Business
Stocks hit and bond yields jump amid tax U-turn talk
Stocks fell and bond yields spiked in volatile trading on Friday amid uncertainty over UK Budget proposals after an apparent U-turn on tax policy by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The FTSE 100 Index closed down 109.31 points, 1.1%, at 9,698.37. It had earlier traded as low as 9,610.45.
The FTSE 250 ended 175.95 points lower, 0.8%, at 21,819.56, and the AIM All-Share slid 8.95 points, 1.2%, at 746.51.
For the week, the FTSE 100 was up 0.2%, as was the FTSE 250, while the AIM All-Share fell 0.7%.
Market volatility came after the Financial Times reported Ms Reeves had ditched plans to raise income tax to help fill an expected fiscal deficit.
The Treasury signalled the change came because of more positive fiscal forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility, although Ms Reeves has also faced a concerted pushback from Labour MPs opposing the move.
“The Chancellor will deliver a fair Budget,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman told political reporters at the daily lobby briefing.
“The Chancellor has been very clear on the need to deliver stability in the public finances. She wants to give companies the confidence to invest,” the spokesman added.
But the spokesman refused to be drawn on “speculation” on the reported decision not to raise income tax.
Kallum Pickering, at Peel Hunt, said if Ms Reeves stays clear of raising income tax rates or lowering the thresholds at which they are paid, her remaining option would be likely to be to opt for a haphazard patchwork of smaller anti-growth tax increases.
“That would be a bad outcome. It would add to uncertainty, further damage the Government’s already tarnished credibility, and complicate any (Bank of England) judgment to potentially offset tax rises with rate cuts,” he said.
More positively, Goldman Sachs said if reports prove correct, it probably suggests that the fiscal deterioration is slightly less severe than initially assumed.
The broker now pencils in a total fiscal consolidation of £25 billion in the Budget later this month versus £30 billion previously, requiring gross tax increases of £30 billion versus £35 billion previously.
The uncertainty sparked an upward move in bond yields, which move inversely to prices.
The yield on the UK 10-year gilt rose to 4.57% from 4.44% on Thursday, while the 30-year yield jumped to 5.39% from 5.23%. Both have fallen sharply in recent weeks as hopes rise of lower interest rates.
Sterling was quoted at 1.3158 dollars at the time of the London equities close on Friday, lower compared with 1.3197 dollars on Thursday.
The euro stood at 1.1617 dollars, lower against 1.1644 dollars. Against the yen, the dollar was trading higher at 154.58 yen, compared with 154.31 yen.
In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris closed down 0.8%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt fell 0.7%.
In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3% at around the time of the London close. The S&P 500 index was 0.4% higher, while the Nasdaq Composite rallied 0.6%.
All three major US indices fell heavily on Thursday amid tech weakness and growing doubts that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December.
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was at 4.13%, stretched from 4.11% on Thursday. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was quoted at 4.73%, widened from 4.69%.
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis president Neel Kashkari said he did not support the US central bank’s last interest rate cut, though he is still undecided on the best course of action for its December policy meeting.
“The anecdotal evidence and the data we got just implied to me underlying resilience in economic activity, more than I had expected,” Mr Kashkari said in an interview with Bloomberg News. That, he said, argued for a pause to rate cuts at the Fed’s October meeting.
Back in London, a handful of stocks were in the green on the FTSE 100, with DCC, up 1.7%, leading the way.
Gold miners Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo were prominent fallers, down 2.9% and 1.7% respectively, as the gold price fell.
Gold traded sharply lower at 4,101.80 dollars an ounce on Friday against 4,206.40 dollars on Thursday.
Bookmaker Entain slumped 3.7%, with a hike in gambling taxes thought to be high on the list of likely Budget rises. William Hill owner Evoke fell 4.3%.
Banks weakened on fears the Budget uncertainty will knock economic growth, with Barclays off 3.2%, Lloyds down 2.8% and NatWest down 3.6%.
Land Securities fell 5.3%, with market uncertainty taking the shine off first-half results.
The London-based commercial property development and investment company said it continued to see “clear positive momentum across every part of our business” as it raised its interim dividend to 19p per share, up 2.2% from 18.6p a year ago.
In addition, Land Securities raised its like-for-like net rental income guidance for its current financial year ending March 31 to between 4% and 5%, up from its previous guidance between 3% and 4%.
Melrose Industries closed down 1.2% despite a positive trading update.
