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Gunmen killed up to 26 people in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in India’s northern Jammu and Kashmir region in years.

The assault prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Local officials confirmed at least 16 deaths, although several media reports suggest that the toll could be as high as 25 to 26, with several others injured.

The victims were primarily targeted near the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam, located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) east of Srinagar.

Among the dead were two foreigners. The gunmen fired indiscriminately at tourists, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Narendra Modi cuts short trip to Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Modi, who had been in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit, will return to India on Tuesday night, the Ministry of External Affairs announced.

He had earlier met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the trip.

Modi condemned the attack, vowing that the perpetrators “will be brought to justice.”

The attack coincided with US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India. Vance, who had met Modi in New Delhi on Monday and was in Jaipur on Tuesday, described the incident as “horrific” in a post on X.

US President Donald Trump extended the nation’s “full support and deepest sympathies” to India, pledging to speak with Modi on the phone to offer his condolences.

Security response

While the region of Jammu and Kashmir has seen several unfortunate tragedies in the past, this incident is notable for its targeting of tourists, an act that is rare in the region.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the attack as “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years.”

In response, Home Minister Amit Shah is heading to Srinagar on Tuesday night for a security review with local agencies.

The state government and police have also set up a helpline to assist tourists and those affected.

The region remains heavily fortified, with hundreds of thousands of troops deployed.

The post Indian PM Narendra Modi cuts Saudi trip short after deadly Kashmir attack appeared first on Invezz

In a note released recently, JPMorgan has predicted that the price of gold could surpass $4,000 per ounce in the coming year. 

This forecast is based on the bank’s assessment of heightened recession risks, which are being fueled by escalated US tariffs and the continuing trade conflict between the US and China, Reuters quoted the bank in a report.

The bank’s analysis suggests that these ongoing trade tensions and the potential for a global economic downturn are likely to increase the demand for safe-haven assets, such as gold

Forecasts

As investors seek to protect their wealth from market volatility and economic uncertainty, the price of gold is expected to rise significantly, potentially reaching the $4,000 mark.

JPMorgan has revised its gold price forecast upwards, and now anticipates that gold will average $3,675 per ounce by the fourth quarter of 2025. 

Furthermore, they project that prices will surpass $4,000 per ounce by the second quarter of 2026. 

The bank also acknowledges the risk that prices could exceed these forecasts sooner than anticipated if demand is stronger than expected.

The bank said:

Underpinning our forecast for gold prices heading towards $4,000/oz next year is continued strong investor and central bank gold demand averaging around 710 tonnes a quarter on net this year.

Gold prices retreat from record levels

Spot gold prices experienced a significant surge, achieving a remarkable 29% increase throughout the year and setting 28 new record highs. 

This upward trajectory culminated in a historic milestone on Tuesday, as the price of spot gold reached $3,500 per ounce for the first time ever. 

This achievement underscores the growing demand for gold as a safe-haven asset amidst global economic uncertainties.

However, the bulls in the gold market were taking a bit of a breather on Wednesday as prices fell nearly 2% at the time of writing. 

The most-active gold contract on COMEX was at $3,352.65 per ounce, down nearly 2% from the previous close. 

US President Donald Trump retreated from his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, stating he does not plan to dismiss him before his term ends in May 2026. 

Source: FXstreet

Following this, US equity indices saw a significant increase on Tuesday, while gold prices fell.

“Adding to this, upbeat comments from Trump administration officials about US-China trade talks further boosted investors’ confidence and prompted some profit-taking around the safe-haven gold price following the recent record run,” Haresh Menghani, editor at FXstreet, said in a report. 

Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs increased its end-of-2025 gold price forecast from $3,300 to $3,700 per ounce earlier this month. 

The financial institution noted that in extreme scenarios, it is conceivable that gold could trade near $4,500 per ounce by the end of 2025.

Risks to upside

The biggest fundamental risk for a potential bearish case for gold would be an unexpected decrease in central bank demand, JPMorgan said.

“More materially bearish would be a scenario where US economic growth remains extremely resilient to tariffs allowing the Fed to turn much more proactive in fighting inflation risks, prompting markets to price in hikes even before worrying inflation actually arrives,” analysts at the bank noted.

Additionally, given the uncertainty surrounding industrial demand, JPMorgan anticipates that silver will face significant challenges in the near future. 

However, they predict that a “catch-up window” will emerge in the latter half of 2025, driving prices up to $39 per ounce by the end of the year.

