Samsung fired employees responsible for leaking Galaxy S25 series photos online, which showed the device's design and identification numbers, ahead of its Unpacked event on January 22, 2025. The leak was traced back to the employees, resulting in job losses. Samsung takes leaks seriously, as they ruin the surprise planned for official product launches.

Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of US cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labour contract. The strikes that started Thursday and Friday followed other recent standoffs between corporate America and organised labour.

With its 0.04% gain Thursday, the Dow finally broke its 10-day losing streak, the worst since the 70s. This week’s performance was yet another reminder of why the historically important index is now more historical than important, having long ceded its role to the S&P 500. Before the market’s dramatic reaction to the Fed on Wednesday, the Dow had been running counter to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

Between March 2022 and July 2023, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate 11 times. As a result, money market account (MMA) interest rates rose sharply. However, the Fed slashed the federal funds rate by 50 basis points in September, and another 25 basis points in November and December. So deposit rates — including money market account rates — have started falling.

Taoping (TAOP) announced that on December 19, it received notification from The Nasdaq Stock Market confirming the company has been granted an additional 180 calendar day period for compliance under its minimum bid price requirement through June 16, 2025. To regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement set forth under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A).

After staying in the green following a sharp rebound the week before this one, the Indian market experienced a 4.77% weekly loss due to selling pressure, with the Nifty index violating key support levels and closing below the 200-DMA. The 50-week MA level of 23,530 is crucial for the market's trajectory, and a breach below it could lead to a prolonged intermediate downtrend.

While Nifty ended with a weak-on-weak decline of 4.9% on Friday, it was laden with top action where over three dozen companies from large, mid and smallcap segments witnessed prominent block deals worth Rs 5,683 crore on screen, which included both buying and selling action. In the largecap segment, 15 companies witnessed significant block deals on the screen worth Rs 2,477 crore.

Anil Ambani's flagship firm Reliance Infrastructure Ltd on Friday (December 20) said it has been ordered to pay ₹494 crore, along with interest, following an arbitral award passed on December 18, 2024, in a dispute with Aravali Power Company Private Ltd (APCPL) over an EPC contract. "..it is hereby informed that today the company is in receipt of an arbitral award dated December 18, 2024.

Spot gold, reeling under the huge downside pressure due to lack of China’s stimulus details, strong US data and the Fed’s hawkish shift in its monetary policy announced on Wednesday fell below $2600, though it recovered some of its losses in the last two trading days of the week. The metal closed with a gain of 1.13% at $2624 on Friday.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) recorded net equity inflows of Rs 21,789 crore in December so far, marking a significant reversal after months of heavy outflows. With this surge in December, FPIs have experienced a total net inflow of Rs 6,770 crore in 2024, compared to outflows of Rs 15,019 crore at the end of November. This turnaround comes after heavy off-loading in domestic equities.

The expectations of rise in the senior citizens provides a opportunity for the National Pension System (NPS) to become cornerstone of India's pension system, said mamaging director and chief executive officer of Life Insurance Corporation of India. Mohanty said that the expected rise in senior citizens in the country provides a challenge as well opportunity for the NPS.

Market veterans & several fund managers of some of India’s top fund houses believe Indian stock market remains well-positioned to grow despite global challenges & risks arising from sticky inflation and elevated interest rates. The veterans and fund managers remain bullish on the Indian stock market, citing its potential for growth with sectors like IT, banks, FMCG, and infra poised for recovery.

Motilal Oswal Financial Services sees consolidation in the first six months while a recovery in the next. The brokerage remains upbeat on the prospects of these 10 stocks viz. ICICI Bank, HCL Technologies, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Zomato, Nippon Life India Asset Management, Mankind Pharma, Lemon Tree, Polycab, Macrotech Developers, Syrma SGS — calling them as top bets of next year.

Zomato will replace JSW Steel in the BSE Sensex 30-share benchmark index on December 23, driving an estimated $513 million in inflows into Zomato and $252 million in outflows from JSW Steel. This periodic rebalancing aims to ensure the Sensex remains representative of India's evolving market dynamics.

Housing sales are estimated to fall 21% annually across 9 major cities during Oct-Dec period to 1.08 L units on high base effect, according to PropEquity. Real estate data analytics firm PropEquity on Sat released the sale numbers for India's top 9 housing markets-Delhi-NCR , Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Thane. It has estimated sales to rise only in Delhi-NCR.