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Precious metals surge over growing geopolitical tensions

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Mumbai, Feb 23: Gold and silver prices surged significantly on Monday, amid growing geopolitical tensions and the US dollar’s steep fall.

MCX gold April futures gained 1.83 per cent to Rs 1,59,749 per 10 grams on an intra-day basis. Meanwhile, MCX silver March futures gained 5.10 per cent to Rs 2,65,836 per kg.

Earlier in the day, gold had jumped 2 per cent while silver soared 6 per cent. Analysts attributed the surge to geopolitical tensions as US President Donald Trump’s 10-day deadline for a “meaningful deal” with Iran drew closer.

Iran has indicated it is prepared to make concessions on its nuclear programme in talks with the US in return for the lifting of sanctions and recognition of its right to enrich uranium, as it seeks to avert a US attack.

Further, the dollar fell after the US Supreme Court struck down a vast swathe of President Trump’s tariffs on Friday.

“The US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a large swath of Trump’s tariffs has weakened his ability to threaten and impose tariffs at a moment’s notice, but it won’t end gnawing uncertainty for trade partners or companies,” said Manav Modi, Commodities Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial services Ltd.

“Silver is witnessing a large draw of inventories from all warehouses especially, Comex very significantly indicating the tightness in supply and surge in demand as China remains shut,” the analyst said.

Concerns over slowing US economic growth are also supporting gold’s safe-haven appeal. The US GDP rose 1.4 per cent annually in the fourth quarter, down from 4.4 per cent in the July-September quarter and 3.8 per cent in the April-June quarter.

“Gold has support at Rs 1,54,400 and Rs 1,53,150 while resistance at Rs 1,59,100 and Rs 1,60,600. MCX silver has support at Rs 2,48,800 and Rs 2,42,000, and resistance is at Rs 2,57,700 and Rs 2,63,620,” an analyst said.

Markets remain keen on data from US factory orders, cues on consumer confidence data, and US Producer Price Index (PPI) data.

Business

Captive coal mines register robust output growth in April-September FY27

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India’s captive mines produced 68.98 million tonnes (MT) of coal up to September 10 in the current financial year, up from 65.78 MT in the corresponding period of FY 2025-26, which represents a year-on-year growth of 5 per cent, or an additional 3.2 MT, and this also comes on a base that was itself 10.12 per cent higher than the previous year, the Coal Ministry said on Friday.

The gain has been recorded in the first five months of the current financial year, which include the monsoon, when mining and evacuation are at their most difficult, a ministry statement said.

Dispatch from captive mines has also been better than the previous year. Captive mines dispatched 75.68 MT against 71.43 MT last year, a growth of 5.94 per cent and an increase of 4.25 MT.

Provisional figures indicate the pace is picking up further as the monsoon begins to recede. In the ten days between September 1 and September 10, captive mines produced 4.12 MT and dispatched 4.21 MT.

New capacity is being added steadily to this base. Nine captive and commercial mines are expected to commence production during FY 2026-27, with a combined peak rated capacity of 20.67 MT. Three of these, with a peak capacity of 7.51 MT, have already started production during the current year. The remaining six are expected to commence production soon during the year, according to the statement.

On this footing, production from captive mines is expected to cross 190 MT in FY 2026-27. Together with commercial mines, the two segments are expected to exceed 228 MT during the current financial year, the statement said.

Captive mines have been a mainstay of coal production, and their output has grown steadily, with annual production recording a robust 10.1 per cent rise from 167.44 million tonnes (MT) in FY 2024-25 to 184 MT in FY 2025-26.

Along with commercial mines, which produced around 26 MT, the captive and commercial segment together accounted for 210 MT in FY 2025-26 against 190.95 MT the previous year.

Captive and commercial mines account for about 21 per cent of total domestic coal production, which stood at 1,039 MT in FY 2025-26 and has remained above one billion tonnes for the second year running. This performance has carried into the current financial year, the statement added.

