure in financials, metals and realty stocks.

Singtel is reportedly selling a 0.8% stake in Bharti Airtel for Rs 10,300 crore, a move aligning with its strategy to optimize holdings and unlock capital. This comes as Bharti Airtel reports robust Q2 performance, with strong EBITDA growth and rising ARPU, signaling continued positive momentum for the Indian telecom giant.

Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey stated that capital markets, not the regulator, determine IPO share prices, addressing concerns over high valuations like Lenskart Solutions. He emphasized Sebi s role in ensuring robust disclosures. Pandey also urged companies to make ESG commitments authentic and measurable, not just for branding, and to institutionalize ethics through board oversight.

Nomura upgraded Asian Paints and Berger Paints to ‘Buy’, noting that the worst of competition from Birla Opus is over. The brokerage raised target prices, citing resilient margins, stable growth outlook, and limited disruption despite heavy new entrant investment.

Gold prices surged past $4,000 an ounce on Thursday. A weaker dollar and the ongoing US government shutdown fueled economic outlook concerns. Analysts predict further Federal Reserve rate cuts could push gold to $4,200 by year-end. Meanwhile, silver, platinum, and palladium also saw gains. Investors are closely watching economic indicators.

Sebi has revamped share allocation rules for anchor investors in IPOs, boosting domestic institutional participation. The anchor portion reservation is now 40%, with 33% for mutual funds and 7% for insurers/pension funds. The number of allowed anchor investors for larger IPOs has also increased, aiming to broaden long-term institutional involvement in public offerings.

The Indian rupee remained steady on Thursday, caught between importer demand for dollars and positive regional market sentiment. It closed near its previous day s level. Traders anticipate the rupee to trade within a specific range. Meanwhile, Indian equities saw a decline, diverging from gains in other Asian markets. The dollar index also experienced a slight dip.

Indian stocks ended lower on Thursday. Early gains were erased as investors took a break. Financial and metal stocks saw declines. The Sensex and Nifty both fell. Midcap and small-cap shares experienced steeper selling. This marks a second consecutive session of losses for the major indices.

Tata Group’s Trent is expected to report 17–21% YoY revenue growth and up to 33% profit rise in Q2, driven by aggressive store expansion across Zudio and Westside formats, cost efficiencies, and steady margins despite festive-driven sequential softness.