Market Bizzz

Big US bond investors, including mutual fund managers, are aggressively moving funds into long-dated notes, expecting gains from interest rate cuts. Research by JPMorgan Chase shows the top 20 managers increasing duration by piling into high-grade corporate bonds to avoid negative carry. The allure of long-dated corporate bonds is growing as markets anticipate Federal Reserve rate cuts.

​Brent crude futures touched a one-week high of $84.14 a barrel in early trade, with the crash, in heavy fog, of a helicopter carrying Iran’s president drawing traders’ attention to the Middle East. Gold hovered close to a record high at $2,423 an ounce.

Brent rose 26 cents, or 0.3% to $84.24 a barrel by 0049 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) gained 15 cents, or 0.2% to $80.21 a barrel.

Majority of Nestle India shareholders have rejected a proposal to increase royalty payout to Swiss parent Nestle SA. A total of 57.18% shareholders voted against the proposal, including 70.8% public shareholders. The board approved a 5-year royalty increase from 4.5% to 5.25% of net sales. Proposal included Maggi instant noodles and Nescafe instant coffee.

“When we take pride in the fact that we have the world’s largest trading volume in futures and options (F&O), we need to ask ourselves is that a sign of progress or a sign of concern,” the CEA said.

“We wish to inform that the resolution approving the Scheme was passed by the overwhelming majority of 99.95 per cent of the equity shareholders, representing more than three-fourths in value of the equity shareholders of the bank voting through remote e-voting and e-voting during the meeting, in terms of the provisions of Sections 230-232 of the Companies Act, 2013,” the lender said.

A 5-year swing high represents the highest price a stock has reached within a five-year timeframe.

As long as the stock is priced above the 200-day SMA on the daily time frame, it is generally considered to be an overall uptrend.

Stocks that were in focus include names like Tata Technologies, which closed flat, Apollo Tyres, which jumped 3.14%, and Vodafone Idea, whose shares fell 0.76% on Thursday.

Data overnight showed U.S. producer prices increased more than expected in April, indicating that inflation remained stubbornly high early in the second quarter.