Business
Gold buying on Dhanteras, Diwali: Should you opt for 9K gold jewellery? Here’s what experts say – The Times of India
Thinking of buying gold jewellery on Dhanteras and Diwali 2025? With gold prices hitting record highs, buyers who are mindful of their budget may consider 9K gold jewellery.The central government introduced hallmarking for 9K gold jewellery in July 2025, placing it alongside existing categories of 24K, 23K, 22K, 20K, 18K, and 14K gold jewellery. This 9K variant contains 37.5% pure gold, with the remaining portion consisting of alloy metals.Due to its lower gold content, this variety offers an economical option for individuals unable to purchase higher-purity gold. This raises questions about whether 9K gold is becoming a preferred investment choice.With the approaching festivities of Dhanteras and Diwali, it’s worth examining if consumers are selecting 9K gold for jewellery or investment purposes, based on expert opinions.According to Aksha Kamboj, Vice President, India Bullion & Jewellers Association (IBJA) and Executive Chairperson, Aspect Global Ventures, investors are choosing more affordable gold options to participate in the gold market.Aksha told ET, “With 24K prices at steep levels, the lower karat allows for a lighter ticket entry, and so many buyers are willing to compromise and take on a lower karat of either 14K or even 9K gold to keep an exposure to the gold asset class.”Lower karat gold doesn’t necessarily indicate inferior quality. According to Vijay Kuppa, CEO of InCred Money, “If your goal is to buy a durable, affordable piece of fashion jewellery for everyday wear, 9K or 14K is practical because the added alloys make it very strong”.Regarding investment potential, Vijay told ET, “But if your goal is wealth preservation or investment, always choose the highest purity you can, which is typically 22K for jewellery or 24K for coins, bars, or digital gold.”RiddiSiddhi Bullions Ltd.’s Managing Director and IBJA President, Prithviraj Kothari, states, “9K gold (37.5% purity) is not suitable for investment in India. It is inexpensive and durable, but it has too low gold content to have much intrinsic value.”According to the report, he further explains, “22K (91.6% purity) and 18K (75%) gold are better options for jewellery and investment since more of their resale value is linked to gold prices in the market, while 14K and 9K are mainly for fashion jewellery.”Regarding investment value of 9K gold jewellery, Tradejini’s COO Trivesh D indicates that gold below 22K falls into lifestyle category.As Trivesh elaborates, “Jewellery made from 18K or 9K is a personal asset, not an investment. Once you factor in making charges, GST, and purity loss, it’s all about aesthetics. Only 22K and 24K gold fit the definition of a true investment.”Opting for a smaller quantity of higher purity gold is more advantageous than having larger amounts of 9K gold, according to Prithviraj.“Because of the low intrinsic gold content of 9K gold, its resale value is mainly driven by making charges, not bullion value. In addition, 18K gold and 22K are very easily pledged, sold, or exchanged across India. On the other hand, 9K gold is unlikely to be accepted by most jewellers,” says Prithviraj.According to Trivesh, higher purity gold serves well as an investment, whilst lower-karat gold is suitable for ornamental purposes.“A small quantity of high-purity gold always beats a large quantity of diluted metal. You are buying intrinsic value, not volume. With 22K or even 18K, you retain better resale prospects, liquidity, and credibility in the market, while 9K gold is more like costume jewellery with limited financial worth,” says Trivesh.How does hallmarking influence the acceptance of lower-purity gold amongst cost-conscious buyers? According to Aksha, the hallmarking requirement for 9K and 14K gold will enhance confidence amongst price-sensitive purchasers.“The Indian Bureau of Standards (BIS) has approved the hallmarking of 9K gold as of now, so there is some guarantee of the purity that is on the label and therefore consumers will trust even lower purity gold,” she adds.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market and other asset classes given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
Thomas Fuller | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
UniQure needs to run another study to prove that its gene therapy “actually helps people with Huntington’s disease,” a senior U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said on a call with reporters Thursday.
The official, who requested anonymity before discussing sensitive information, confirmed the agency has asked the company to run a placebo controlled trial of its treatment, which is administered directly into the brain. UniQure has said that type of study isn’t ethical because it would require putting people under general anesthesia for hours, a characterization the official disputed.
“So what is really going on? UniQure is the latest company to make a failed therapy for Huntington’s patients,” the official said. “They likely acknowledge or understand at some deep level that their trial failed years ago, and instead of doing the right thing and running the correct clinical study, UniQure is performing a distorted or manipulated comparison in the mind of FDA.”
The comments mark the latest development in a messy public spat between UniQure and the FDA, and as the agency comes under fire for a number of recent drug approval application rejections, including some where companies have accused it of going back on previous guidance. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary in an interview with CNBC’s Becky Quick last week seemingly criticized UniQure’s gene therapy for Huntington’s disease. Makary didn’t name UniQure but described its treatment.
UniQure then accused the FDA of reversing its stance that the company’s clinical trial data would be sufficient to seek approval. UniQure’s study used an outside database to measure how patients with Huntington’s disease might decline without treatment, known as an external control. UniQure has said it wouldn’t be feasible to run a true randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, considered the gold standard, because it wouldn’t be ethical to make people undergo a sham hours-long brain surgery.
The FDA official said the agency “never agreed to accept this distorted comparison” and the FDA “never makes such assurances.” Instead, the “FDA will always say, ‘Well, we have to see the data when we get it.'”
UniQure didn’t immediately comment.