At the time of writing, the most-active silver contract on COMEX was at $32.650 per ounce, down 0.9% from the previous close. 

“Often, silver can come from nowhere and play catch-up with its more popular partner,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation. 

But the fact that it is also a significant industrial metal may be a negative for many traders, as they assess the likelihood of a slowdown in global economic growth amid tariff uncertainty. 

The post JPMorgan sees gold topping $4,000 by Q2 2026 on rising trade tensions appeared first on Invezz

Jammu and Kashmir Bank shares declined sharply on Wednesday, falling nearly 9% in early trade after a terror attack in the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam in the north Indian region of Jammu & Kashmir left at least 26 civilians dead.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Baisaran, a scenic meadow often called “mini Switzerland,” has raised fears of heightened instability in the region and triggered a negative reaction from investors.

The stock dropped as much as 8.6% on the BSE, hitting an intraday low of ₹103.41 per share.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE combined, nearly 16.1 million shares were traded by 10:30 AM, significantly above the two-week average volume.

On the BSE alone, around 0.70 million shares changed hands, well above the recent average of 0.52 million shares.

At 1:10 pm IST, the stock was down by 8.05%.

According to Deepak Jasani, a stock market veteran quoted in Business Standard, the stock experienced a knee-jerk reaction on the downside.

“The evolving situation in the region will drive sentiment in the stock over the coming days. The stock may recover with some gap if the situation does not deteriorate further,” he said.

One of the deadliest attacks on civilians; TRF takes responsibility

The attack occurred around 3 PM on Tuesday in Baisaran, located about six kilometres from Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meadow is a well-known tourist attraction, drawing visitors from across India and abroad during spring and summer months.

The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a public statement, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the assault was “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” hinting at the potential implications for both local security and regional geopolitics.

The incident has drawn international condemnation. US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer all issued statements denouncing the attack and expressing solidarity with India.

Retaliation by India could lead to short-term market volatility: analysts

Despite the tragic incident, broader Indian markets continued their upward momentum, with benchmark indices extending their rally for a seventh consecutive session on Wednesday.

Analysts believe this reflects investor confidence in the resilience of the Indian economy, although geopolitical concerns remain in focus.

Vinit Bolinjkar, Head of Research at Ventura Securities, said any retaliation by India could lead to short-term market volatility.

“Unless India undertakes strong military action against Pakistan, any market reaction may be limited. We’ve already seen the markets absorb extreme events like the Russia-Ukraine war and the US-China tariff standoff under President Trump,” he said.

Kranthi Bathini, Director of Equity Strategy at WealthMills Securities, echoed this view.

He stated that investors would be closely watching the government’s next steps, whether through diplomatic measures, targeted operations, or a wider military response.

“Today’s macroeconomic backdrop is very different from what it was during the 1999 Kargil War. India’s GDP has grown more than tenfold in just over two decades,” Bathini added, suggesting that the country is now better positioned to absorb such geopolitical shocks.

Veteran analyst Ajay Bagga noted on X (formerly Twitter) that while markets may stay cautious in the near term, any declines in the wake of potential Indian retaliation would likely be short-lived, as seen in past instances.

The post Pahalgam terror attack: J&K Bank shares fall; analysts warn of short-term volatility if India retaliates appeared first on Invezz

Polkadot price has bounced back in the past few days as the crypto market has improved. After bottoming at $3.24 earlier this month, the token has jumped by over 27% to the current $4.10. This article explores why technicals and fundamentals have aligned and why the coin may jump by double or triple digits in the coming months.

Polkadot price weekly analysis points to more gains

The weekly chart above highlights an important development, as the coin has failed to drop below the key support level at $3. It has remained above this level at least four times since 2023. Even when the world was ‘falling’ in the crypto market, it remained above that level.

That is a sign that DOT price has formed a quadruple bottom pattern, a highly popular bullish sign whose neckline is at $11.70. Therefore, there is a likelihood that the token will eventually bounce back in the coming weeks. 

If this happens, the next Polkadot price to watch will be that neckline, which is about 190% above the current level. This view will become invalid if the coin drops below the key support of $3.2. 

Polkadot price chart | Source: TradingView

DOT price has formed a falling wedge on the daily chart

The daily chart paints a clearer bullish picture for the DOT price. As shown below, the coin has formed a giant double-bottom pattern, with its neckline at $11.65. This double-bottom level is approximately at $3.6. 

