Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to receive a 25% increase in budget allocation for its regional air connectivity scheme (UDAN) in the upcoming Interim Budget. This will help revive airports shut down due to COVID and launch new routes. The government aims to operationalize 1000 UDAN routes and revive/develop 100 unserved/underserved airports by 2024.

Boeing reported a smaller fourth-quarter loss than expected and increased production of its best-selling plane, but a recent safety incident has raised concerns. The company declined to provide a 2024 forecast due to uncertainty surrounding ongoing investigations into quality-control issues. CEO David Calhoun emphasized a focus on improving quality and working transparently with the FAA.

Standalone quarterly numbers for Suven Life Sciences were reported, with net sales at Rs. 2.45 crore in December 2023, down 18.37% from the previous year. Quarterly net loss was at Rs. 4.77 crore, up 28.1%, while EBITDA stood negative at Rs. 3.13 crore. The company's shares closed at Rs. 108.30 on January 31, 2024.

Reported Standalone quarterly numbers for Sun Pharmaceutical Industries are: Net Sales at Rs 5,073.75 crore in December 2023 up 9.21% from Rs. 4,645.75 crore in December 2022. Quarterly Net Profit at Rs. 721.31 crore in December 2023 up 48.2% from Rs. 486.73 crore in December 2022. EBITDA stands at Rs. 1,435.80 crore in December 2023 up 34.51% from Rs. 1,067.41 crore in December 2022.

January 2024 saw a rise in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections to Rs 1.72 lakh crore, making it the second-highest ever. The provisional data is 10.4% higher than that of last month, but shows a 9.3% increase when compared to the previous year's final figure. This marks the 11th consecutive month of GST collections above Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Reliance and Walt Disney are in talks to merge their media businesses in India, with Reliance set to hold a 51-54% stake. Bodhi Tree, a joint venture between James Murdoch and a former Disney exec, is also looking to invest around 9%. This deal will combine Viacom18, owned by Reliance, and Disney's Indian operations to create a major player in the entertainment industry.

On Jan 31, RBI imposed restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank, banning it from accepting new deposits and doing credit transactions from Feb 2024. Existing customers can withdraw their money until Feb 2024 and use the app for digital payments as long as their account is linked to an external bank. The action announced on Jan 31 is in addition to previous restrictions imposed on Paytm in March 2022.

To create an emergency fund, save some money in easily accessible assets. Despite low interest rates, consider investing a portion of your portfolio in fixed deposits (FDs) for higher returns. Research and evaluate the risks before choosing a bank, as smaller banks offer up to 6.50% interest on one-year FDs. Suryoday Small Finance Bank tops the list with a 6.50% interest rate.

IIFL Finance is launching secured NCDs to raise Rs 1000 crore for lending purposes. The NCDs have a face value of Rs 1000 and come in seven series with varying tenures and payout options. The company has a diversified loan portfolio with a relatively low NPA ratio, but the rating agencies have raised concerns about the young age of the loan book and the impact of the pandemic on borrowers.

Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys reported a strong standalone performance in the December 2023 quarter, with a 9.89% increase in net sales to Rs. 685.27 crore and a whopping 934.23% increase in net profit to Rs. 107.87 crore. EBITDA also saw a significant jump of 150.48%, leading to an increase in EPS from Rs. 1.93 to Rs. 19.99 in the same period.

SHAH METACORP reported a decrease in standalone quarterly numbers for December 2023. Net sales were down by 16.16% to Rs.12.91 crore, while net profit decreased by 65.09% to Rs.0.77 crore. EBITDA also saw a decline of 40.85%. The company's EPS decreased from Rs. 0.14 to Rs. 0.02. SHAH METACORP shares closed at 4.10 on January 31, 2024 (NSE).

Punjab & Sind Bank reported a 69% decline in net profit to Rs 114 crore for the third quarter of 2023. However, total income increased to Rs 2,853 crore and interest income rose to Rs 2,491 crore. Gross NPAs reduced to 5.70% and net NPAs decreased to 1.80%. Capital Adequacy Ratio improved to 16.13%, and total business crossed Rs 2 lakh crore.

Dixon Technologies Limited's stock rose by 6% to Rs 6,348 in morning trade on February 1 after reporting a doubling of its revenue from operations during the October-December quarter. The company's net profit also saw an 85% increase to Rs 97 crore. HSBC has given a 'buy' rating with a target price of Rs 6,550 and Morgan Stanley has an underweight call citing management's lack of revenue guidance.

Equitas SFB and Google Pay have partnered to offer a fixed deposit investment scheme where individuals can invest their savings without opening a bank account. This is the first of its kind deal between a traditional bank and technology player, raising concerns from the Reserve Bank of India about the entry of Big Tech into financial markets.

The agriculture sector is expected to receive increased institutional credit in the upcoming interim Budget, with a potential focus on marginal farmers. Experts also predict a 50 percent increase in direct transfers to farmers through the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. There is a decline in percentage allocation to the agriculture sector in recent budgets.