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Pak Field Marshal Munir is toying with nuclear fire, India must not blink
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Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, who was recently raised to the rank of field marshal, has created waves with his second visit to the United States (US) in as many months. On his last visit, he was granted lunch with President Donald Trump, a privilege that Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has not yet enjoyed. This visit, supposedly to commemorate the retirement of the head of the US military's central command (Centcom), comes at a time when the Pakistan establishment is feeling particularly secure in its domestic and geopolitical position. But that does not provide sufficient reason for
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Mint
a few seconds ago
- Mint
Why is smart money chasing these three blue chip stocks?
Who owns a larger stake in India's top companies at present – Indian or foreign institutions? The latest ownership report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) reveals a clear shift in market dynamics, with domestic institutional investors (DIIs) now holding a larger stake in India's leading companies than foreign institutional investors (FIIs). This changing balance of power has been steadily gaining momentum since 2021 as homegrown capital continued to flow into the market at a record pace. DIIs – comprising mutual funds, insurance companies and pension funds – poured $19.7 billion into Indian equities in the previous quarter alone, leaving FIIs far behind with investments of just $5.4 billion. While this highlights the growing dominance of domestic investors in shaping market trends, there are also instances in which the two have moved in tandem, raising their stakes in certain companies. Here are three blue chip stocks that have recently seen such dual buying interest. #1 Bajaj Finserv A part of the Bajaj Group, the company offers financial services such as financing, insurance, broking and investing. It also distributes these on digital platforms through subsidiaries and joint ventures. It is also in the business of generating power through wind turbines, a renewable energy source. Here's how DII and FII shareholdings increased in the June quarter. In April, Bajaj Finserv's subsidiary Bajaj Finserv Asset Management Company (AMC) introduced two new passive funds — Bajaj Finserv Nifty 50 Index Fund and Bajaj Finserv Nifty Next 50 Index Fund. These open-ended funds are designed to help investors grow their money over the long term by closely following the performance of their benchmark indices. They offer investors a low-cost, transparent, and efficient way to gain exposure to India's large-cap equity market. In June the company launched Bajaj Finserv Small Cap Fund, an open-ended equity scheme focused on small-cap stocks. Bajaj Finserv has increased its customer target to 250 million in the next four years, chairman and managing director Sanjiv Bajaj told Reuters, betting on strong growth in the South Asian economy. For more details, see the company fact sheet and quarterly results. #2 Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) established in 1774, is a prominent shipyard in Mumbai. Initially a small dry dock, MDL has evolved into a renowned shipbuilding company. The company is among India's leading shipbuilding yards, specialising in constructing and repairing warships and submarines for the ministry of defence and commercial enterprises. It is the only Indian shipyard to have built destroyers and conventional submarines for the navy, among the first to have manufactured Veer and Khukri-class corvettes, and a lead builder of four Nilgiri-class stealth frigates. It is the only shipyard with Navratna status. Here's how DII and FII shareholdings increased in the June quarter. In June the company announced the proposed acquisition of a controlling stake in Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC), Sri Lanka's largest and most well-established shipyard. The acquisition is valued at up to $52.96 million. This would mark the company's first international venture and represent a significant step in its evolution from a domestic shipbuilder into a regional maritime player with global ambitions. The company now plans to increase production capacity for larger and more advanced military vessels. For more details, see the company fact sheet and quarterly results. #3 Waaree Energies Waaree Energies is a leading solar module manufacturer with integrated capabilities across the energy transition value chain, spanning cells, inverters, batteries and green hydrogen. It's an Indian manufacturer of solar PV modules with an aggregate installed capacity of 15 gigawatt (GW) as of 31 March, making it India's largest solar panel manufacturer. Waaree has five manufacturing units across India, four in Gujarat (Surat, Tumb, Nandigram, and Chikhli) and one in Uttar