At the same time, it has formed a giant falling wedge pattern, which consists of two converging trendlines that are falling. This pattern often leads to more upside when the two lines near their confluence level.

Additionally, the coin has formed a bullish divergence pattern. This pattern happens when oscillators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Stochastic Oscillator starts to go up when an asset is a downtrend. 

DOT price has also moved slightly above the weak, stop & reverse point of the Murrey Math Lines tool. Therefore,  the short-term outlook for the DOT price is where it keeps rising as bulls target the key resistance point at $6.67, which is the 38.2% retracement level.

DOT price chart | TradingView

Read more: IOTA’s Rebased upgrade to go live on May 5: can IOTA price soar 120%?

Top catalysts for Polkadot

Polkadot has numerous catalysts that may push its price up sharply in the coming months. First, the token will benefit from the ongoing crypto market recovery now that Bitcoin has emerged as a safe haven asset. A strong Bitcoin rally to its record high will push its price much higher in the coming months. 

Second, Polkadot’s network is evolving through the Polkadot 2.0 upgrade. This is a crucial three-step process designed to improve the network’s functionality permanently. For example, the agile coretime upgrade made it possible for developers to build applications without the need for the long process of parachain auctions. 

Polkadot 2.0 also included asynchronous backing and elastic scaling. Async backing decouples parachain block production from the Relay Chain’s latest block, leading to faster speeds. The upcoming elastic scaling allows parachains to scale more effectively.

Further, there is a likelihood that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will approve a spot DOT ETF later this year. While its eventual inflows will be weak, the approval will be a positive thing as it will create hype around the network.

DOT price will also benefit from the upcoming Federal Reserve interest rate cuts now that the US economy is slowing. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded the US economic forecast for the year to 1.8%. That will be a big drop from the 2.45 growth rate in 2024.

Read more: Polkadot price prediction: here’s why DOT may surge 500% soon

The post Polkadot price prediction: top reasons DOT will surge soon appeared first on Invezz

The Algorand price has crawled back in the past few days, mirroring the performance of other altcoins. ALGO token was trading at $0.213 on Wednesday, a few points above this month’s low of $0.1480. It remains 92% below its all-time high. This article explains why Algorand may rebound soon even as its fundamentals weaken.

Algorand has become a fallen angel and a ghost chain

Third-party data indicate that Algorand has become a ghost chain, as the number of developers and users on the network has declined over the past few years.

DeFi Llama data indicate that Algorand’s market share in the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry has been declining recently. 

The network has a total value locked (TVL) of over $109 million, a significant decline from its all-time high of over $395 million. While most chains have lost their TVL in the past few years, Algorand’s performance means that other newer chains like Base, Sonic, and Berachain have overtaken the network. 

The top players in the Algorand ecosystem are Lofty, Folks Finance, Reti Finance, and Vesta Equity.

More data shows that the DEX network in Algorand has little going on as the volume has continued moving downwards. DEX protocols in the network handled about $1.48 million in volume in the last 24 hours. In contrast, top chains like Ethereum, Solana, and Base handled billions in this period.

The stablecoin market cap in Algorand is also much smaller than that of other chains. It has risen to $140 million, up from its low of $132 million this week. 

Furthermore, Algorand has continued to liquidate its staking assets over the past few months. It has lost over 301 million ALGO tokens, or approximately $65 million, in the past 30 days. Its staking market cap has moved to $227 million, while the staking ratio has dropped to 12.5%.

Read more: IOTA’s Rebased upgrade to go live on May 5: can IOTA price soar 120%?

ALGO price technical analysis

The weekly chart shows that the price of Algorand has been in a strong downtrend in the past few months. It bottomed at $0.097, where it failed to move below several times since 2023. It has formed a double-bottom pattern whose neckline is at $0.6135. This pattern is a popular bullish sign.

If this pattern works out, Algorand price will likely rise and retest the neckline at $0.6135, which is about 190% above the current level. A drop below the double-bottom level of $0.09 will invalidate the bullish outlook.

Algorand weekly chart | Source: TradingView

Algorand price daily chart analysis

The daily chart indicates that the ALGO price has rebounded slightly over the past few days. This rebound happened after the coin completed the formation of the falling wedge chart pattern. A wedge is made up of two descending and converging lines that connect higher highs and lower lows. 

The widest part of the wedge pattern is about 60%. Therefore, measuring the same distance from the breakout point brings the next target level at $0.2880. 

