Equities surge in afternoon trading, Sensex closes 358 points higher

Indian stock markets settled in the red on Thursday as escalating tensions in West Asia and again a sharp rise in crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiment.

Indian stock markets opened in the red on Thursday as escalating tensions in West Asia and again a sharp rise in crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiment.

The domestic stock markets opened with modest gains on Wednesday as easing crude oil prices supported investor sentiment, even as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continued to remain in focus.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a new set of prudential norms for banks that cap dividend payouts at a maximum of 75 per cent of Profit After Tax (PAT) for most banks, linking profit distribution more closely with capital strength, profitability and regulatory compliance.

Among the participating states, Andhra Pradesh has raised Rs 3,000 crore through three securities with tenors of 13, 15 and 17 years. Arunachal Pradesh has raised Rs 190 crore with a 20-year tenor, while Assam has borrowed Rs 900 crore through a 15-year security. Delhi has raised Rs 1,000 crore via a 10-year security. Gujarat has raised Rs 2,000 crore through two securities with tenors of seven years and six months, and 11 years, with an additional borrowing option of Rs 500 crore for each.

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 10: CreditAccess Grameen Limited (NSE: CREDITACC, BSE: 541770, 'CA Grameen', or the 'Company'), the country's largest Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institution (NBFC-MFI), has signed a syndicated social loan facility of USD 75 million, qualifying as an ECB under the automatic route of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). HSBC acted as the Sole Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner for the social loan fund raise, securing participations from HSBC (Gift City), Doha Bank (Qatar), State Bank (Mauritius) Ltd., Bank of China Ltd. (China), and National Development Bank Plc (Sri Lanka). This transaction reinforces CA Grameen's strong track record of raising international funds through innovative financing solutions.

The Indian benchmark indices opened with significant gains on Tuesday. BSE Sensex rose by 591.41 points or 0.76 per cent to reach 78,157.57 at 9:17 am, while NSE NIFTY 50 climbed 158.20 points or 0.66 per cent to 24,186.25.

Individuals and domestic mutual funds together now hold about 36 per cent of the free float market capitalisation of Nifty 50 companies, said SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey, addressing the 30th anniversary of Nifty 50 at the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), marked the 30th anniversary of the Nifty 50 index by announcing that the market capitalization of companies listed on the exchange has reached USD 5 trillion. Highlighting India's rise to becoming the fourth-largest capital market in the world, Chauhan noted that the index is no longer just a financial metric but a "stock of the nation."

The Indian rupee opened at an all-time low against the US dollar on Monday amid a sharp surge in crude oil prices and rising demand for the greenback.