Tamil Nadu’s $1-Trillion Economy Goal Could Be Delayed by a Year to 2031: Economic Survey
Tamil Nadu’s Economic Survey 2025‑26 projects its $1 trillion GDP ambition could slip from 2030 to 2031 if the rupee weakens faster than expected. The state posted a 16% nominal growth rate in 2024‑25, with manufacturing expanding 14.74% real and exports doubling to $52.07 billion. Capital spending of ₹2.54 lakh crore and rising FDI to $3.68 billion underpin the growth, while unemployment fell to 3.5%. The report highlights fiscal prudence but warns of future pressures from pensions, GST reforms and external shocks.
Refinery Petrochemical Integration, Feedstock Certainty to Define India’s Next Chemical Growth Cycle: Ramya Bharathram, MD, Thirumalai Chemicals
India’s chemical industry faces a structural shift as it seeks to move up the value chain by reducing reliance on imported feedstocks. Ramya Bharathram of Thirumalai Chemicals emphasizes refinery‑petrochemical integration, flexible cracker designs, and transparent, index‑linked pricing as keys to...
India, UK Making Genuine Effort to See if FTA Can Be Operationalised in April: Commerce Secy
India and the United Kingdom are pushing to operationalise their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) by April, aiming to grant duty‑free access to 99 percent of Indian exports. The pact still requires approval from the UK Parliament before it can...
IATA Expresses Concern over Suspension of Freighter Flights at Mumbai
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has voiced concern over a nine‑month suspension of dedicated freighter flights at Mumbai International Airport, slated from August 2026 to May 2027 for apron reconstruction. Mumbai handled 6.93 lakh metric tonnes of cargo between April...
North America Drops 6 Rigs Week on Week
North America’s weekly rig count slipped by six to 773, with the U.S. remaining steady at 551 rigs and Canada falling to 222. In the United States, oil rigs decreased by three while gas rigs rose by three, shifting the...
No Question of Ethanol Inclusion in India-US Deal: ISMA’s Deepak Ballani
India’s sugar and ethanol sectors remain outside the India‑US trade talks, with ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani confirming that ethanol is explicitly excluded and sugar export quotas have been modestly raised to 20 LT for 2025‑26. He warns that the limited quota‑based...
Torrent Pharma, Indus Towers Among 9 Stocks that Hit 52-Week Highs & Rallied up to 20% in a Month
The benchmark Sensex jumped roughly 650 points to end the session above 83,000, sparking a broad market rally. Nine BSE 200 constituents—spanning steel, banking, telecom infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and finance—each breached their 52‑week highs, marking the strongest yearly performance for these stocks....
SPTS: January Job Cuts, Limited CPI Gives Space For Growth Mandate Focus And Cuts
State Street’s SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF (SPTS) is gaining attention as its 1.85‑year duration aligns with a lower‑inflation environment, allowing a growth‑focused mandate. The ETF’s exposure to short‑term rate moves helps it sidestep risks tied to long‑term USD...
FELC: US Market Either At AI-Disruption Risk Or Overvalued
The Fidelity Enhanced Large Cap Core ETF (FELC) trades at a modest premium, 25.9× forward earnings versus the US market median of 23.6×, while mirroring the composition of megacap tech‑heavy indices. Its expense ratio exceeds that of comparable index funds,...
Tract’s Fleet Data Centers Seeks $3.8bn to Fuel Nevada Build-Out
Fleet Data Centers, the development arm of Tract, announced a $3.8 billion senior secured note issuance to fund a 230 MW data center campus in Reno, Nevada. The facility, built on a 252‑acre site, is 100 percent leased to an unnamed investment‑grade tenant...
India-US Trade Deal: Indian Chief Negotiator to Visit US Next Week to Finalise Legal Framework for BTA Deal
Indian chief negotiator Darpan Jain will lead a delegation to Washington next week to finalize the legal framework of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States. The interim agreement announced on Feb 7 reduces U.S. tariffs on Indian exports...
