Business
US markets today: Wall Street drifts near record highs as Big Tech results; Trump-Xi trade talks pull investors in both directions – The Times of India
US markets ended mixed on Thursday, with investors juggling upbeat and cautious signals from Big Tech earnings and renewed optimism around US-China trade ties.The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its all-time high earlier this week, while the Nasdaq composite lost 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, gained 199 points, or 0.5%, by mid-morning trade, AP reported.Markets were reacting to comments from US President Donald Trump, who called his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping a “12 out of 10” and announced plans to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods. Analysts, however, warned that despite the warm rhetoric, structural trade tensions remain unresolved.“The result was fine, but fine isn’t good enough given the expectations going in,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “The results were more like small gestures instead of a grand bargain.”Big Tech weighs on sentimentTech stocks saw sharp divergences after earnings. Meta Platforms tumbled 11.3%, wiping off part of its 28% gain this year, as investors reacted to higher spending plans for 2026. Microsoft fell 2.5% despite reporting stronger quarterly earnings and revenue, with concerns about slower Azure growth and rising investment costs.Alphabet bucked the trend, rising 5.3% after reporting better-than-expected profit and revenue. Together, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft make up nearly 14.5% of the S&P 500’s total market value — meaning their moves can swing the broader market.Broader movers and macro watchChipotle Mexican Grill slumped 18% after trimming its sales growth forecast, citing “persistent macroeconomic pressures.” In contrast, Eli Lilly rose 1.7% as strong sales of its diabetes and obesity drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound boosted profits, prompting an upward revision to its annual guidance.Sherwin-Williams gained 2% after beating profit estimates despite a “softer for longer” demand outlook, while Visa advanced 1.5% on stronger-than-expected results.Fed caution lifts bond yieldsThe 10-year US Treasury yield rose to 4.09% from 4.08% the day before, after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said a December rate cut “is not a foregone conclusion.” Traders still expect a rate reduction later this year, but with less certainty, according to CME Group data.In Europe, France’s CAC 40 dropped 0.9% and Germany’s DAX shed 0.2% after the European Central Bank held rates steady. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed nearly flat after the Bank of Japan also kept its policy unchanged
India’s budget focuses on infrastructure and defence spending and tax breaks for data-centre investments.
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New Income Tax Act 2025 to come into effect from April 1, key reliefs announced in Budget 2026
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026, and the I-T forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty for ease of living.
The new measures include exemption on insurance interest awards, nil deduction certificates for small taxpayers, and extension of the ITR filing deadline for non-audit cases to August 31.
Individuals with ITR 1 and ITR 2 will continue to file I-T returns till July 31.
“In July 2024, I announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act 1961. This was completed in record time, and the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty, for) ease of living,” she said while presenting the Budget 2026-27
In a move that directly eases cash-flow pressure on individuals making overseas payments, the Union Budget announced lower tax collection at source across key categories.
“I propose to reduce the TCS rate on the sale of overseas tour programme packages from the current 5 per cent and 20 per cent to 2 per cent without any stipulation of amount. I propose to reduce the TCS rate for pursuing education and for medical purposes from 5 per cent to 2 per cent,” said Sitharaman.
She clarified withholding on services, adding that “supply of manpower services is proposed to be specifically brought within the ambit of payment contractors for the purpose of TDS to avoid ambiguity”.
“Thus, TDS on these services will be at the rate of either 1 per cent or 2 per cent only,” she mentioned during her Budget speech.
The Budget also proposes a tax holiday for foreign cloud companies using data centres in India till 2047.
Business
Budget 2026 Live Updates: TCS On Overseas Tour Packages Slashed To 2%; TDS On Education LRS Eased
Union Budget 2026 Live Updates: Union Budget 2026 Live Updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament, her record ninth budget speech. During her Budget Speech, the FM will detail budgetary allocations and revenue projections for the upcoming financial year 2026-27. Sitharaman is notably dressed in a Kanjeevaram Silk saree, a nod to the traditional weaving sector in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.
The budget comes at a time when there is geopolitical turmoil, economic volatility and trade war. Different sectors are looking to get some support with new measures and relaxations ahead of the budget, especially export-oriented industries, which have borne the brunt of the higher US tariffs being imposed last year by the Trump administration.
On January 29, 2026, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025-26, a comprehensive snapshot of the country’s macro-economic situation, in Parliament, setting the stage for the budget and showing the government’s roadmap. The survey projected that India’s economy is expected to grow 6.8%-7.2% in FY27, underscoring resilience even as global economic uncertainty persists.
Budget 2026 Expectations
Expectations across key sectors are taking shape as stakeholders look to the Budget for support that sustains growth, strengthens jobs and eases financial pressures:
Taxpayers & Households: Many taxpayers want practical improvements to the income tax structure that preserve simplicity while supporting long-term financial planning — including broader deductions for home loan interest and diversified retirement savings options.
New Tax Regime vs Old Tax Regime | New Income Tax Rules | Income Tax 2026
Businesses & Industry: With industrial output and investment showing resilience, firms are looking for policies that bolster capital formation, ease compliance, and expand infrastructure spending — especially in manufacturing and technology-driven sectors that promise jobs and exports.
Startups & Innovation: The startup ecosystem expects incentives around employee stock options and capital access, along with regulatory tweaks that encourage risk capital and talent retention without increasing compliance burdens.
Also See: Stock Market Updates Today
The Budget speech will be broadcast live here and on all other news channels. You can also catch all the updates about Budget 2026 on News18.com. News18 will provide detailed live blog updates on the Budget speech, and political, industry, and market reactions.
We are providing a full, detailed coverage of the union budget 2026 here, with a lot of insights, experts’ views and analyses. Stay tuned with us to get latest updates.
Also Read: Budget 2026 Live Streaming
Here are the Live Updates of Union Budget 2026:
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