Author: Aruna Kaim

For decades, business commentators predicted that family-run enterprises in India would eventually buckle under global competition, governance challenges, or professionalization demands. Yet, from the 1991 economic liberalization to today’s digital era, family businesses have consistently proven to be the primary engine of India Inc, contributing over 75% to India’s GDP and delivering shareholder returns nearly double those of non-family firms. The ET Family Business Awards brought together top wealth creators, industry leaders, and policy experts to uncover the secret sauce enabling these generational powerhouses to balance legacy with innovation. 1. Generational Thinking Over Quarterly Pressure Unlike traditional corporations focused solely…

Quess Corp Ltd, one of India’s largest workforce management and business services providers, is executing a strategic pivot toward professional staffing and international expansion. The strategic realignment aims to drive margin expansion and reshape the company’s profit structure away from lower-margin volume plays over the coming years. Key Strategic Takeaways Shift Toward Higher-Margin Revenue: Profit Target: Higher-margin, specialized business segments—such as professional IT staffing, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), and overseas services—are projected to eventually account for 60% of total profits. Rebalancing General Staffing: While volume-driven general staffing currently contributes over 60% of total revenue, its long-term share of profit is…

Microsoft delivered a blockbuster quarterly earnings report that stunned Wall Street, sending its stock soaring nearly 16% in its largest single-day gain since 2008. The rally added hundreds of billions of dollars to Microsoft’s market capitalization and ignited a broader surge across technology and semiconductor stocks. 1. Core Highlights & Key Takeaways Azure Leads Cloud Expansion: Microsoft’s Azure cloud business posted revenue growth well above analyst estimates, driven by surging enterprise demand for AI-powered cloud infrastructure. Tangible AI Returns: The results alleviated investor fears that heavy capital expenditures in AI infrastructure would drag down profitability, proving that AI investments are…

Amazon delivered a stellar second-quarter earnings report, outperforming Wall Street estimates across revenue, operating income, and net profit. Driven by accelerating growth in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and soaring demand for its artificial intelligence infrastructure, Amazon shares jumped sharply in after-hours trading. 1. Key Drivers Behind the Market Rally Blockbuster Q2 Results: Top-line revenue surged 20% year-on-year to $200.6 billion, while operating income jumped 43% to $27.5 billion. Accelerating AWS Growth: Amazon Web Services reported $42.2 billion in revenue, marking a 37% YoY increase—its fastest growth rate in over four years. Rapid Expansion in Custom Chips & AI: Amazon’s AI…

Despite reporting a record-breaking fiscal third-quarter result that beat Wall Street estimates on both top-line revenue and bottom-line earnings per share, Apple shares declined in after-hours trading. The drop highlighted a market environment where investors focused heavily on future guidance, supply bottlenecks, and growth across specific segments rather than past performance. 1. Key Drivers Behind the Share Price Drop Soft Forward Guidance: Apple forecasted 9% to 11% revenue growth for the upcoming current quarter, which fell short of Wall Street expectations of around 12%. Supply Chain & Chip Constraints: Management raised concerns over supply constraints for advanced chips, threatening product…

Japan’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) have a long history of intervening in foreign exchange markets. While earlier decades often saw Japanese authorities selling yen to prevent excessive currency strength from hurting export-led growth, recent operations have shifted heavily toward aggressive yen-buying and dollar-selling to defend against record currency weakness. Timeline of Major Foreign Exchange Interventions July 2026: Coordinated Foreign Exchange Action Context: The yen touched near four-decade lows around 163.99 per dollar due to elevated energy import costs and persistent interest rate differentials. Action: Suspected joint intervention during New York trading hours—coordinated alongside South…

United Breweries Ltd (UBL) is showing early signs of a trend reversal following a prolonged corrective phase. The stock recently defended key technical support levels and bounced above its 50-day moving average (50-DMA) on the daily chart, indicating that buyers are attempting to regain momentum. Short-term traders with a higher risk appetite can consider accumulation positions for a potential target towards the ₹1,500 – ₹1,565 zone, backed by key technical triggers. Key Technical Factors Pointing to a Reversal Defense of Demand Zone & Moving Averages: After scaling highs near ₹2,042, the stock underwent sustained selling pressure over several months. The…

The Mirage of the Bull Market everyone attributes their success to intellect, skill, and strategic foresight. In reality, a rising market is a tide that lifts all boats—including the ones with holes in their hulls. As Warren Buffett famously noted, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” In prolonged bull markets, weak business models, excessive leverage, and speculative strategies often go unpunished. Returns mask flaws, making it nearly impossible for the average investor to distinguish between genuine investment acumen and plain good fortune. Buffett’s Metric: Evaluating Relative Performance To separate skill from luck, Buffett…

Navigating a stock market with over 4,000 listed equities requires disciplined, data-driven filtering to cut through short-term volatility and market noise. Financial analysis platforms like Stock Reports Plus (powered by Refinitiv) simplify this task by providing quantitative ratings alongside institutional analyst consensus. When a stock earns a perfect 10 out of 10 average score on Stock Reports Plus and carries a consensus “Buy” or “Strong Buy” rating from the Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System (IBES), it signals a rare alignment between quantitative health and Wall Street / Dalal Street institutional backing. The Anatomy of a 10/10 Rating An overall score on…

Based on the market commentary and analysis surrounding the Indian equity market, here is the context and continuation to complete the discussion: Context & Market Outlook Easing Crude Oil Pressure: Crude oil prices retreating—even amid geopolitical friction in the Middle East—acts as a major relief for the Indian economy. Because India is a net oil importer, lower oil prices help keep inflation in check, support corporate profit margins, and reduce the likelihood of a prolonged, secular bearish trend. Short-term volatility and market corrections remain expected, but underlying broader tailwinds remain intact. The Strategic Role of IT Stocks: IT stocks have…