SMALL BIZ
Want an early signal on the economy and stocks this festive season? Watch 19 stocks, and what their managements say in the next 20 days
There is a set of companies that sees the shape of the economy before economists do. They know when a household decides to spend or hold back; to buy better things or cheaper ones. This festive season, what these companies sell, and what they say about it afterwards, will tell you more about where consumption is headed than any official number. Watch them closely. Check out Stock Reports Plus, powered by Refinitiv, for price targets of over 4,000 listed stocks along with detailed company analysis focusing on five key components – earnings, fundamentals, relative valuation, risk, and price momentum – to generate standardised scores. SR+ Reports is a complimentary offering to ETPrime members.
Small-biz optimism in US at three-month low
The National Federation of Independent Business index slipped 0.8 point to 97.9, according to data released on Tuesday. Six of the 10 components that make up the gauge declined, while three rose and one held steady. The net share of owners who expect business conditions to improve declined 4 percentage points to a four-month low of 6%. Persistent price pressures continue to weigh on small businesses as conflicts in West Asia and Europe keep energy costs high.
FD interest rate hike coming? With rising inflation, many experts expect RBI to hike interest rate
Many financial analysts expect the Reserve Bank of India to increase the repo rate by 25 basis points. This forecast is driven by persistent inflation, soaring crude oil prices, and a depreciating rupee. Should the RBI implement this hike, it could lead to higher fixed deposit returns for investors. Meanwhile, public sector banks continue to offer lower rates, struggling against fierce competition from government securities and small savings schemes.
GST Council may scrap arrest provisions, fast-track refunds with 90% automatic payout
The upcoming 57th GST Council meeting on October 7 is set to unveil transformative proposals that could reshape GST regulations. Key suggestions may involve the abolition of arrest clauses related to GST, simplified refund procedures for exporters, and adjustments to the prosecution threshold. Furthermore, small taxpayers could benefit from late fee waivers and quicker registration.
Q2 business update impact: PNB, Bank of Baroda, AU Small Finance Bank shares jump up to 4%. What lies ahead?
Shares of Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and AU Small Finance Bank rose up to 4% after strong Q2 business updates. Deposits and advances recorded robust year-on-year growth across the lenders, boosting investor sentiment. Analysts expect loan growth momentum to continue, though near-term margins could remain under pressure amid surplus liquidity.
- Go To Page 1
GST 2.0: Council to consider sweeping reforms to unlock tax credit, ease compliance
India is set to implement significant reforms to the goods and services tax system, which will ease compliance. Changes may include the release of accumulated input tax credit that benefits various industries and supports growth. The GST Council plans to reconsider tax treatment for certain supplier defaults to protect genuine buyers.
Honda targets 20% cost cuts, faster car development in India with Tata Technologies: Report
Honda Motor aims to decrease costs and development times by outsourcing vehicle production to Tata Technologies in India. The partnership is expected to lead to significant savings of up to 20% and shorter development timelines. Honda is currently facing financial pressures and is shifting focus toward hybrids and cost-cutting measures. The first vehicle under this collaboration is a small SUV targeted for launch in 2028.
Ease of biz relief in store for small ecomm sellers
The Goods and Services Tax Council meeting is set to discuss proposals benefitting small ecommerce sellers. If approved, these sellers could operate nationwide with one registered address rather than multiple. This would allow online sellers to utilize warehouse locations for registration. Additionally, the council will address the ambiguities regarding tax liability for services booked through ecommerce platforms. Changes aim to standardize tax collections and reporting requirements for all platforms involved.
Menlo Ventures on AI slowdown; Ola Electric CEO pledges stake
Happy Monday! Menlo Ventures, an early Anthropic backer, says the real AI constraint is compute, not a slowdown in frontier models. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Kotak warns small and midcap euphoria may turn sour as investors chase quick returns
India’s stock market shows a sharp divide, with investors favouring small and midcaps despite stretched valuations while overlooking relatively attractive largecaps. Kotak Institutional Equities says price momentum and popular growth narratives are driving sentiment more than underlying value and fundamentals.
New indicator for New India: 25 stocks whose numbers can reveal what is in store for the economy and the stock market
For decades, there was a familiar way to understand the Indian consumer. Economists waited for GDP, industrial production, inflation, credit growth and other official numbers, and then used them to work out whether households were spending more or pulling back. Those indicators still matter. But the Indian consumer has changed faster than the dashboard used to track consumption and spending patterns. Check out Stock Reports Plus, powered by Refinitiv, for price targets of over 4,000 listed stocks along with detailed company analysis focusing on five key components – earnings, fundamentals, relative valuation, risk, and price momentum – to generate standardised scores. SR+ Reports is a complimentary offering to ETPrime members.