Eaglestone Management: Experience Forged in Global Infrastructure Finance
Eaglestone Management’s leadership team combines deep project‑finance banking experience with hands‑on infrastructure execution. CEO Pedro Neto brings over 30 years and involvement in more than €50 billion of global projects across energy, transport and concessions. Managing Partner Nuno Gil adds 25...
From Pilots to Platforms: Nairobi Sets Out Africa's Practical AI Playbook
The Nairobi AI Forum 2026 gathered 650 delegates to move African artificial intelligence from pilots to scalable, affordable solutions. Co‑hosted by Kenya, Italy and the UNDP, the event announced 1.5 million GPU hours for 130 innovators and a €50 million Harmonic Africa...
Higher Imports Push India’s Trade Deficit to $34.68 Billion in January
India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $34.68 billion in January 2026, driven by a sharp rise in imports to $71.24 billion, especially petroleum, gold and electronics. Export value fell to $36.56 billion, with shipments to the United States slipping month‑on‑month despite overall annual...
Idle Oil and Gas Projects Risk Losing Licenses, Bahlil Warns
Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia warned that 301 explored oil‑and‑gas areas remain idle and could have their licences revoked if operators do not commence production. He cited the long‑stalled Masela Block, managed by Japan’s Inpex, which only...
Stocks to Buy for Short Term: Astral Among Three Shares that Axis Securities Recommends for up to 20% Upside
Axis Securities has highlighted three equities—Kirloskar Oil Engines, Blue Star and Astral—as short‑term buys, projecting up to 20% upside within the next three to four weeks. The brokerage cites a clear technical uptrend for Kirloskar Oil Engines, with higher highs...
Broker’s Call: Ola Electric (Sell)
Emkay Global downgraded Ola Electric Mobility to Sell, slashing its target price by 60% to ₹20 from ₹50. The company posted a weak Q3, with revenue down 55% YoY and a 61% drop in unit volume to 32,000 units, pushing...
Kyodo News Digest: Feb. 16, 2026
Japan's economy posted a modest 0.2% annualized growth in Q4 2025, its first expansion in two quarters, as consumer spending rose slightly while exports fell under U.S. tariff pressure. TEPCO began trial electricity transmission from unit 6 at the Kashiwazaki‑Kariwa nuclear...
Analyst Highlights Focus of IEW Event
The International Energy Week (IEW) in London highlighted the clash between geopolitics and a projected global oil surplus for 2026. SEB commodities analyst Bjarne Schieldrop warned that OPEC+ will likely trim production by roughly three million barrels per day to...
TSI: Massive 30% Dividend Raise For This Monthly Income Fund
TCW Strategic Income Fund (TSI) announced a roughly 30% increase in its monthly dividend, pushing its distribution yield to about 6.9%. The closed‑end fund trades at a 7.62% discount to net asset value and carries a Buy rating. TSI’s portfolio...
Broker’s Call: Azad Engineering (Buy)
Azad Engineering reported a robust quarter, expanding margins and scaling top‑tier OEM relationships in high‑precision aerospace and turbine supply chains. The company’s order book now stands at roughly ₹6,500 crore, equivalent to 14.2 times FY25 revenue, providing strong visibility through FY28. With...
Software Maker Dassault Systèmes Falls 8% as AI Fears Persist; Europe Markets Edge Higher
European markets edged higher after the Munich Security Conference, but software giant Dassault Systèmes slumped 8% as lingering AI skepticism dampened investor sentiment. The conference underscored Europe’s push for greater defense spending and strategic autonomy, lifting defense‑related equities. Meanwhile, NatWest kicked...
China's Russian Oil Imports to Hit New Record in February as India Cuts Back
China’s independent refiners boosted Russian oil imports to a record roughly 2.08 million barrels per day in February, overtaking the 1.7 million bpd seen in January. The surge follows India’s sharp cutback to about 1.16 million bpd, leaving China as Moscow’s top seaborne...
Abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF Q4 2025 Commentary
abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF posted gross gains in Q4 2025 but lagged the Russell 2000 benchmark. The fund sold nine positions, including Integer and Vertex, while Corcept Therapeutics dragged performance after a drug failure. Alphatec’s rally provided a...
