Nifty might be in for a roller coaster ride in 2026 as several projections have forecasted an upside of over 10% for the index. Nomura pegged the NSE benchmark Nifty at 29,300 for the next year, a level that signals almost 13% upside from Tuesday’s closing mark of 26,032.20, when the index slipped 144 points, or 0.6%.The brokerage also released its list of top picks: ICICI Bank, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra, Axis Bank, Titan, Ultratech Cement, Godrej Consumer Products, LG Electronics, CG Power, Swiggy, Dr Reddy’s, Dixon Technologies, Alkem, Mahindra Finance, Sona Comstar, eClerx, Aditya Birla Real Estate and MedPlus.Nomura attributed its optimism to improving conditions at home and abroad. “A positive view on valuation is now underpinned by calmer geopolitics, stable macros, and a cyclical recovery in economic and corporate earnings growth,” the firm said in its client note cited by ET. It also highlighted that the Indian equity market has trailed most global markets for 14 months, bringing the valuation premium “aligned to historical averages.”The brokerage’s estimates come as other global institutions like Goldman Sachs and HSBC predict a bullish stance. The entities recently predicted gains of 12% and 10% in the Nifty and Sensex respectively in 2026.Even so, Nomura struck a cautious tone on overseas capital flows. It does not foresee a sharp increase in foreign portfolio investments, although it expects marginal improvement next year. “In case there is a moderation in global rally and AI trade, FII interest is likely to improve as valuation premium is now in line with the long-term average,” it said.(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)

New Delhi: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has issued circular regarding discontinuation of extension of timeline for mandatory Aadhaar Seeding with UAN for filing of ECR in respect of Establishments in the North East Region and Certain Classes of Establishments beyond 31 October 2025.

The mandatory requirement for filing Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) only for those members whose Aadhaar number is seeded and verified with their Universal Account Number (UAN) was introduced with effect from 01 June 2021.

Considering the implementation challenges initially faced by employers and employees, several extensions were provided through the cited circulars and Ministry of Labour & Employment communications. These relaxations specifically covered:

North East Region (NER): States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Specific Industries: Beedi-making, Building & Construction, and Plantation industries (including Tea, Coffee, Cardamom, Pepper, Jute, Rubber, Cinchona, Cashewnuts, etc.).

The latest extension, allowed the above categories time until 31 October 2025.

EPFO has however noted that over the past four years, adequate opportunities have been provided to complete Aadhaar-UAN seeding and verification. Current pendency is marginal and continues to decline steadily.

In order to prevent further dependency on recurring extensions, it has been decided not to grant any further extension, said EPFO.

The retirement fund body has also asked all Zonal Offices (ZOs) and Regional Offices (ROs) to immediately commence intensive sensitisation and awareness drives targeting the concerned employers. 

Employers must be clearly informed that ECR filing for the wage month of November 2025 onwards will be permitted only for members whose Aadhaar is duly seeded and verified with UAN, without exception, EPFO added.

Asian equities traded mixed on Wednesday as global traders took their cue from another rally on Wall Street, although the enthusiasm remained limited ahead of crucial US economic data and next week’s Federal Reserve meeting.Hong Kong’s HSI was down 252 points or 0.97% to reach 25,842. Shenzhen and Shanghai also traded in red, down 0.09% and 0.05% respectively. Nikkei, meanwhile, jumped 817 points to trade at 50,120 at 11:05 AM IST. The prospect of a third straight US interest rate cut has been absorbed into pricing for days, leaving investors reluctant to place fresh bets until the final economic updates arrive. The two figures now commanding the most attention are the private-sector jobs reading from payrolls group ADP, scheduled for release later on Wednesday, and the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index coming on Friday, the inflation measure the Fed relies on most heavily. Money markets currently assign around a 90% likelihood to a December 10 rate cut and anticipate three more reductions during the course of the next year. Adding to the broader market mood are reports that President Donald Trump’s senior economic adviser Kevin Hassett, known for advocating deeper rate cuts, is now the frontrunner to succeed Jerome Powell when the Fed chair’s term expires in May. Still, analysts pointed out that the policy board does not appear aligned on whether monetary decisions should be driven more by persistent inflation pressures or weakening employment conditions. One area offering relief came from the American retail sector, where the National Retail Federation reported a record turnout for the “Black Friday” shopping period. According to the industry group, 202.9 million consumers made purchases across the five-day stretch, beating projections and reflecting what the NRF described as a “highly engaged consumer”. Following the latest gains on Wall Street, most Asian markets also registered advances. Tokyo climbed by more than one per cent, while Seoul, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta all traded higher. Losses were recorded in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Manila. Meanwhile, Bitcoin pushed back above the $90,000 mark after almost 10% was wiped from its value earlier in the week during a broad shift away from risk assets. Even with the rebound, sentiment within the crypto space remains cautious after the token fell as low as $80,550 last month, having previously touched an all-time high above $126,250 in October.