Mumbai, Oct 15: Indian stock markets opened on a positive note on Wednesday, taking cues from the upbeat global sentiment.

The Sensex climbed 243 points, or 0.30 per cent, to trade at 82,273, while the Nifty rose 79 points, or 0.31 per cent, to start the day at 25,225.

Commenting on the Nifty’s technical outlook, experts said that though the 20-day SMA stepped in yesterday, to limit the extent of the drop, we prefer to give more weightage to the bearish engulfing pattern, thus acknowledging the prevailing bearish bias.

“Meanwhile, we remain equally prepared to switch sides, if Nifty manages to push beyond 25230. However, we will wait for a break beyond 25330 to play directional upsides,” they added..

Buying was seen across most sectors, with heavyweights like Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, NTPC, L&T, Power Grid, BEL, Bharti Airtel, Trent, and Asian Paints leading the gains. These stocks moved up by as much as 1.2 per cent in early trade.

However, some pressure was seen in select counters such as Tech Mahindra, Axis Bank, Infosys, and Titan Company, which slipped up to 1.2 per cent.

In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap index gained 0.38 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index advanced 0.20 per cent — indicating a positive trend beyond the frontline indices.

Among sectoral indices, Nifty IT and Financial Services rose 0.6 per cent each, while PSU Bank and Realty indices also traded higher — reflecting a broadly optimistic market mood.

Experts said that investors are likely to track global market trends, crude oil prices, and institutional flows for further direction.

“In the current environment of heightened volatility and mixed market cues, traders are advised to maintain a cautious “buy-on-dips” approach, particularly when using leverage,” analysts said.

“Booking partial profits during rallies and maintaining tight trailing stop-losses is recommended to manage risk. Fresh long positions should be considered only if the Nifty sustains above the 25,300 mark,” they added.

New Delhi, Oct 14: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has restructured its partial withdrawal regulations, combining 13 distinct clauses into three main categories: Essential Needs, Housing Needs, and Special Circumstances. This change aims to make it easier to access provident fund savings.

For the nearly 30 crore members who collectively own a corpus of about Rs 30 lakh crore, the reform aims to make the withdrawal process quicker, simpler, and more transparent.

The revised framework, referred to as EPFO 3.0, has standardised withdrawal limits.

Depending on the goal, members can now access up to 100 per cent of their eligible provident fund balance, which includes employer and employee contributions. However, at least 25 per cent of the EPF balance needs to stay in the account in order to maintain a safety net for retirement.

This implies that members can keep the required balance while withdrawing up to 75 per cent of their total corpus.

Additionally, the new regulations standardise the requirements for services. In the past, there were specific requirements for each type of withdrawal, such as five years of service for housing purposes and seven years for marriage-related withdrawals.

All partial withdrawals are now subject to a single 12-month minimum service period, which streamlines the procedure and removes any ambiguity.

Members will no longer need to provide documentation of their withdrawals under the “Special Circumstances” category, which is a significant relaxation. In the past, withdrawals under this heading required proof of emergencies, such as natural disasters or job loss.

The new clause, which permits members to leave without giving a reason, is anticipated to reduce red tape and expedite approvals.

The EPFO has also increased the withdrawal limits for marriage and education-related withdrawals. Instead of the previous cap of three combined withdrawals, members can now make up to 10 withdrawals for education and five for marriage.

Stricter guidelines for final settlements are also introduced by the reforms, though. In contrast to the previous two-month eligibility window, members can now only apply for an early final settlement 12 months after quitting their job and for pension withdrawal 36 months later.

In the event of a job loss, the 25 per cent minimum balance requirement only applies to partial withdrawals; it does not apply to full settlements.

While it is anticipated that the simplified framework will increase efficiency and transparency, workers who are laid off or have experienced extended periods of unemployment may find it difficult to obtain their provident fund savings immediately during a time when they may need it most, due to the revised settlement timelines.

Mumbai, Oct 14: Silver prices soared to an all-time high above $52.50 an ounce on Tuesday, boosted by a historic short squeeze in London and strong demand for safe-haven assets amid global economic uncertainty.

Spot silver rose as much as 0.4 per cent to $52.58 an ounce in London, breaking the previous record set in January 1980 when the billionaire Hunt brothers tried to corner the market.

Gold prices also climbed to a new record, marking eight consecutive weeks of gains, supported by rising geopolitical tensions and expectations of US interest rate cuts.

The rally in silver comes amid concerns over liquidity in the London market, which has triggered a worldwide rush to secure the metal.

Prices in London are trading at a rare premium compared to New York, prompting traders to fly silver bars across the Atlantic — a costly move usually reserved for gold — to benefit from higher prices.

The premium stood at around $1.55 an ounce on Tuesday, down from $3 last week.

Adding to the squeeze, silver lease rates in London — the cost of borrowing the metal — surged above 30 per cent for one-month contracts last Friday, making it expensive for traders to maintain short positions.

The situation worsened as strong demand from India in recent weeks further reduced available supply, following earlier shipments to New York amid fears of US tariffs.

Experts said the latest surge in both gold and silver reflects heightened market uncertainty.

Gold prices have jumped nearly 60 per cent this year, crossing the $4,100 mark for the first time, supported by geopolitical tensions, rate-cut expectations, and strong buying by central banks and investors.

Key US economic data such as inflation and retail sales are due later this week, but analysts warn that if the government shutdown continues, the release of these reports — including jobs data — could be delayed.