Forex Today: Japanese GDP Data Underwhelms
Japan’s Q4 GDP expanded only 0.1% YoY, well below the 0.4% consensus, nudging the economy away from a technical recession but dampening reflation hopes. The weak data erased much of the yen’s recent 3% rally sparked by the new government’s...
Nearshoring and Logistics Upgrades Position the Caribbean as a New Regional Hub
The Caribbean is repositioning as a regional supply‑chain hub as nearshoring gains traction and governments fund logistics upgrades. High logistics costs—16 to 25 percent of GDP—have spurred port expansions in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize, backed by investors such as DP World...
EQS-CMS: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA: Release of a Capital Market Information
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA disclosed its weekly share‑buyback activity for 9‑13 February 2026, repurchasing 17,000 preferred shares and 18,000 ordinary shares on the XETR. The preferred‑share buyback cost €1.37 million at an average price of €80.56, while the ordinary‑share buyback cost €1.34 million...
Channelling the Investment Greats Drives ETF Returns for VistaShares
Former IndexIQ founder Adam Patti returns to ETFs with VistaShares, partnering with ex‑Tesla president Jon McNeill to launch thematic and income‑focused products. The firm’s first offerings include an AI infrastructure fund and a series of Target‑15 ETFs that mirror top...
Govt Aims to Revive Private Investment in Highway Construction
India’s government plans to award ₹1 lakh crore of highway projects to private developers by fiscal year 2027, aiming to raise private sector participation to 25 % of highway development next year from the current low single digits. The budget allocates ₹12.2 lakh crore to...
Fitch, Afreximbank, and Africa's Development Sovereignty
Afreximbank terminated its credit rating relationship with Fitch after the agency reclassified the bank as high‑risk for providing debt relief to Ghana. Fitch argued the support indicated a lack of preferred‑creditor status, a claim the bank disputes, citing treaty‑based protections...
What Happened on October 29 Just Won’t Go Away, PR or Not
Tanzania’s October 29, 2025 election has been condemned by all major African observer bodies as neither free nor fair, triggering international criticism and donor scrutiny. The government has hired the US‑based Ervin Graves Strategy Group at $45,000 per month to repair its...
Barging Blindly Into Singapore’s Construction Boom Could Be a Bust for some Investors
Singapore’s construction sector has transformed into a high‑growth engine, propelled by a record S$53 billion contract pipeline and flagship projects like Changi Airport Terminal 5. The rally delivered construction‑related stocks returns exceeding 200 % in 2025, dwarfing the STI’s 22.7 % gain. Soilbuild Construction...
Singapore's Bunker Sales Rise on Strong Demand in Jan
Singapore’s bunker sales jumped 17% year‑on‑year to 5.23 million tonnes in January, driven by a 12% rise in vessel arrivals and strong demand for conventional marine fuels. High‑sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) reached a post‑2020 record of 2.16 million tonnes, while very‑low‑sulphur fuel...
Japan's Economy Barely Grows in Oct-Dec Quarter as Exports Slow
Japan’s economy grew a modest 0.2 percent annualised in the October‑December quarter, just enough to avoid a technical recession after a 0.7 percent contraction in the prior quarter. Private consumption rose 0.4 percent, but a 1.1 percent drop in exports dragged overall growth. The...
India's Wholesale Inflation Rises to 1.81% in January
India’s wholesale price index (WPI) accelerated to 1.81% year‑on‑year in January, up sharply from 0.53% in December. The rise was led by higher food prices, while falling fuel costs provided a modest offset. Although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)...
Arqiva in Uncertainty over DTT Switch Off
Arqiva, the UK's sole national digital terrestrial TV and radio infrastructure provider, faces financial uncertainty as major shareholders reassess their stakes. Macquarie has divested its 26.5% holding, while Digital 9 Infrastructure (DGI9) is reviewing its 51.8% share and may write off...
India Can Lead Globally in AI: Ahead of Delhi Summit, CEA Nageswaran Explains How
Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran told the AI Impact Summit 2026 that India’s ascent to a global AI leadership position will not happen by accident. He emphasized that sustained political will, robust state capacity, and a national commitment are...