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Indian equities expected to see re‑rating as H2 earnings pick up: Report

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Indian equities could be set for a re‑rating as second‑half earnings accelerate and domestic institutional capital returns, a report said on Friday.

The report from Omniscience Capital said that the consolidation phase should be treated as an accumulation window rather than as an opportunity to chase recent performance.

The firm said that opportunities lie in businesses benefiting from structural capital expenditure, energy transition and infrastructure development.

The report cautioned that pockets of the mid‑ and small‑cap segments remain richly valued and urged selective deployment into high‑quality growth businesses available at discounted valuations.

Opportunities are concentrated in businesses exposed to sustained growth and operating leverage but available at favourable valuations, the report noted.

Key areas include banking and financial services, infrastructure and power, and business services, supported by resilient credit growth, rising electricity demand and a recovery in corporate capex.

The moderation in Indian equity valuations has led to renewed institutional interest, with foreign investors turning net buyers on multiple occasions after a two-year moderation in valuations.

Domestic fundamentals remain supportive, with FY27 real GDP growth estimated at around 7 per cent even though crude oil prices call for caution.

With direct, retaliatory military actions between the US and Iran, the hope for a diplomatic resolution through a longer-term peace deal has taken a severe blow, the report forecasted.

“Multi-year forward earnings execution is fully priced in, leaving prospective returns barely near the discount rate while exposing investors to severe de-rating risk,” said Ashwin K. Shami, President & Chief Portfolio Manager, OmniScience Capital.

The firm saw a valuation disconnect across market capitalisations, with Nifty Smallcap 250 and Midcap 150 trading at trailing P/E multiples of around 34-fold and 30-fold, respectively, compared with around 20-fold for Nifty 100.

Global equity markets continue to contend with elevated risk-free rates, with US 10-year Treasury yields near one-year highs of 4.6 per cent-4.7 per cent, while geopolitical tensions have added volatility to crude oil and commodities. The US Federal Reserve’s policy decision on September 16 remains a near-term factor for Treasury yields and global risk appetite.

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SIP inflows hit record Rs 32,297 crore in August, gold ETF inflows jump 67 pc to Rs 2,596.70 crore: AMFI

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New Delhi, Sep 10: Inflows into gold Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) surged nearly 67 per cent in August 2026 as investors increased their exposure to the precious metal amid a sharp rise in domestic gold prices, according to the latest data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Thursday.

Gold ETFs received net inflows of Rs 2,596.70 crore in August, compared with Rs 1,559 crore in July. The category recorded positive inflows for the third consecutive month, reflecting continued investor interest in gold-linked investment products.

The increase in gold ETF investments came as domestic gold prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) rose 7.7 per cent during August, making the precious metal one of the key investment avenues during the month.

Silver ETFs also continued to attract investors, recording net inflows of Rs 1,270.63 crore in August.

In the equity mutual fund segment, actively managed equity schemes saw net inflows rise to Rs 29,328.62 crore in August from Rs 24,697.39 crore in July, indicating sustained investor participation despite fluctuations in the broader market.

Overall, the mutual fund industry recorded net inflows of Rs 41,353.60 crore in August, significantly lower than the Rs 2.35 lakh crore recorded in July. The sharp month-on-month decline was largely influenced by flows in the debt fund segment.

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions, however, continued to strengthen and reached a record high of Rs 32,297 crore in August, compared with Rs 31,961 crore in July. The steady rise in SIP contributions highlights continued retail investor participation in mutual funds.

Debt funds registered a net outflow of Rs 8,127.32 crore in August, reversing from a net inflow of Rs 1.87 lakh crore in July.

Meanwhile, the mutual fund SIP inflows increased marginally month-on-month to a record high of Rs 32,297 crore in August, compared with Rs 31,961 crore in July. On a year-on-year basis, SIP inflows rose 14 per cent from Rs 28,265 crore recorded in August 2025.

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