‘On the final product, there can be an increase of a minimum of 10 per cent in February and March.’

Only a fifth of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in breach of the market regulator-specified thresholds may need to provide enhanced disclosure on ultimate beneficiaries, thanks to exemptions being provided, according to people in the know. The ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) disclosures, for FPIs with over 50 per cent holding in a single corporate group or over Rs 25,000 crore exposure to Indian assets, will be required from February 1. But, depending on their category, FPIs will have 10-30 working days to submit these granular details.

Investors should view any bounce-back in bank stocks as an opportunity to exit the pack, analysts suggested, as the worst may not be over yet. The recent quarterly results of HDFC Bank and Axis Bank disappointed the Street, triggering a marketwide selloff by foreign institutional investors, especially in banking counters. While HDFC Bank, which was the anchor for the market correction during the past week, ended 2 per cent higher amid short covering on Wednesday, Axis Bank’s shares settled 3 per cent lower.

There hasn’t been any dramatic moment in the first act (the Budget) but nobody would complain. It’s par for the course as long as the figures don’t change in the main Budget, which will be presented after general elections.

The Income Tax department on Friday said it has notified I-T return forms 2, 3 and 5 for filing tax returns for assessment year 2024-25. The ITR-1, which is filed by individuals having a total income of up to Rs 50 lakh, and ITR-6 for companies were notified earlier in December 2023, and January 2024, respectively.