Non-Tariff Measures Costing Industry Billions: GA
Grains Australia’s new report quantifies non‑tariff measures (NTMs) as a 20.4% tariff‑equivalent on Australian grain exports, costing the sector about $4.6 billion in forgone revenue each year. The analysis, built on ABARES research and ANU‑led econometric modelling, is the most detailed...
Singapore Stocks End Almost Flat Before Chinese New Year; STI Inches up 0.02%
Singapore’s market closed almost flat on Monday ahead of the Chinese New Year break, with the Straits Times Index edging up 0.02% to 4,938.58 points. Export data showed non‑oil domestic exports rose 9.3% year‑on‑year in January, missing Bloomberg’s 12% forecast...
When Juntas Rise, Court Poets Bloom
The column warns that West Africa’s recent military coups, initially welcomed as a break from corrupt civilian rule, are evolving into authoritarian regimes. While street protests celebrated the juntas’ promises, African intellectuals have become “court poets,” praising the new leaders...
WA Grain Feeds Into Aurizon’s Record HY26 Bulk Earnings
Aurizon announced record bulk earnings for the half ending 31 December, driven primarily by a surge in Western Australian grain volumes. Bulk EBITDA reached $117 million, a 39 percent increase year‑on‑year, while total bulk rail volumes rose 4 percent to 28.4 Mt. The company also...
Saskatchewan’s Rook I Mine Could Make Canada the World’s Largest Uranium Exporter
Canada is on the brink of becoming the world’s largest uranium exporter as NexGen Energy’s Rook I mine in Saskatchewan moves toward final approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The project, located in the Athabasca Basin, is designed to...
Australian Firms Raise Gasoil Stocks to Meet Obligation
Australian fuel companies have boosted their gasoil inventories to satisfy the government‑mandated Minimum Stockholding Obligation (MSO). The MSO now requires importers to hold 32 days of gasoil and refiners 20 days, tightening the previous rules. All ten gasoil‑reporting firms met...
The End of the Boozy Chinese Banquet Hits Australia’s Largest Winemaker
Treasury Wine Estates’ push back into China has been derailed by a government crackdown on extravagant banquets and tighter grey‑market controls. The winemaker announced it will pull 400,000 cases from China and 500,000 from the United States to regain pricing...
Australia Exports 2.29Mt Wheat in Dec in New-Crop Surge
Australia’s wheat exports jumped to 2,288,487 tonnes in December 2025, more than double November’s volume and slightly above the 2.13 Mt shipped a year earlier. The surge reflects the arrival of new‑crop wheat from southern ports, marking the start of the...
Myanmar Junta Expels Timor-Leste’s Top Diplomat Over War Crimes Case
Myanmar's military junta expelled Timor‑Leste's top diplomat after Dili opened war‑crimes proceedings. The case, filed by the Chin Human Rights Organization, accuses senior general Min Aung Hlaing of rape, murder and attacks in Chin State. The junta called the move a breach...
Amova Bets on ‘New Singapore Sectors’ as MAS Expands EQDP
Amova Asset Management has been selected as one of six managers under Singapore’s expanded Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP), which grew to S$6.5 billion in the 2026 budget. The firm will roll out two new funds – the Singapore All Share...
Demutualizing IDX to Deepen Market Trust
The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) is moving to demutualize, converting from a member‑owned body to a shareholder‑owned company. The reform separates ownership from trading rights, aiming to reduce conflicts of interest and improve governance, transparency, and market liquidity. Concurrently, the...
AirAsia Chief Says Brand Unit Is Nearing Nasdaq Backdoor Listing
AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes announced that the airline’s branding unit is close to completing a Nasdaq backdoor listing, targeting a valuation of roughly US$1.5 billion. The merger with a US‑listed vehicle is expected to be announced within two months, with the...
Rio Tinto Pauses Simandou Iron Ore Mine in Guinea
Rio Tinto has suspended production at its Simandou iron ore mine in Guinea following the death of a contractor on February 14. The company announced a thorough investigation, though details on the cause remain undisclosed. Simandou, which began shipments in...