Veljan Denison reported strong standalone quarterly numbers in December 2023, with a 17.58% increase in net sales, a 64.61% increase in net profit, and a 43.26% increase in EBITDA. The EPS also increased from Rs.14.34 to Rs.23.61. The stock price has performed well, giving returns of 37.62% over the last 6 months.

India's coffee exports are expected to drop by 15-20% this year due to soaring prices and shipping problems. There is a global shortage of robusta coffee, causing Indian prices to rise by 50-60%. The decrease in exports is also attributed to slow arrivals in the market and growers holding onto their stock in anticipation of even higher prices.

Gold and silver prices continue to decline due to lack of demand, possible Fed rate cut pushback, and a stronger dollar index. Global trends show MCX April gold futures trading at Rs 62,447 per 10 grams, while March Silver contracts are up to Rs 70,977 per kg. Experts predict gold to trade between Rs 62,200 and Rs 62,600, with resistance at Rs 62,800-63,100.

Jefferies has upgraded its rating on pharmaceutical company Lupin from Underperform to Hold, with a revised target price of Rs 1,460 per share. This is due to projected revenue growth and high-margin segments in the upcoming years. However, there are still cautionary factors such as the early stages of business improvement, concentration risk associated with gSpiriva.

Maruti Suzuki India on Friday said its Multi-purpose Vehicle (MPV) Ertiga has crossed the 10 lakh sales milestone. "The Ertiga has redefined the concept of an MPV as a stylish and technologically advanced offering," Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Shashank Srivastava said in a statement.

Oil prices were little changed on Friday, staying on track for weekly gains, with tensions persisting in the Middle East after Israel rejected a ceasefire offer from Hamas. Brent crude futures slipped 1 cent to $81.62 a barrel by 0334 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 3 cents to $76.25 a barrel. Both benchmarks rose about 3% in the previous session.

The Reserve Bank of India will streamline the process of onboarding the Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AePS) service providers and introduce additional fraud risk management measures. Right now, there is no two-factor authentication for Aadhaar-enabled payments, which is risky and the cause for many frauds. The customer can pay the merchant by entering their Aadhaar number and biometrics.

Despite the correction, the Nifty has maintained a higher top and higher bottom formation, making an Inside Week candle pattern in the latest week, indicating range-bound movement of the index. However, on the daily charts, the index faces resistance at higher levels and has formed a lower top and lower bottom pattern, signalling short-term profit-booking at higher levels.

Indian Rupee has been the most stable among emerging markets and is likely to remain so as the RBI assured the Current Account Deficit is `eminently manageable' next fiscal too, RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said after the monetary policy committee meet on Thursday. India’s current account deficit (CAD) eased sharply to 1.0 per cent of GDP in the September quarter from 3.8 per cent.

Rising palm oil prices may be limited by plentiful supplies of rival oils such as soyoil and sunflower oil, which are now available at discounted prices. Palm oil futures have rebounded this year, but may struggle to continue rising due to strong production of these alternative oils. Asian buyers are already reducing palm oil imports and increasing purchases of cheaper soyoil and sunflower oil.

The Reserve Bank of India is meeting with the highways authority and NPCI to discuss the migration of merchants and consumers from Paytm after the central bank imposed restrictions on its payments bank. The FAQ will address queries and stakeholders will guide merchants through the transition, while NPCL ensures smooth UPI experience. RBI governor stated that bilateral engagement is preferred.

GIFT Nifty indicates a negative opening for Indian equity indices on Friday. Key stocks to watch in trade include telecom companies as a spectrum auction is set to take place with major players expected to be in the spotlight. Other stocks to look out for are Zee Entertainment Enterprise, Bharat Heavy Electricals, TVS Motor, IRCTC, Signatureglobal, LIC, Ramco Cements.

Entero Healthcare Solutions is offering its IPO to retail investors until February 13. The issue has a price band of Rs 1,195 - 1,258 per equity share and plans to raise Rs 1,600 crore through a mix of fresh issue and offer for sale. The company distributes healthcare products through its tech platform and reported a net profit in the last quarter.

CG Power and Industrial Solutions has entered into a pact with Renesas Electronics America Inc and Stars Microelectronics for setting up an OSAT facility in India. The joint venture, subject to regulatory approvals, will see investments of $222 million from CG Power, Renesas, and Stars. The deal includes agreements on technology and services, government subsidies, and various rights and options.

Jefferies has downgraded the ITC stock ended  to "hold" from "buy" as the international brokerage expects the hotels-to-cigarettes player to remain range-bound. The international brokerage also slashed ITC target price to Rs 430 from Rs 520 a share . At 10.16 am, ITC was trading at Rs 420.05 on the NSE, up 1.3 percent, recovering from the pervious day when the scrip ended 4 percent lower.