Pradesh (Noida). It also has a nationwide network of more than 334 franchisees. From March to June, FIIs increased their stake in the company from 0.7% to 2.7%, while DIIs raised their stake from 2.5% to 2.9%. This could be because Waaree Solar Americas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Waaree Energies, received an order on 27 June for the supply of 540MW of solar modules – 270 MW to be delivered in 2025 and another 270 MW between 2027 and 2028. The company's board also approved the acquisition of Kamath Transformers Pvt. Ltd. for ₹290 crore. The acquisition is part of Waaree Energies' business expansion and will be completed in the current fiscal year. It will acquire 100% shareholding in Kamath Transformers for a cash consideration. In line with its growth strategy, the solar PV module manufacturer has also announced plans to expand its manufacturing presence in the US, particularly in Texas, aiming to increase capacity to 3 GW by FY26. For more details, see the company fact sheet and quarterly results. Conclusion Dual buying by domestic and foreign institutions often signals strong confidence in a company's fundamentals, growth potential and resilience. However, it is not a guarantee of future returns. Though these stocks often provide stability and good long-term growth potential, they can still experience ups and downs in the short term. It's important to look closely at a company's earnings potential, how it compares with others in the sector, and whether its stock price is reasonable, rather than blindly follow the moves of big investors. Investors should carefully evaluate these companies' fundamentals, corporate governance, and valuations as key factors before making an investment decision. Happy investing! Disclaimer:This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. Learn more about our recommendation services here. This article was syndicated from
Hindustan Times
4 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump wants to command bosses like Xi does. He is failing
Ignore for a moment Donald Trump's shakedown of Nvidia, in which he has allowed the world's most valuable firm to resume limited exports of its artificial-intelligence (AI) chips to China in return for a 15% cut of the proceeds for Uncle Sam. Think instead of the argument about whether it is wise to let China have access to one of America's most coveted technologies. One side of the debate wants to flood China's market. By permitting Nvidia to resume exports of its dumbed-down H20s to China, the argument is that it will reduce the incentive for China's own chipmakers, such as Huawei, to develop substitutes. That will keep Chinese developers of generative AI hooked on American hardware, and make China less likely to invade Taiwan, where the bulk of the world's cutting-edge chips are made. The other side takes a tougher approach. Its advocates, including this newspaper, contend that choking off access to the H20s, which are hot stuff in China even if sub-par by American standards, would slow the development of Chinese technology just enough for the US to secure an insurmountable lead in the AI race. Mr Trump alluded to neither of these arguments when he confirmed on August 11th that Nvidia would resume selling H20s to China (AMD, a rival, will sell some of its AI chips, too). Instead he boasted of the haggling that took place between himself and Mr Huang to determine how big a cut America should get in return for the favour (and floated a similar approach for Nvidia's 'super-duper-advanced' Blackwell chips). Contrast that with the quieter way China has used one of its most sought-after resources—rare earths—as a bargaining chip. When it comes to meddling with markets, America's nickel-and-dimer-in-chief has much to learn from Xi Jinping. A lot about the way Mr Trump has handled chip exports to China pales besides the way America's rival has used rare earths for leverage. The American president's strategy is capricious and confusing. In the space of three months, H20 sales have been banned and unbanned. His export levy probably violates Article 1 of the constitution, so it may face a legal challenge. By contrast, China's approach is becoming more sophisticated. In recent months it has established a system of export controls that tries to track the end customer of commodities and spans hundreds of products, from sensors to manufacturing equipment. So far Mr Trump's approach appears neither to help America nor to hurt China. He has surrendered an important part of America's national-security strategy for a pittance. Assuming H20 sales generate $20bn of revenues to Nvidia, the 15% surcharge would net $3bn—less than the cost of a new nuclear-powered submarine. He has also given away one of America's biggest sources of leverage before a proper deal is reached with China. Meanwhile Mr Xi still has the rare-earths cudgel in hand, even if in the long run its use will spur efforts around the world to reduce dependence on