Goldman Sachs initiated its coverage of PhysicsWallah with a neutral rating and a target price of Rs 135. Analysts said the company is one of India’s largest edtech platforms, with a broadly equal mix of revenues from online and offline segments. They forecast a 24% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of revenue for FY25-FY30 (vs 38% for last two years), at mid-to-high end of India internet coverage, with 80%+ earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) CAGR over this period. Analysts said they view such numbers as a function of PW’s strong top of the funnel organic traffic, a relatively benign competitive environment in India’s edtech sector, and PW’s pricing structure that allows it to penetrate deeper into multiple new education categories. They also warned that PW’s business model also has a negative working capital cycle, and forecast 100%+ free cash flow to net income for the company starting FY26.Avendus Spark initiated its coverage of LG Electronics with a reduce rating and a target price of Rs 1,536. Analysts said despite lower bargaining power and increasing customer choices due to competition, LG’s extensive reach remains a key strength and moat. The company has a robust in-house manufacturing capability and a third facility is in the pipeline to cater to the South Indian market and exports, which will also save logistics costs. They said the company is likely to face market share erosion, revenue impact and challenges in its niche premium/super-premium categories due to relatively new entrants.Nuvama has initiated its coverage of Knowledge Marine Engineering Works with a buy rating and a target price of Rs 2,500. Analysts said that India’s maritime industry is at an inflection point with unprecedented emphasis on infrastructure creation and inland waterways. KMEW enjoys a 50% order-win rate amid scarce competition and high entry barriers, delivers superior 35–40% EBITDA margin and is diversified across a spectrum of dredging, shipbuilding and ancillary services accounting for 43%, 11% and 46% of balance order book, respectively.HSBC has a buy rating on Ambuja Cement with the target price at Rs 700. Analysts said that the company’s board has approved the amalgamation of ACC and Orient Cement into Ambuja, with the completion expected within twelve months. The company’s management expects operational synergies to drive cost savings of at least Rs 100/tonne. Analysts see the amalgamation as a positive move for the companyInvestec has a buy rating on RBL Bank with the target price at Rs 430. Analysts said that the bank intends to deploy $1.5 billion of $3 billion infusion to retire high-cost liabilities and expects rating upgrades (AA- to AA+/AAA) to narrow its wholesale funding cost gaps vs larger peers. The lender expects to grow its loan book at 30% in FY27, led by wholesale, prime housing, and a pick-up in unsecured retail. Under the new expected credit loss (ECL) norms that is effective April 2027, the management expects a one-time impact of Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,700 crore (4% of post-dilution net worth) and a 20–25 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) rise in credit costs on a run-rate basis, partly offset by faster secured lending growth.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to help you stand out during the job process, but got rejected in the first round? Or are you a hiring manager who relied on AI to frisk through applications to select the best candidate, but ended up with not what you quite envisioned?The answer lies in the approach itself. Relying on artificial intelliegnce for job application might be doing you more harm than good.The growing use of artificial intelligence in recruitment is reshaping how Americans search for work, just as the country’s labour market shows signs of slowing. From automated interviews to AI-written cover letters, technology is now a part of almost every stage of the hiring process. But is it working? In 2025, more than half of organisations surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management reported using AI tools to recruit workers. At the same time, almost one-third of ChatGPT users turned to the OpenAI chatbot for help with job applications. Yet recent research indicates that candidates who rely on AI during the application process are actually less likely to be hired, even as employers struggle to cope with a flood of applications. “The ability (for companies) to select the best worker today may be worse due to AI,” Anais Galdin, a researcher at Dartmouth told CNN Business. Galdin and Jesse Silbert of Princeton University examined tens of thousands of cover letters submitted on Freelancer.com, a job listing platform and found that after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, cover letters became longer and more polished. However, employers placed less importance on them, making it harder to distinguish strong candidates from the wider pool. As a result, hiring rates dropped, and so did average starting wages, CNN reported. “If we do nothing to make information flow better between workers and firms, then we might have an outcome that looks something like this,” Silbert said, referring to the study’s findings.

A negative cycle

As application volumes rise, companies are increasingly automating interviews as well.According to a survey by recruitment software firm Greenhouse conducted in October, 54% of US job seekers said they had taken part in an AI-led interview. While virtual interviews became common during the pandemic in 2020, many employers now use AI systems to conduct interviews, without necessarily removing subjectivity from hiring decisions. “Algorithms can copy and even magnify human biases,” said Djurre Holtrop, a researcher who studies the use of asynchronous video interviews, algorithms and large language models in hiring.“Every developer needs to be wary of that,” CNN cited the expert. Daniel Chait, chief executive of Greenhouse, said the growing use of AI by both applicants and employers has created a negative cycle. “Both sides are saying, ‘This is impossible, it’s not working, it’s getting worse,’” Chait told CNN.

What’s next?

Despite these concerns, adoption of the technology continues with one estimate projecting that the market for recruitment technology will grow to $3.1 billion by the end of this year. At the same time, resistance is mounting from lawmakers, labour groups and workers worried about discrimination. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO labour union, described AI-driven hiring as “unacceptable”. “AI systems rob workers of opportunities they’re qualified for based on criteria as arbitrary as names, zip codes, or even how often they smile,” Shuler said in a statement to CNN. Several US states, including California, Colorado and Illinois, are introducing new laws and regulations aimed at setting standards for the use of AI in hiring. However, a recent executive order signed by US President Donald Trump raised questions about the future of state-level oversight. Samuel Mitchell, a Chicago-based employment lawyer, said the order does not “preempt” state law but adds to the “ongoing uncertainty” around regulation. He added that existing anti-discrimination laws still apply, even when companies use AI systems, and legal challenges are already emerging. In a case supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, a deaf woman is suing HireVue, an AI-powered recruitment company, alleging that an automated interview failed to meet legal accessibility standards. HireVue denied the claim, telling CNN that its technology reduces bias through a “foundation of validated behavioral science”. Even with these challenges, more and more AI is getting hiring access. New tools have made resume screening more sophisticated, potentially helping some candidates who may have been overlooked. But for those who value personal interaction, the shift has been unsettling. Jared Looper, an IT project manager in Salt Lake City, Utah, who previously worked as a recruiter, recently underwent an AI-led interview during his job search. He described the experience as “cold”, and said he initially hung up when contacted by the automated system. Looper said he worries about job seekers who have yet to adapt to a hiring environment where appealing to algorithms has become essential. “Some great people are going to be left behind.”