Additionally, the Polkadot price has moved above the key resistance level at $0.1987, its highest swing point on May 28, and the upper side of the cup and handle pattern. Oscillators such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Stochastics have all pointed upward. 

Algorand price daily chart | TradingView

The bottom line

Algorand’s fundamentals have deteriorated in the past few years, as it has lost market share in the cryptocurrency market. It has a small share in the decentralized finance and non-fungible tokens (NFT) industries. 

However, it has formed some encouraging technical patterns that may indicate further gains later this year. Historically, a cryptocurrency can surge even as its fundamentals worsen. 

The post Here’s why Algorand price could rise as its key data deteriorate appeared first on Invezz

Pi Network price has collapsed after peaking at $3 in February shortly after its mainnet launch. The Pi coin token has crashed to the current $0.65, down by 78% from its all-time high. This crash has erased billions of value as the market cap has crashed from over $13 billion to below $4 billion. This article explains why it is risky to short Pi coin. 

Pi Network price could surge in case of an exchange listing

Shorting is a process where investors and traders seek to benefit from an asset’s decline. The practical approach is where one borrows a cryptocurrency, sells it, and then buys it later at a lower price and pockets the difference. 

Shorting is riskier than buying an asset since its price can go up indefinitely in a process known as a short squeeze. For example, if you borrow Pi Network at the current price of $0.67 and it surges to $10, you will suffer a loss of $9.33 per token. 

The primary reason for avoiding Pi Network is that it may undergo a short squeeze if it receives an exchange listing. This is notable since Pi, despite its large size, is only listed in a handful of exchanges like OKX and MEXC. 

Therefore, there is room for major exchange listings, especially by companies like Binance, HTX, Coinbase, and Upbit. Such a move will likely lead to a significant short squeeze, as we have seen in the past few months.

For example, the Orca price jumped by over 200% in a day after being listed by Upbit. As we wrote earlier, DeepBook price also surged by over 150% after being listed by Upbit and Binance futures. 

Pi Network is a more popular coin than Orca and DeepBook, meaning that a 500% surge cannot be ruled out. 

Pi Coin has a history of short squeezes

While Pi Network launched its mainnet in February, investors were able to trade its IoU. These IOUs are tokens created in 2021 by some exchanges to give investors exposure to the token. They were not affiliated with the core team and had low volume.

History shows that these tokens regularly had short squeezes. For example, the one listed by HTX surged from below $30 in October to $99 in November, a 172% surge. It then dropped to below $50, and then soared to near $90. 

With Pi Network’s price so low, it only needs a small spark to catapult it sharply higher from the current level. 

Upcoming crypto bull run

Further, Pi Network price may benefit if there is a crypto bull run. There are early signs that this run will happen soon. Bitcoin price has jumped to $94,000 for the first time in over a month, while the market cap of all cryptocurrencies is nearing $3 trillion. 

Analysts are hopeful that a bull run is starting, with Standard Chartered experts predicting an all-time high for Bitcoin.

A likely catalyst for the crypto market rally is that Trump has said that he was not planning to fire Jerome Powell. Trump has also hinted that he was ready to talk with China on plans to solve the trade skirmish. Such a move would lead to more inflows from investors.

Pi Network may address its tokenomics

The other main reason why the Pi Network may surge is that the developers may address its tokenomics. There are signs that the developers have started to repurchase its tokens, as Dr. Altcoin has noted. 

Also, there is a likelihood that the Pi Network will burn most of the unclaimed tokens once the KYC process ends. Such a move would help to address the ongoing dilution risk facing the network as billions of tokens are about to come online.

Pi Coin price has double-bottomed

Pi chart by TradingView

Finally, there are signs that the Pi coin price has bottomed. It has formed a double-bottom pattern at $0.5860, with a neckline at $0.7767, its highest point on April 17.

This pattern is one of the most popular bullish reversal sign. This means that the token may soon surge, with the initial point to watch being at $0.7767. A move above that level will point to more gains, potentially to the all-time high of $3. 

The post Pi Network price has crashed: 5 reasons not to short Pi Coin appeared first on Invezz

The crypto market was a sea of green as Bitcoin and most altcoins continued their recent recovery. The market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies surged to over $2.93 trillion, a figure that may continue to grow this week.

