The Economic Times

Four BSE 200 stocks, including Paytm, Divis Laboratories, AU Small Finance Bank and Bajaj Auto, hit fresh 52-week highs on Tuesday, gaining up to 33% over one month.

India's FAST Scheme 2026 provides a unique opportunity for taxpayers to declare foreign assets. This voluntary disclosure window closes on December 31st, 2026, offering significant benefits. Taxpayers can regularize undisclosed foreign assets and income by paying a specified tax and penalty. Failure to declare by the deadline will result in harsher penalties under the Black Money Act. This scheme is crucial for individuals with unreported overseas investments and income.

Specialised Investment Funds are emerging as an alternative to traditional equity mutual funds, offering long-short strategies, greater flexibility and active market management, but with higher investment requirements and greater complexity.

A Rs 10,000 monthly SIP can build a Rs 1 crore corpus in 20 years at 12% returns, while annual SIP increases can significantly shorten the wealth creation journey.

Taxpayers engaged in business activities must submit either ITR-3 or ITR-4 by the deadline of August 31, 2026. While ITR-4 simplifies the process through presumptive taxation, ITR-3 demands a more detailed presentation of accounts.

The 8th Pay Commission is set to convene in Bengaluru, to hold crucial discussions regarding salaries, pensions, and working conditions with a variety of stakeholders. Additional consultations will be organized in cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh, Chennai, and Puducherry during August and September 2026.

Gold and silver prices saw minor changes on August 25, 2026. Tanishq, Malabar, Joyalukkas, and Kalyan Jewellers offered 22k gold at Rs 15,010 per gram. IBJA reported 24K gold at Rs 16,234 per gram and silver at Rs 2,43,446 per kg. These rates exclude GST and making charges. Market attention focused on US inflation data and Fed Chair's speech.

Investing in a mix of equities, fixed income, and gold can lead to improved risk-adjusted gains. Gold often acts as a safety net when stock markets decline. By incorporating assets with varying correlations, one can enhance the whole portfolio's performance. Historical evidence reflects gold's resilience during downturns in equities over different fiscal years. This analysis demonstrates that a diversified asset allocation effectively mitigates risks across diverse market environments.

ITI Small Cap Fund topped the three-year return chart with a 25.19% return, outperforming its benchmark and category average. While strong stock selection drove much of the outperformance, experts caution investors against extrapolating recent gains. With small-cap valuations appearing broadly fair, investors should focus on portfolio allocation, risk appetite, investment horizon and rebalancing rather than booking profits solely based on past

IHCLs merger with Oriental Hotels is expected to be EPS accretive and strengthen its presence in South India, according to brokerages. Nomura, Goldman Sachs and JM Financial retained Buy ratings on IHCL, citing potential cost synergies, asset optimisation and direct ownership of key properties. The merger is expected to close in FY28.

PPFAS GIFT has cut the minimum investment in its S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 outbound passive funds from $5,000 to $500, effective August 25. The move aims to broaden access to global diversification for eligible Indian investors through GIFT City, offering index-linked exposure to leading US companies without requiring foreign brokerage accounts.

TCS shares rose after the IT major signed a five-year 1.25 billion deal with Porsche AG and agreed to acquire its IT arm, MHP, for 320 million in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition, expected to close in 34 months, will deepen TCS relationship with Porsche and strengthen its AI transformation push, while expanding its presence among European automotive and industrial clients.

Entero Healthcare Solutions shares rose sharply after Prashant Jain-owned 3P Investment Managers acquired a 2.5% stake in the company through open market transactions. The shares were bought from Prasid Uno Family Trust at Rs 1,377.8 apiece, according to stock exchange data.

Union Bank of India has made a significant move by raising six hundred million dollars through the sale of bonds, which include three-year and five-year notes at appealing interest rates. This event is particularly notable as it represents the bank's first public dollar bond sale in more than ten years.

Gilt funds are not recommended to regular debt investors because they are risky and volatile. Gilt funds suffer the most when the rates go up. The bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. When the rates go up, bond prices come down. This drags down the NAVs of schemes.

Non-resident Indians have the opportunity to access their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) corpus upon their departure from India. Those who are relocating permanently abroad can initiate a complete withdrawal after fulfilling necessary formalities. Notably, NRIs arent required to reach the age of fifty-eight for this withdrawal.