Market Bizzz

Bitcoin and Ethereum extended losses as macroeconomic concerns, ETF outflows and geopolitical uncertainty weighed on investor sentiment. More than $400 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated, while analysts warned markets could remain volatile amid inflation worries and shifting Federal Reserve expectations.

US stocks rose as Dow hit an intraday record and S&P 500 extended its winning streak to eight weeks, supported by strong earnings and hopes of easing Middle East tensions. Tech stocks gained after Lenovo results lifted Dell and HP. Bond yields eased while Kevin Warsh was sworn in as Fed chair.

New US Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh vowed to be “reform-oriented” as he was sworn in at the White House on Friday, with President Donald Trump insisting the central bank chief would be “totally independent.” It is unusual for the chief of the Fed — an independent non-partisan body that sets monetary policy according to a dual mandate on inflation and employment — to be sworn in at the White House.

US consumer sentiment fell to a record low in May as rising gasoline prices driven by the Iran war intensified cost-of-living pressures. Inflation expectations climbed sharply, especially among Republicans and independents, signalling growing economic dissatisfaction and posing risks to spending despite a still-resilient labour market and ongoing stock market gains.

We have collated a list of recommendations from top brokerage firms from ETNow and other sources.

Investors have a final chance today to buy shares in TCS, Tata Consumer Products, and other companies for upcoming dividend payouts and bonus issues. May 25 is the record date. Shareholders owning stock on this date will be eligible for these corporate actions. TCS will pay a Rs 31 dividend on June 12.

Share buyback refers to a corporate action where a company repurchases its own shares from existing shareholders, mostly at a premium to the market price.

BSE is set to announce its semi-annual Sensex reshuffle on Friday. Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research predicts Trent’s exit due to a slide in free-float market capitalization. Hindalco Industries or Shriram Finance are the likely replacements, with Hindalco potentially having a higher chance of inclusion.

Deepening divisions at the Federal Reserve highlight a struggle with stubborn inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. Policymakers debated interest rate hikes, with four dissenting votes, the highest since 1992. Incoming Chair Kevin Warsh’s stance on lower rates adds complexity to the central bank’s balancing act.

Amidst market volatility, Indian stock exchanges BSE and MCX have seen significant rallies, driven by increased trading activity. Both reported strong Q4 earnings. While Jefferies and ICICI Securities remain cautious on BSE, citing stagnant market share, brokerages like HDFC Securities and Morgan Stanley are more optimistic about MCX, highlighting its growth drivers in commodity trading.