The Birmingham-based aerospace manufacturing company said group revenue grew by 14% in the four months to October 31, with Engines up 28%, driven by a strong performance in both original equipment and the aftermarket, and Structures up 5%.
Adjusted operating profit was significantly higher than the comparative period and in line with expectations, the firm said.
Brent oil was quoted higher at 64.57 dollars a barrel at the time of the London equities close on Friday, from 63.14 dollars late on Thursday.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were DCC up 82 pence at 5,020p, WPP, up 1.8p at 288.3p, Burberry Group, up 4p at 1,232p, AstraZeneca, up 38p at 13,532p and Rentokil Initial, up 1.1p at 403.6p.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Land Securities, down 34p at 613p, Kingfisher, down 12.4p at 295.6p, Entain, down 27p at 700.4p, NatWest, down 22.4p at 600.8p and Barclays, down 13.75p at 413.5p.
Monday’s global economic calendar has Canadian CPI data, Japan GDP and industrial production figures, and the New York empire state manufacturing index.
Monday’s UK corporate calendar has half-year results from storage company Big Yellow Group.
Later in the week results are due from tobacco company Imperial Brands along with a third-quarter trading update from sports clothing and footwear retailer JD Sports Fashion.
Contributed by Alliance News
Last Updated:
Foreign Portfolio Investors put Rs 19,675 crore into Indian equities in early February, ending three months of selling amid global cues and a US-India trade pact.
US-India trade deal hopes lift FPI inflows to Rs 19,675 cr in early Feb
Foreign Portfolio Investors Reverse Trend With Rs 19,675 Crore February Buying: Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) made a notable comeback in early February, infusing Rs 19,675 crore into Indian equities during the first half of the month, aided by improving global conditions and the US-India trade agreement.
This marks a clear shift after three consecutive months of net selling. Depository data shows FPIs withdrew Rs 35,962 crore in January, Rs 22,611 crore in December, and Rs 3,765 crore in November.
Even with the renewed buying in February, the broader trend for 2025 remains negative. So far this year, foreign investors have pulled out a net Rs 1.66 lakh crore (USD 18.9 billion) from Indian equities, making it one of the weakest periods for overseas inflows in recent times. Currency volatility, global trade tensions, concerns over potential US tariffs, and elevated valuations had weighed heavily on flows earlier.
Global Cues And Domestic Stability Support Recovery
Himanshu Srivastava, Principal Manager–Research at Morningstar Investment Research India, as quoted by PTI, said the latest inflows were largely driven by easing global macro pressures. Softer US inflation data improved expectations around the interest rate cycle, helping stabilise bond yields and the US dollar. This, in turn, enhanced investor appetite for emerging markets such as India.
On the domestic front, stable inflation, resilient macro indicators, and corporate earnings largely in line with expectations strengthened confidence in India’s economic trajectory, he noted.
Vaqarjaved Khan, Senior Fundamental Analyst at Angel One, also attributed the renewed interest to the US-India trade pact, the growth-oriented Union Budget 2026, easing global trade uncertainties, and steady domestic interest rates.
Volatility Persists Despite Net Buying Days
FPIs were net buyers in seven out of eleven trading sessions in February up to the 13th, turning sellers on four occasions. However, cumulative data indicates a net equity outflow of ₹1,374 crore so far this month.
The divergence was largely due to a sharp sell-off of Rs 7,395 crore on February 13, when the Nifty dropped 336 points. The period also witnessed substantial selling in IT stocks amid the so-called “Anthropic shock.” VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Investments, said as quoted by PTI, foreign investors likely reduced exposure to IT stocks aggressively in the cash market, as the IT index fell 8.2 percent in the week ended February 13.
(With PTI Inputs)
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February 15, 2026, 16:54 IST
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Macroeconomic data, global geopolitical developments and rising concerns over AI-related disruptions are likely to dictate stock market sentiment in the coming week, analysts said, even as investors remain cautious amid persistent volatility.Trading activity of foreign investors and movements in the domestic currency are also expected to influence market direction.
Focus on US data, fed outlook and AI risks
“In the near term, with tariff-related concerns easing and the domestic earnings season drawing to a close on a mixed trend, market focus will hinge largely on global cues, including the US labour data and shifting expectations surrounding the US Fed’s policy path”, Vinod Nair, head of research at Geojit Investments Ltd, said, as quoted by news agency PTI.“However, the overall sentiment is likely to remain cautious as investors monitor global AI-driven disruptions and geopolitical risks, while improved valuations and constructive GDP forecasts may help sustain FII inflows”, Nair added.He added that with IT and metals facing persistent structural and external headwinds, market leadership may rotate towards domestically oriented sectors such as banking, automobiles and select consumption-driven segments. However, broader indices are expected to remain range-bound until clearer macroeconomic and policy signals emerge.Analysts said investors will also watch the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), scheduled for release on Thursday, for cues on the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy outlook.