DeepBook price surges after exchange listings

DeepBook Protocol (DEEP) price surged by over 122% on Wednesday, reaching a high of $0.2055. It rallied in a high-volume environment, with its 24-hour figure surging to $1.02 billion. This is a notable surge for a coin that has a market cap of over $591 million. 

DeepBook Protocol token surged after Binance announced that it would list its perpetual futures contracts with a 50x leverage. It was also listed on Upbit, the popular South Korean crypto exchange. Also, DeepBook price jumped after launching a key upgrade on the Sui network.

The risk, however, is that these post-listing gains tend to drop as the momentum wanes. Also, DEEP has significant dilution risk as its circulating supply of 3 billion tokens is lower than the total figure of 10 billion. 

Why altcoins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Cardano surged

Most altcoins have rallied by double digits in the past few days. Dogecoin price surged to a high of $0.18, its highest level since March 28 and 40% above its lowest level this month. 

Shiba Inu price also soared to a high of $0.000014, its highest swing since March 28 and up by 325 from its lowest level this month. 

Cardano price has jumped by over 30% from its April low. Other top-performing tokens in the crypto industry were Immutable, Sui, Walrus, Floki, Raydium, and Fartcoin. All these tokens surged by double digits. 

Bitcoin price recovery

The main reason why these altcoins surged is that Bitcoin bounced back and crossed the important resistance level at $90,000 for the first time this month. That recovery occurred as investors began to view it as a safe-haven asset. For example, all spot BTC ETFs added over $936 million on Tuesday, following gains of $381 million and $107 million in the last two consecutive days. 

Altcoins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Cardano, and DeepBook do well when Bitcoin is in a strong rally. 

Analysts are highly bullish on Bitcoin. In an X post this week, Arthur Hayes predicted that the coin would surge and hit $100,000 soon. Other top analysts like Robert Kiyosaki and Standard Chartered have also delivered bullish forecasts.

Read more: Swiss franc, gold, and Bitcoin emerge as safe havens amid Trump turmoil

Trump seeks to calm the market

Bitcoin and altcoins like DeepBook, Shiba Inu, Dogecoin, and Cardano have surged as Donald Tump sought to calm the market. 

In a statement on Tuesday, he said that he was not about to fire Jerome Powell, the Fed Chair. This is a notable statement since an official recently said that the president was studying whether to fire Powell, a situation that would have led to weak confidence on the US. 

These altcoins also jumped after Trump hinted that he was ready to work with China. He said that he was considering substantially cutting tariffs in a trade deal with the second-largest economy.

Most altcoins formed a double-bottom and a falling wedge

Shiba Inu and Cardano prices chart

Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Cardano, and other altcoins also jumped because most of them have formed a double bottom and a falling wedge pattern over the past few months. These patterns often lead to a strong bullish breakout over time. 

The chart above shows that Cardano price formed a falling wedge pattern on the weekly chart. This wedge formed as it moved to the second phase of the Elliott Wave, which is then followed by the highly bullish third phase. 

The other chart shows that the Shiba Inu price formed a double-bottom pattern at $0.00001050. Before that, the coin formed a falling wedge chart pattern, a popular bullish reversal sign. The same patterns can be seen on other altcoins like Dogecoin and Solana.

The post Here’s why DeepBook, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Cardano, and altcoins are soaring appeared first on Invezz

The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) has crashed this year and has formed a death cross pattern, pointing to more downside in the near term. After peaking at $204 earlier this year, the fund has retreated to $184.40, and has formed a death cross pattern, pointing to more downside in the near term. 

VIG is a top dividend ETF

The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF is one of the biggest players in the dividend investing industry. It has grown to accumulate over $102 billion in assets because of its low expense ratio of 0.05% and long history of paying dividends. It has a dividend yield of just 1.8% because of its strong stock performance. 

The VIG ETF has grown its dividend in the last eleven years. Its stock performance has also been better than other comparable ETFs like the Schwab US Dividend Equity (SCHD), Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (VYM), and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). 

The VIG ETF tracks companies in the S&P US Dividend Growers Index, which tracks companies in the S&P 500 index that have boosted their dividends for over a year. As such, the index is mostly made up of companies in the technology sector. 

According to Vanguard, 22% of the companies in the VIG fund are in the technology sector. They are followed by firms in the financials, healthcare, consumer staples, and industrials. 

The biggest companies in the fund are Apple, Microsoft, Broadcom, JPMorgan Chase, Eli Lilly, Visa, Exxon Mobil, and Mastercard. 

