The U.S. stock market is bracing for volatility with President Trump s tariff deadline and an upcoming employment report. Investor concerns about trade policy and inflation have led to significant market fluctuations. The S&P 500 has experienced notable losses, impacted by economic uncertainty and tariff-related anxieties.

Overseas investors purchased nearly $4 billion in Indian financial assets during the last days of FY25. This caused the rupee to appreciate significantly and sovereign bond yields to drop. Experts predict further appreciation and lower borrowing costs in the future as investors continue to show interest in Indian assets.

Life Insurance Corporation of India has become the top investor in the share sales of UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, and Punjab & Sind Bank. These banks collectively raised ₹6,155 crore. Other investors include SBI Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, IIFL Finance, pension funds, and state-owned banks.

Shares of BSE surged 18% as Sebi s move to limit derivatives expiry eased competition concerns from NSE. NSE deferred its plan to change the derivatives expiry day, alleviating fears of BSE s market share loss. BSE shares ended 16.1% higher at ₹5,479.8.

AU Small Finance Bank has secured ₹770 crore by selling tier-II bonds at a 9.20% annual coupon rate. The significant investors include HDFC Bank and Nippon India Mutual Fund. The raised funds will boost the bank s capital adequacy ratio by 1%, enhancing its capacity to offer digital banking services nationwide.

Sebi is considering limiting the expiries of all contracts on Indian bourses to Tuesdays or Thursdays to reduce market uncertainty. This follows BSE and NSE moving expiry days in a bid to gain market share in the equity derivatives segment. Sebi s proposal aims to promote predictability and manage excessive retail participation in the derivatives market.

India s foreign exchange reserves rose by $4.53 billion in the week ending March 21, reaching $658.8 billion. The Reserve Bank of India bought dollars regularly as the rupee appreciated. The reserves had peaked at $705 billion in September. However, valuation gains in April-December 2024 were significantly lower, and reserves decreased by $13.8 billion in the same period.

Goldman Sachs lowered price targets for IT stocks by 3% to 32% due to reduced US revenue growth forecasts. LTIMindtree was downgraded to Neutral , while Tata Consultancy Services remains better positioned. Wipro and Tech Mahindra may face more significant challenges. Discretionary spending recovery could be further delayed, potentially affecting project scopes and IT spending.

Wall Street stocks plummeted on Friday as Amazon, Microsoft, and other tech giants faced selloffs due to fears of weak economic growth and high inflation spurred by U.S. tariff hikes. With inflation concerns rising, shares of major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon fell significantly. The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones all ended the week notably lower.

Gold prices hit a record high as global shares fell due to concerns over U.S. tariffs. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq saw significant declines. Inflation and geopolitical tensions are driving investors towards safe-haven assets. U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar weakened, while oil prices remained flat amid supply concerns and the impact of tariffs on the global economy.