Stock Market Today: All You Need To Know Going Into Trade On Jan. 3

Asian indices traded higher in early trade on Friday even as the Wall Street closed lower. South Korea's Kospi led among markets in the region and traded around 2% up at 7:13 a.m. Australia's ASX 200 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.4% each.

The Indian benchmarks closed higher for the second consecutive day on Thursday and recorded their best sessions since Nov. 22. Both the equity indices saw their highest closing since Dec. 18. The NSE Nifty 50 closed 445.75 points or 1.88% up at 24,188.65 and the BSE Sensex ended 1,436.30 points or 1.83% higher at 79,943.71.

The foreign portfolio investors on Thursday snapped the 12-day selling streak and bought stocks worth approximately Rs 1,506.75 crore, while the DIIs bought stocks worth Rs 22.14 crore, according to provisional data from the National Stock Exchange.

The Indian currency weakened by 10 paise to close at 85.75 against the US Dollar.

• Hindustan Zinc: The company reported a 2% year-on-year decline in mined metal production to 265 kilotonnes for the third quarter of fiscal 2025.

• Capital Small Finance Bank: The small finance bank in its third quarter business update reported total deposits of Rs 8,384 crore up 12.2% year-on-year.

• Bank of Maharashtra: The bank's gross advances rose 21.19% on a yearly basis to Rs 2.29 lakh crore in the October-December quarter.

• IndoStar Capital Finance: The company clarified that the intimation of sale of corporate loan portfolio on Dec. 31, 2024, was filed erroneously and instead there is a sale of stage 3 commercial vehicle portfolio amounting to Rs 174 crores.

• Heubach Colorants India: A fire broke out at the company’s plant in Raigad. The warehouse was used for storage of pigment in process goods used for final manufacturing.

• PB Fintech: The company incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary by the name of PB Healthcare Services.

• Varun Beverages: The company made an investment of Rs 412.8 crore in its arm Beverage Company Proprietary based in South Africa through the subscription of ordinary shares.

• Avenue Supermarts: The company's standalone revenue from operations rose 17.5% year-on-year at Rs 15,565 crore in the quarter ended December.

• Axiscades Technologies: Arun Krishnamurthi has resigned from the position of chief executive officer and managing director of the company.

• MOIL: The company achieved best-ever third quarter in terms of performance. It reported production of manganese ore of 4.6 lakh tonnes, while the sales rose 13% to 3.88 lakh tonnes.

• Hero MotoCorp: The company's total sales in December fell by 17.5% to 3.24 lakh units and the domestic sales was down 22% at 2.94 lakh units.

• Biocon: The company’s arm Biocon Pharma received approval for the Tacrolimus capsule from National Medical Products Administration, China. Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressant used in the treatment of organ transplant patients, which reduces the body’s ability to reject a transplanted organ.

• NHPC: The company received second gross payment of Rs 250 crore from insurance claim against business loss for damages incurred at its Teesta-V Power Station in October last year after flash floods.

• Allcargo logistics: The company received approval to liquidate its step-down unit in Mexico.

• V2 Retail: The company reported 58% jump in standalone revenue from operations to Rs 591 crore in the third quarter of this fiscal. It has achieved same store sales growth of 25%.

• V-Mart Retail: The company reported revenue from operations at Rs 1,027 crore, up 16% in the third quarter of financial year 2024. It has achieved same store sales growth of 10% in the previous quarter.

• Pricol: The company approved the divestment of the wiping business division to Auto Ignition on a slump sale basis for a consideration of Rs 20 crore.

• Wockhardt: Indian drug regulator approved Wockhardt's new generation oral antibiotic Miqnaf for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.

• Rites: The company's arm REMC collaborated with IRFC on financing power projects to the railways.

• IRFC: The company and REMCL, a joint venture of MOR and Rites, signed an MoU to collaborate on financing renewable energy projects for Indian Railways. The partnership also covers financing for thermal, nuclear, and renewable power projects under a captive model through joint ventures with Indian Railways and other entities.

• Bharti Airtel: The company signed an agreement for acquisition of 26% stake in AMP Energy Green Three, a special performance vehicle formed for the purpose of owning and operating the captive power plant.

• Brigade Enterprises: The company’s arms made an investment through allotment of 51% stake in Ananthay Properties to undertake Real Estate development projects.

• Indo Farm Equipment: The public issue was subscribed 229.68 times on day three. The bids were led by non-institutional investors (503.83 times), qualified institutional investors (242.4 times) and retail investors (104.92 times).

• Ethos: Promoter Mahen Distribution sold 29,495 shares between Dec. 30 and 31.

• Jindal Stainless: Promoter Virtuous Tradecorp bought 3.04 lakh shares and Promoter JSL bought 57,550 shares on Dec. 31.

• Avadh Sugar and Energy: Promoter Sonali Commercial Ltd. revoked a pledge for 2.67 lakh shares, Promoter Ronson Traders Ltd. revoked a pledge for 1.31 lakh shares, Promoter New India Retailing and Investment revoked a pledge for 12.35 lakh shares, Promoter RTM Investment and Trading Co. revoked a pledge for 10.43 lakh shares, Promoter Deepshikha Trading Co. revoked a pledge for 2.04 lakh shares on Dec. 30.

• Godavari Biorefineries: To meet investors and analysts on Jan. 7.

• Va Tech Wabag: To meet investors and analysts on Jan. 7 and 8.

• Ex/record dividend: Redtape.

• Ex/record bonus issue: KPI Green Energy (1:2), Garware Technical Fibres (4:1).

• Nifty January futures up by 1.56% to 24,270 at a premium of 82 points.

• Nifty January futures open interest down by 6.4%.

• Nifty Options Jan. 9 Expiry: Maximum call open interest at 26,500 and maximum put open interest at 21,850. 

• Securities in ban period: Manappuram Finance, RBL Bank.

The rupee ended weaker against the US dollar on Thursday, declining by 10 paise to close at 85.75. This marks a continued weakening trend for the rupee, which has been grappling with global dollar strength and domestic demand pressures.

The domestic rupee opened weaker by 6 paise at 85.71 against the US dollar on Thursday, continuing its decline from the previous session. In the first trading session of 2025, the rupee had already weakened by 4 paise, closing at 85.65 after opening at 85.62. This follows a 7-paise drop on the final trading day of 2024, when the rupee ended at 85.61, reflecting ongoing volatility amid global dollar strength and local demand pressures.