The company’s stock rose more than 10% on Thursday and has fallen 58% this year as of Thursday afternoon.
Business
US mortgage rates rise to 6% after three-week slide as oil-driven bond yields climb – The Times of India
The average long-term US mortgage rate edged higher this week, ending a three-week decline as bond yields rose amid oil-price pressures linked to the war with Iran.The benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to 6% from 5.98% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said on Thursday. A year ago, the average rate stood at 6.63%, AP reported.The modest uptick breaks a three-week slide in borrowing costs, with mortgage rates having hovered close to the 6% mark for most of this year. Last week’s average had marked the first time the rate dipped below 6% since September 2022, reaching its lowest level in nearly three and a half years.Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate policy, investor expectations about inflation and economic growth, and movements in the bond market.They typically track the direction of the 10-year US Treasury yield, which lenders use as a benchmark for pricing home loans.The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.14% at midday Thursday, up from around 4% a week earlier.Treasury yields have moved higher in recent days as rising oil prices added fresh inflation concerns, potentially complicating the Federal Reserve’s plans to cut interest rates.
Business
US stocks today: Dow tumbles 800 points, S&P 500 and Nasdaq slip as oil surges after Iran tanker strike – The Times of India
US stock markets fell on Thursday as investors turned cautious after the previous session’s rally, while rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions weighed on sentiment.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 801 points, or 1.6 per cent, dragged down by losses in stocks such as Caterpillar and Goldman Sachs. The S&P 500 declined 0.9 per cent, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6 per cent.The selloff came as crude oil prices jumped to their highest level since June 2025 after Iran said it had struck an oil tanker with a missile. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures surged 6 per cent to trade above $79 per barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude futures rose about 3 per cent to more than $84 per barrel. Oil prices had stabilised in the previous trading session.Markets had rallied on Wednesday, supported by gains in technology and semiconductor stocks. The Dow had snapped a three-day losing streak, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended the session with solid gains.Despite the ongoing US-Israeli air campaign against Iran, US markets have performed relatively better than European and Asian counterparts this week, largely supported by a rebound in technology stocks that had been hit hard during February’s selloff.The tech-led recovery in the previous session helped the Nasdaq erase its weekly losses, putting the index on track to end the week in positive territory if gains hold through Friday.Investors remain concerned that prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a key global energy corridor –could push oil prices higher and add to inflationary pressures through rising energy and shipping costs.Markets are particularly wary of crude prices moving towards $100 per barrel, which could complicate the Federal Reserve’s efforts to control inflation while considering interest-rate cuts.“For the past couple of years, bringing inflation down has been the Fed’s entire focus, and they were finally making progress. But if energy stays expensive, inflation could start climbing again and that would force the Fed to rethink its plans,” said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of 50 Park Investments, Reuters quoted.According to data compiled by LSEG, investors are increasingly expecting the Federal Reserve to delay a 25-basis-point interest rate cut to September from the previously anticipated July timeline.Among sectors, healthcare led declines on the S&P 500, dropping 1.6 per cent. The energy index, however, gained 0.7 per cent, with shares of ConocoPhillips and Valero Energy rising about 2 per cent each.The CBOE volatility index (VIX), widely seen as a gauge of market fear, rose 0.9 points to 22.08, reflecting cautious investor sentiment. The small-cap Russell 2000 index fell 1 per cent.Travel and tourism stocks, which are sensitive to fuel costs, were under pressure. Delta Air Lines slipped 3.3 per cent, while Royal Caribbean Cruises declined 0.6 per cent.On the other hand, some travel booking companies rallied sharply. Booking Holdings jumped 11 per cent and Expedia surged 8 per cent after a report by The Information said OpenAI was scaling back on-platform shopping checkout plans for ChatGPT, easing concerns about disruption to online marketplace businesses.Chip stocks showed mixed performance. Nvidia edged down 0.3 per cent, while Marvell Technology gained 1.3 per cent.Shares of Broadcom rose 2.9 per cent after the chip designer projected that its artificial intelligence chip revenue could exceed $100 billion next year.Elsewhere, Trade Desk surged 22.5 per cent following a report that OpenAI had held early discussions with the advertising technology company regarding the sale of advertisements.Economic data released on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits remained unchanged last week.Investors are also awaiting remarks from Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman later in the day, ahead of the closely watched non-farm payrolls report due on Friday.On the New York Stock Exchange, declining stocks outnumbered advancers by a ratio of 2.48-to-1, while on the Nasdaq the ratio stood at 1.63-to-1.The S&P 500 recorded four new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite registered 17 new highs and 33 new lows.
The Controversies Finally Caught Up to Kristi Noem
FDA official calls UniQure’s gene therapy a ‘failed’ treatment for Huntington’s disease
Here’s what it plans to do
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
What are Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities?
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
-
Business1 week ago
Attock Cement’s acquisition approved | The Express Tribune
-
Politics1 week agoWhat are Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities?
-
Business7 days ago
India Us Trade Deal: Fresh look at India-US trade deal? May be ‘rebalanced’ if circumstances change, says Piyush Goyal – The Times of India
-
Politics1 week agoUS arrests ex-Air Force pilot for ‘training’ Chinese military
-
Fashion1 week agoPolicy easing drives Argentina’s garment import surge in 2025
-
Business1 week agoHouseholds set for lower energy bills amid price cap shake-up
-
Sports1 week agoSri Lanka’s Shanaka says constant criticism has affected players’ mental health
-
Sports6 days agoLPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’