Chinese supplies. Mr Trump's H20 gambit, moreover, is muddle-headed. If his intent is to undercut Huawei and make China dependent on American chips, it would make more sense to dump cheap Nvidia products there rather than raising their price through an export tax. That is the approach China has taken with great effect in its exports of solar panels, electric vehicles and drones (as well as, on occasion, rare earths). It knows the implications. Perhaps that is why it is pressing Chinese firms to shun the H20 chips. Mr Trump's ham-fisted approach to chips is not the only way in which he is proving to be a poor student of Mr Xi. Consider the pair's efforts to assert themselves over their countries' chief executives. When Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce giant, became too big for his boots in 2020, Mr Xi's government did not just reprimand him. He was purged from public life for five years. Such was Mr Xi's paranoia about the balance of power shifting from China's Communist Party to its internet billionaires. Mr Trump is similarly determined to keep America's bosses under his thumb. In the past week he has called directly or indirectly for the resignations of Lip-Bu Tan, the new boss of Intel, a chipmaker, and David Solomon, chief executive of Goldman Sachs, an investment bank. But he is more easily won over than Mr Xi. After Intel's boss visited the White House on August 11th, Mr Trump hailed his career as an 'amazing story'. Mr Xi has likewise been more effective at whipping up patriotic fervour among companies in order to get them to do his bidding. China installs party cells to ensure they adhere to the government's objectives. Mr Trump has used the threat of tariffs to encourage companies like Apple to reshore manufacturing to America. Yet America's president receives mostly lip service. When Apple's boss, Tim Cook, unveiled a $600bn, four-year investment pledge into America this month, it was more of an update than a change of plan. Not for nothing did he embellish it with a 24-carat gold gift to Mr Trump. No big dealmaker It is perhaps unsurprising that Mr Trump, who lacks Mr Xi's authoritarian power, has been less effective at making his country's businesses subservient to his political goals. It is also a relief. China's approach of state capitalism may seem attractive to politicians in countries held back by democratic processes that make it difficult to effect change. But its model is creaking. Growth in China has slowed and venture-backed entrepreneurial activity has waned in recent years. Businesses are mired in a brutal price war. Thankfully, Mr Trump only dabbles in state capitalism. Even so, his approach is damaging. These days businesses in China can at least rely on a degree of coherence and consistency in policymaking. America Inc will not thrive amid chaos.
Hindustan Times
4 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sam Altman shares AI playbook for 25-year-olds in Bengaluru and Mumbai on Nikhil Kamath podcast
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says there's never been a better time to be 25 and starting a career, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. Speaking with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on his WTF Podcast, Altman was asked what a young person in Mumbai or Bengaluru should study or build to remain relevant as AI reshapes industries. Sam Altman claimed that AI can now help a young entrepreneur develop their whole startup, working as their co-founder.(YouTube/NikhilKamath) 'I think this is probably the most exciting time to be starting out one's career, maybe ever,' Altman said. "Whether you want to start a company or be a programmer or go work in kind of any other industry, create new media, whatever it is, the ability for one person to use these tools and have great ideas and implement them with what would have taken decades of experience or teams of people is really quite remarkable.' Asked about any "low-hanging opportunities" for a 25-year-old in India to build on top of the newly launched GPT-5, Sam Altman claimed that AI can now help a young entrepreneur develop their whole startup, working as their co-founder. 'You could use GPT-5 to help you write the software for a product, help you handle customer support, help you write marketing and communications plans, help you review legal documents… all of these things that would have taken a lot of people and a lot of expertise, and you now have GPT-5 to help you do all of this," he said. Altman also emphasised that India could become OpenAI's biggest market in the future, and the company has made sure to use feedback from Indian users to better shape its products. 'If there is one large society in the world that seems most enthusiastic to transform with AI right now, it's India. The excitement, the embrace of AI… the energy is incredible. The entrepreneurial energy around building with AI in India is quite amazing, and we hope to see much more of it," he said.
