Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in green on Monday. While Nifty50 was above 25,550, BSE Sensex was up over 200 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,567.90, up 76 points or 0.30%. BSE Sensex was at 83,426.94, up 211 points or 0.25%.For the week ahead, market experts expect range-bound movement influenced by mixed global factors, while potential positive corporate earnings and developments in India-US trade discussions could provide support.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The dominant trend in global trade this year has been the AI trade, which has pushed up AI stock valuations to elevated valuations, though not yet in bubble territory. The strong earnings growth in the US has been a fundamental support to this AI trade. Countries regarded as AI winners like China, South Korea and Taiwan also have benefited from this AI rally. Now, there are signs of this AI trade losing steam as evidenced by the 3 % decline in Nasdaq last week. This is a healthy trend. If this trend persists without high volatility, that would make the US market healthy, preempting a bubble formation and its eventual burst. Investors have to watch how this trend plays out.”“This emerging trend, it persists, would be particularly favourable for the Indian market which didn’t participate in the AI trade. FIIs, particularly the hedge funds, who have been consistently selling in India and taking money out for playing the AI trade, are now likely to pause and slowly reverse the AI trade in favour for non-AI trade in countries like India. Fortunately, the earnings growth currently happening in India and expected to gather momentum, going forward, can provide the fundamental support for a rally. Watch out for the leading names in banking and finance, telecom, capital goods, defence and automobiles.”Friday saw Nasdaq close slightly lower, marking its sharpest weekly fall since early April, as investors expressed concerns about sustainability of recent gains in artificial intelligence shares. US Treasury yields showed marginal decline.Asian trading witnessed a surge in US stock-index futures, as expectations grew for a resolution to the prolonged US government shutdown.Foreign portfolio investors conducted net sales of shares valued at Rs 4,581 crore on Thursday. In contrast, domestic institutional investors were net purchasers, investing Rs 6,675 crore.(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)

China has lifted export controls on computer chips vital to car production, the country’s commerce ministry has said.

Exemptions have been granted to exports made by Chinese-owned Nexperia for civilian use, it said, which should help carmakers who had feared production in Europe would be hit.

In October, the Dutch government took control of Nexperia, which is based in the Netherlands but owned by Chinese company Wingtech, to try to safeguard the European supply of semiconductors for cars and other goods.

In response, China blocked exports of the firm’s finished chips. However, it said earlier this month it would begin easing the ban as part of a trade deal struck between the US and China.

While Nexperia is based in the Netherlands, about 70% of its chips made in Europe are sent to China to be completed and re-exported to other countries.

When it took control of the company, the Dutch government said it had taken the decision due to “serious governance shortcomings” and to prevent the company’s chips from becoming unavailable in an emergency.

But when China blocked exports of chips from Nexperia, there were worries that it could create global supply chain issues.

In October, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (EMEA) had warned Nexperia chip supplies would only last a few weeks unless the Chinese ban was lifted.

Earlier this month, the EMEA’s director general Sigrid De Vries told the BBC that “supply shortages were imminent”.

Volvo Cars and Volkswagen had warned that a chip shortage could lead to temporary shutdowns at their plants, and Jaguar Land Rover also said the lack of chips posed a threat to its business.

But on Saturday, EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic announced in a post on X that China had agreed to “the further simplification of export procedures for Nexperia chips” and it would “grant exemption from licensing requirements to any exporter” provided the goods were for “civilian use”.

“Close engagement with both the Chinese and Dutch authorities continues as we work towards a lasting. stable predictable framework that ensures the full restoration of semiconductor flows.”

In its statement, China’s commerce ministry called on “the EU to continue exerting its influence to urge the Netherlands to correct its erroneous practices as soon as possible.”

The Co-op has said it is pushing forward with a number of new stores and major refurbishments as it bounces back from a damaging cyber attack.

The retailer said 50 stores will be opened or re-opened by Christmas as it urged the Government to reform business rates ahead of the autumn Budget.

It said reforms will be “vital” to encourage further high street investment as it continues with its own expansion ambitions.

The latest slew of openings will take the Co-op’s store openings and refurbishments to more than 200 sites for the latest financial year.

It added that the programme will have seen the business invest more than £200 million across the store estate.

The Co-op will open 14 new stores, which include it becoming the first permanent retailer at the new Brent Cross Town development in London, five new micro-format ‘on the go’ stores and a new franchise store at Lancaster University.

The remainder of the 50 stores will consist of sites which have been closed for a lengthy period to undergo an extensive refurbishment and will re-open with a new look and updated product range.

Growth efforts come as the group, which has around 6.9 million member-owners, continues to recover from a major cyber attack.

It said in September that the hack, which took place in April, will knock its annual earnings by around £120 million.

Meanwhile, it said the cyber attack, which left it with bare shelves and saw data stolen for all its members, impacted on sales by about £206 million.

The group said the hackers impersonated workers to trick employees into giving them access to their accounts.

They created a copy of one of the firm’s files but were unable to attack its platforms further and install ransomware.

On Monday, the group, which runs more than 2,300 food stores, made renewed calls for property tax reform and increased certainty from the Government ahead of the autumn Budget.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, Co-op Group chief executive, said: “We’re investing in stores and communities right across the UK because we believe in the future of the high street.

“But sustained growth needs certainty. Business rates reform is vital if retailers – especially the 99% who run small stores – are to plan with confidence, protect jobs and keep local economies thriving.

“Co-op is showing what’s possible when businesses commit to communities.

“The Government now has an opportunity in the autumn Budget to do its part by delivering the reform that’s long been promised – giving every retailer, from small to large, the stability to invest and grow.”