SBI Securities Sunny Agrawal highlighted Aditya Birla Capital s strong all-round performance, with robust growth across lending, asset management, and insurance segments. He expressed caution on LIC Housing Finance, favoring smaller players like PNB Housing, Home First, and India Shelter Finance. Agrawal is optimistic about Sagility, anticipating a 20% upside due to its healthcare play and reasonable valuation.

Reliance Industries Ltd. announced a significant partnership with Google to boost AI adoption in India, offering eligible Jio users free access to Google s AI Pro plan for 18 months. Reliance Intelligence is now a strategic partner for Google Cloud in India, aiming to enhance AI infrastructure and drive enterprise AI adoption.

Narendra Solanki, Head of Fundamental Research at Anand Rathi Shares, remains bullish on L&T and BHEL amid strong government capex momentum. Cipla’s results exceeded expectations despite a surprise leadership change, while Dr Reddy’s stock fell after a key GLP-1 drug approval was delayed. Solanki expects stable macros and selective sectoral opportunities ahead.

Gold prices slipped ₹305 to ₹1,21,203 per 10 grams on Friday after recent gains, as traders reassessed hopes for a December Fed rate cut following Powell’s hawkish comments. Silver also declined ₹787 to ₹1,48,053 per kg. Globally, gold remained on track for a third straight monthly rise, supported by bargain buying and rate-cut expectations.

Bandhan Bank shares dropped nearly 6% after the lender reported an 88% year-on-year fall in Q2FY26 profit to Rs 110 crore. Weak net interest income, lower margins, and rising credit costs weighed on earnings, even as advances and deposits grew. Asset quality slightly deteriorated, with GNPA rising to 5% and NIM slipping to 5.8%.

United Spirits shares jumped 7% to ₹1,488 after the company reported a strong Q2 FY26 performance, with net profit rising 36% to ₹464 crore and revenue up 8% to ₹7,199 crore year-on-year.

Japanese government bonds saw a rise on Friday. This came after a successful auction of two-year notes. Investor confidence returned following a dovish statement from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda. The central bank decided against raising interest rates. This eased concerns about short-to-medium term rate hikes. Demand for the two-year debt proved resilient, boosting bond prices.

Indian government bonds faced further declines Friday, with traders adopting a cautious stance ahead of a significant debt auction. This follows a sharp sell-off triggered by hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve commentary. The benchmark 10-year yield climbed, reflecting investor unease over supply concerns and tight liquidity, while awaiting auction demand and potential trade deal news.

SEBI has capped the weight of top stocks in non-benchmark indices like Bank Nifty, limiting a single stock’s weight to 20% and the top three to 45%. The move aims to reduce concentration risk and enhance market representation.