SBI developing solution to use UPI data for checking creditworthiness of small biz
State Bank of India is developing a UPI data solution for small businesses. This initiative aims to assess creditworthiness without requiring GST registration for these entities. The bank expects to provide digital loans within a single day for eligible borrowers. This new approach will help bring more businesses into the formal finance sector. UPI transactions will serve as a proxy for sales data in loan assessments.
GST Council meeting rescheduled to October 7 due to BRICS summit
The GST Council meeting has been rescheduled to October 7 due to the BRICS summit. This meeting will occur after a gap of over a year for the council. Discussions will focus on simplifying GST registration for businesses passing tax credits. Automation and changes in GST registration cancellation are also on the agenda. The council previously approved a simplified scheme for small and low-risk businesses.
India’s IPO party is in full swing. Just don’t mistake debut-day gains for a winning bet
August saw twenty companies raise over twenty-one thousand crore rupees. Listing-day returns have significantly increased from a discount to a premium. Investors should not treat initial public offerings as lottery tickets. Thorough due diligence is essential to identify strong businesses and avoid duds. Analyzing financials, valuation, and offer details helps separate quality investments.
RBI eliminates pre-payment charges on business loans for individuals and MSEs
The RBI has mandated that banks and NBFCs cease charging prepayment penalties on business loans to individuals and MSEs, regardless of co-obligants. Small finance banks, urban co-operatives, and regional rural banks must also waive these charges on loans up to ₹50 lakh. This directive applies to all prepayment sources, partial or full, without any lock-in period.
Revolutionizing Business Travel: How myBiz is Redefining Corporate Travel Management
Leading change, myBiz by MakeMyTrip shines as a quintessential example of a company evolving rapidly to effectively cater to the dynamic needs and shifting expectations of the corporate travel sector. Here’s a look at some of the groundbreaking technological features that distinguish myBiz’s suite of solutions beyond traditional travel management practices.
HDFC Bank rolls out four credit cards for SME players
"No other bank has such a complete range of products addressed to the SME segment as HDFC Bank," said Vidya Pradeep, executive vice-president, credit and debit card portfolio, HDFC Bank. She also said that the bank will soon be launching GIGA business card catering to freelancers and gig workers.
Meta announces partnership with ONDC to support small businesses in India
ONDC will help the businesses become seller apps and onboard onto their network.
US small biz owners are both hopeful and anxious about the holidays, taking a cue from their customers
American kept up their spending over the summer, witness the government’s estimate that the economy grew by 4.9% in the third quarter.
Biz2X announces partnership with TruBoard
Biz2X, a leading digital lending SaaS platform and a subsidiary of Biz2Credit, on Wednesday announced its partnership with TruBoard, a prominent asset performance management company, on the Maadhyam platform. The collaboration is aimed at addressing the growing concern of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in retail and small business loans. It empowers Maadhyam clients to efficiently manage their portfolios, substantially reduce NPAs, and foster better financial inclusivity for SMEs.
Cash flow management platform CredFlow acquires YC-backed TechBiz in all-cash deal
CredFlow chief Kunal Aggarwal said the acquisition of TechBiz, which offers a complementary set of services, would expand the firm’s target market
Ease of doing business: 'Small company' limits relaxed further
Small companies are not required to include cash flow statements in their financial reports, need hold only two board meetings a year as opposed to at least four for others, and do not have to rotate auditors every five years.
FloBiz raises $31 million in Series B from Sequoia Capital India, others
The startup plans to use the capital for team expansion, product development and scaling distribution to serve more businesses. FloBiz will also focus on building additional technical capabilities within the organisation.
FloBiz lands $10 million in funding led by Elevation Capital
The company will use the capital raised to expand its team for further product development and to accelerate its sales and marketing efforts.
Govt to pvt lenders: Step up lending to small biz
Public sector banks have fared better on disbursements, where the share of private lenders was estimated at just under 37%.
Shops, small biz in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot to remain shut till May 3
District authorities in Gujarat’s four major cities decided to keep shops and small businesses shut till May 3 in view of the increasing incidence of Covid-19, reversing chief minister Vijay Rupani’s decision to ease the lockdown.
Tally add-on enables small biz to get loans
The company, which has built a $1.4-billion lending portfolio in the US, is growing its business in India by providing its technology platform to banks and finance companies.
Tata Capital ties-up with Biz2Credit to reach out to small businesses in India
Tata Capital, the flagship financial services company of the $ 108 billion Tata Group today announced a partnership with Biz2Credit.
Load More
