Hopes rise for a US-EU trade agreement before the tariff deadline. Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump are expected to meet. A deal might include tariffs on EU goods, steel, and aluminum. Optimism about trade tensions has boosted US stocks. A US-Japan trade deal was struck earlier. US and China officials plan to meet next week to discuss trade.

President Donald Trump met Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The meeting happened on Thursday. Trump thinks Powell may lower interest rates. Trump criticized the cost of renovating Fed buildings. Earlier, Trump called Powell a numbskull. However, Trump said he does not plan to fire Powell. The meeting was described as a good one by Trump.

Meme stock trading is now normal in US markets. Opendoor, Krispy Kreme, and GoPro saw big surges. Warnings about speculation are ignored. Crypto is going mainstream with big firms involved. Retail investors are using options more. Short-dated options trading is at a record high. Meme stock enthusiasm shows retail investors are here to stay.

NSDL s upcoming IPO is set to generate substantial wealth for early institutional investors like SBI and IDBI Bank, potentially yielding returns as high as 39,900%. Driven partly by regulatory mandates requiring shareholding dilution, the IPO allows these shareholders to capitalize on their long-term investments.

Amidst market volatility and FII outflows, Kotak Securities Shrikant Chouhan advises a bottom-up, value-driven investment approach. He notes retail investor enthusiasm driving IPOs, while smart money targets hospitals, digital-first firms, and capital market-linked businesses. Chouhan emphasizes caution in small and midcap stock selection, prioritizing corporate governance and business model analysis.

Indian markets face pressure from global corrections and FPI selling. Earnings are disappointing, and valuations are high. Pharma sector rallied despite potential US tariffs. Promoters offloaded shares, but retail investors provided support. Auto sector faces challenges from weak demand and potential tariff impacts. The India-UK FTA may benefit some sectors, but implementation details are awaited.

In a regulatory void, judging the fit and proper quality of a new applicant has been left to existing virtual digital asset (VDA) service providers (SPs). Some of the applicants are discovering that the rule, introduced early this year, not only runs into conflict of interests, but poses other complexities as cryptos are vulnerable to money laundering and cyber heists.

"We have been witnessing record activity among brokers and other distribution intermediaries," said Satyajit Tripathy, member (distribution), IRDAI, at an Insurance Brokers Association of India event. "While this is fine by all means, I must add a word of caution that with increased growth being seen, we need not be adopting what we call as sharp practices to increase valuation, get listed, and to do business in a way, which may in the long run prove detrimental to the whole ecosystem."

Indian electronics companies are now eager to collaborate with Chinese firms. This follows the government s approval of Dixon Technologies joint venture. Epack Durable and others are considering similar partnerships. The move signals a potential easing of restrictions on Chinese investment. This is crucial for India s electronics component manufacturing scheme.

Indian equity indices experienced a nearly 1% decline on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive week of losses, influenced by disappointing earnings from major companies and cautious sentiment in Asian markets. The NSE Nifty concluded at 24,837.00, while the BSE Sensex closed at 81,463.09. Investors are also showing concern about the potential impact of the India-US trade deal.