Gaurav Bansal

[ad_1] US President Donald Trump fired a fresh salvo against Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, escalating attacks for resisting further interest rate cuts. The clash is rattling financial markets, raising a critical question: Can Trump actually fire Powell?The answer is murky—and the implications could be huge.Under the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, members of the Fed's Board of Governors are appointed to 14-year terms and can only be removed "for cause," widely interpreted to mean serious misconduct—not policy disagreements. However, the law is less clear when it comes to the Fed chair’s four-year leadership term, which lacks explicit removal restrictions.According to Reuters, no US president has ever tried to oust a Fed chair, making any such move legally uncharted territory. Several unrelated legal cases involving Trump’s past efforts to remove leaders of independent agencies are now making their way through […]

[ad_1] US stock markets opened on a strong note Tuesday, with all three major indices posting solid gains as investor sentiment turned positive across sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), the NASDAQ, and the S&P 500 each rose over 1% in early trading, while commodity prices also edged higher.During the initial minute of trading, The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 403.52 points, or 1.06%, to 38,573.93, driven by gains in financials and industrials. The Nasdaq Composite rose 198.15 points, or 1.25%, to 16,069.05, bolstered by strong performances from leading tech stocks. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 climbed 54.92 points, or 1.06%, to 5,213.12, as investors looked past recent concerns over interest rates and earnings volatility.In the commodities market, gold continued its upward trend, rising $28, or 0.82%, to $3,453.30 per ounce, reflecting ongoing demand for safe-haven assets. Crude oil prices […]

[ad_1] Aerospace major Boeing announced on Tuesday that it will sell parts of its digital aviation solutions business to software-focused investment firmThoma Bravo in a deal valued at $10.55 billion.The agreement includes the sale of Jeppesen, an 81-year-old aviation navigation company that Boeing acquired in 2000. Despite the divestiture, Boeing stated it will retain its "core digital capabilities" to continue supporting fleet maintenance and repair services for its customers, AFP reported. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg described the sale as part of a broader strategy to streamline operations and strengthen the company’s financial standing following a period of sustained losses."This transaction is an important component of our strategy to focus on core businesses, supplement the balance sheet and prioritize the investment grade credit rating," Ortberg said in a statement.Approximately 3,900 employees are currently part of Boeing’s digital aviation solutions unit. The […]

[ad_1] Moon Beverages, a leading Coca-Cola bottler in India and part of the diversified MMG Group, is weighing an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to fuel its ambitious growth plans, a top company executive said.According to PTI, Moon Beverages aims to double its revenue within the next three to four years, driven by increased production capacity, new plants, and expanded market reach, said Anant Agarwal, Vice Chairman of MMG Group.“This is in our plan,” Agarwal said when asked about the IPO. “We are very bullish on growth for Moon Beverages and the IPO plan sits very well with that ambition.” While he did not provide a specific timeline, he noted that discussions with stakeholders are underway.So far, the group has invested over Rs 4,000 crore into Moon Beverages, with a focus on acquisitions, infrastructure, and capacity expansion. Two new bottling plants […]

[ad_1] As US-China trade tensions heat up, a new wave of patriotic investing is sweeping across China. Spurred by former President Donald Trump's tariff threats, everyday citizens are entering the stock market—not for profit, but to show support for their country. From designers to teachers and traders, retail investors are pouring money into sectors tied to China’s national agenda, turning the market into a symbol of resilience and unity.Cao Mingjie, a home designer from China's Guangdong province, had never traded stocks before US President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" speech on April 2. The announcement of "reciprocal tariffs" that ramped up the trade war between the US and China pushed Cao to change his mind. He decided to invest 2,000 yuan ($274) each month in the local stock market—not for profit, but to show his solidarity with Beijing in the face […]

[ad_1] AI-generated representative image Despite China's significant economic growth over the past 18 years, investors have not seen corresponding financial gains. Whilst China has established itself as the world's second-largest economy after the US, its primary stock market indicator, the Shanghai Composite Index, has shown stagnant returns.The Shanghai Composite, encompassing all Shanghai Stock Exchange listings, remains at levels comparable to early 2007. Similarly, the Hang Seng index, home to prominent Chinese corporations such as Tencent, Alibaba, and Meituan, has demonstrated negligible returns during this timeframe, according to an ET report.By comparison, the US S&P 500 has risen above 250 per cent whilst India's Nifty 50 has achieved nearly 500 per cent growth in the corresponding period.This underwhelming performance is particularly notable considering China's GDP has more than doubled between 2008 and 2024. Despite recognition for substantial infrastructure development, technological advancement, […]

[ad_1] China has deployed an innovative gold ATM in Shanghai that processes gold items by melting them, verifying their authenticity and mass, before transferring the corresponding value to users' accounts within 30 minutes, without documentation. This advancement, created by the Shenzhen-based Kinghood Group, has gained traction at a time when global gold prices are skyrocketing. Local residents and visitors are forming queues to exchange their traditional jewellery and gold pieces for immediate payment, reports suggest.Market dynamicsThe increased interest coincides with gold's status as a safe haven asset during global economic uncertainty. Xu Weixin of the Shanghai Gold Association has reportedly said that "with rising gold prices, the public's desire to cash out has significantly increased." Institutional and central bank acquisitions have boosted demand, with China's gold ATMs providing efficient public access to this market.Operational detailsThe device processes gold items above […]

[ad_1] India and the US have agreed on terms of reference for negotiating a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), as announced by the US Trade Representative (USTR)The USTR Jamieson Greer indicated that these discussions aim to establish reciprocity and create new market opportunities whilst addressing practices detrimental to US workers."I am pleased to confirm that USTR and India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry have finalized the Terms of Reference to lay down a roadmap for the negotiations onreciprocal trade," he said in a statement.Mentioning the progress of the talks, he added, "There is a serious lack of reciprocity in the trade relationship with India. These ongoing talks will help achieve balance and reciprocity by opening new markets for American goods and addressing unfair practices that harm American workers. India’s constructive engagement so far has been welcomed and I look forward […]

[ad_1] India's macroeconomic fundamentals stronger compared to previous global crises: Report With the steep fall in crude oil prices and worldwide commodity markets experiencing strain, India's economic indicators demonstrate remarkable resilience compared to earlier international downturns, according to an analysis from Motilal Oswal.Despite global uncertainties, India's better performance can be attributed to domestic resilience and improved fiscal health, the report said."While there might be 2nd and 3rd order impacts on India in terms of IT slowdown and China dumping amidst probable currency wars, given its domestic resilience, the relative impact on economic growth may not be that pronounced".The report also highlighted the effective performance of key indicators such as the Balance of Payments (BoP), Current Account Deficit (CAD), and fiscal deficit when compared to earlier stress periods like the 2013 Taper Tantrum.Unlike the Global Financial Crisis or the Credit Crisis, […]

[ad_1] The US administration is seeking to negotiate with India to provide full market access to online retailers like Amazon and Walmart in its £125 billion ecommerce sector, as part of trade discussions conducted under potential tariff increase threats, according to reports from Financial Times.US officials, industry executives and lobbyists reportedly indicated plans to urge Prime Minister Modi's administration for equal opportunities in ecommerce during comprehensive US-India trade agreement discussions, encompassing various sectors from food to automobiles.This comes after US vice-president JD Vance's meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi on Monday resulted in both parties acknowledging "significant progress in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial" trade agreement, as stated by Indian government officials. They also recognised ongoing collaborative efforts in energy, defence and strategic technologies.India's exports to the US face a potential 26 per cent tariff, though President Trump […]