Inflation, PMI and external data in spotlight
Ajit Mishra, SVP, research at Religare Broking Ltd, said markets will track wholesale price index (WPI) inflation and balance of trade data for signals on price trends and external sector dynamics.“High-frequency indicators due include HSBC flash PMI readings for manufacturing, services, and composite, along with bank loan growth and foreign exchange reserves data.“These releases will be evaluated for confirmation of growth momentum amid volatile global cues and continued repricing in technology stocks,” he said, as per PTI.Strong US jobs data has already reduced expectations of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts, pressuring global risk assets and contributing to domestic market weakness, Mishra added.
Benchmarks end lower amid tech selloff
On a weekly basis, the 30-share BSE Sensex slumped 953.64 points, or 1.14 per cent, while the NSE Nifty dropped 222.6 points, or 0.86 per cent.Both indices ended the week on a negative note as a global selloff in technology stocks and concerns over artificial intelligence-led disruptions weighed on sentiment.On Friday alone, the Sensex tumbled 1,048.16 points to close at 82,626.76, while the Nifty plunged 336.10 points to settle at 25,471.10 amid a broad-based selloff, particularly in metal, IT and commodity stocks.“The Nifty IT index touched a 10-month low during the session before closing 1.4 per cent lower… The sector continues to face headwinds amid rising concerns that rapid AI advancements could disrupt traditional service models and weigh on future revenue visibility,” Siddhartha Khemka of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd said, as per PTI.Metal stocks also saw profit-booking amid a stronger dollar index and reports that Russia may consider re-entering the US-dollar settlement system, raising concerns over weaker realisations for metal companies, Nair said.The broader market remained under pressure, with the BSE SmallCap Select Index falling 1.90 per cent and the MidCap Select Index slipping 1.19 per cent.
Rupee, FII flows and global markets
The rupee consolidated in a narrow range and settled 5 paise lower at 90.66 against the US dollar on Friday.Foreign institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 108.42 crore on Thursday, while domestic institutional investors were also net buyers of Rs 276.85 crore, according to exchange data.Analysts noted that while the previous week saw support from favourable developments in the India-US trade deal and renewed FII inflows, sentiment turned cautious following escalating concerns over AI-led disruptions and a global technology selloff.Geopolitical tensions and continued repricing in technology stocks have increased sectoral volatility, prompting widespread selling pressure.Market experts said broader indices are likely to stay range-bound until clearer macroeconomic signals and policy clarity emerge, with global cues continuing to dominate investor sentiment in the near term.
New Delhi: Gold continues to remain the most trusted investment option among young Indians, even as access to financial products like mutual funds, stocks, and cryptocurrencies expands, according to a recent consumer survey.
The Smytten PulseAI survey, conducted among 5,000 consumers aged 18–39, found that 62 percent of respondents chose gold as their preferred investment, highlighting the metal’s enduring appeal among Gen Z and Millennials.
When asked how they would invest Rs 25,000, about 61.9 percent said they would choose gold, far ahead of mutual funds (16.6 percent), fixed deposits (13 percent), stocks (6.6 percent), and crypto (1.9 percent), the survey showed.
The findings also indicate that gold buying is becoming more personal and investment-driven rather than tradition-led. Around 66.7 percent of respondents said their gold purchases were primarily their own decision, reflecting a shift in mindset among younger investors.
Another notable trend is the move toward smaller and more frequent purchases. Nearly 62 percent of recent gold purchases were below 5 grams, suggesting that younger buyers are entering the market gradually instead of making large, occasional purchases.
Gold’s appeal becomes even stronger during uncertain economic conditions. The survey found that 65.7 percent of respondents consider gold the safest investment option compared with bank savings, mutual funds, or equities.
For many young earners, gold is no longer bought only for weddings or family occasions. Nearly 24 percent said their first gold purchase was linked to receiving their first salary, while 23.9 percent bought gold as an investment decision, signalling changing motivations behind gold ownership.
Overall, the survey highlights that while investment behaviour among young Indians is evolving, gold continues to play a central role as a trusted store of value and financial safety net.
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