Read more: 5 Best Dividend ETFs to Buy for Q2 2025

Is the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF a good dividend fund to buy?

A good dividend ETF should exhibit several key characteristics. In addition to having a low expense ratio, it ought to have a high dividend yield. Besides, the goal of investing in these funds is to get a monthly, quarterly, or annual payout.

For example, the S&P 500 index is not considered a dividend fund yet it has a yield of 1.39%. Similarly, the Invesco QQQ ETF is also not said to be a dividend yield of 0.70%.

Therefore, we would not classify it as a dividend fund. Rather, it should be classified as a general ETF comprising 338 companies. 

One way to determine whether an ETF is a good investment is to compare its performance with that of other general funds that track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices. 

The fund should be a good investment if it has a superior total return over time. In this case, VIG has a total return of 81% in the last five years. In comparison, the SPY and QQQ ETFs have returned 103% and 117%, respectively. 

This means that an investment in the generic funds generates a better return compared to the VIG fund. This aligns with history, which shows that only a few funds have managed to beat the S&P 500 index over time.

VIG ETF technical analysis

VIG ETF stock chart | Source: TradingView

The daily chart indicates that the VIG ETF reached a high of $204 earlier this year. It formed a double-top pattern, with its neckline at $191.25. A double top is a popular bearish reversal pattern.

Worse, the fund has formed a death cross pattern as the 50-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA) crossed each other. This pattern is one of the most popular bearish patterns in the market. 

The VIG ETF has moved below the 23.6% Fibonacci Retracement level. Therefore, the fund will likely continue falling as sellers target the year-to-date low of $170, down by 8.2% from the current level. A move above the resistance at $190 will invalidate the bearish view.

The post Vanguard’s VIG ETF forms a rare death cross: is a deeper crash coming? appeared first on Invezz

Indian equity benchmarks extended their winning streak into a seventh consecutive session today, propelled higher by a vigorous rally in technology stocks and positive cues flowing from a strong overnight performance in US markets.

The Sensex reclaimed the psychological 80,000 mark for the first time in over three months, while the Nifty 50 climbed towards the 24,300 level.

Sensex reclaims milestone, Nifty advances steadily

Opening on a positive note, the markets sustained momentum throughout the session.

The S&P BSE Sensex ultimately closed significantly higher, although specific closing figures varied slightly from the initial text.

The key achievement was breaching the 80,000 level, a feat last accomplished on January 3, 2025, marking 73 trading days or 110 calendar days since.

The Nifty 50 also saw smart gains, trading near the 24,300 mark during the session before settling slightly lower but still firmly in positive territory.

Tech sector takes center stage

The standout performer today was undoubtedly the information technology sector.

The Nifty IT index soared an impressive 3.2% to 35,025.65, significantly outperforming other sectoral gauges. Leading the charge was HCL Technologies, whose shares jumped a remarkable 7.4% to an intra-day high of Rs 1,588.

This surge followed the IT giant’s robust Q4 earnings report and positive guidance, which brokerage houses viewed bullishly, particularly noting the company’s perceived limited exposure to potential US tariff impacts.

HCLTech’s CEO further bolstered sentiment by stating the company had seen no tariff impact so far.

The positive momentum lifted the entire Nifty IT pack, with all constituents reportedly trading higher, a stark contrast to recent sluggishness in the sector.

Drivers behind the market ascent

Several factors converged to fuel today’s rally:

  • US market rebound: A powerful overnight rally on Wall Street provided a significant tailwind. US indices snapped a four-day losing streak, closing sharply higher (Dow +2.66%, S&P 500 +2.51%, Nasdaq +2.71%). This US upswing was partly attributed to comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
  • Trade de-escalation hopes: Speaking to investors privately, Bessent reportedly expressed expectations for a “de-escalation” in the US-China trade war in the “very near future,” calling the high-tariff standoff unsustainable. This eased investor anxieties globally.
  • Musk refocusing on Tesla: Relief among Tesla investors after CEO Elon Musk indicated he would scale back his government-related work and dedicate more time to the electric vehicle company also contributed to the positive US backdrop, addressing concerns about his political activities potentially harming the brand.
  • Commodity context: While domestic gold prices saw activity linked to festivals and wedding season, pushing 24-carat rates to reported highs near Rs 1,01,600/10 grams, the global outlook presented a different picture.

Gainers led by tech, financials lag slightly

Reflecting the tech dominance, today’s top gainers on the main indices included HCLTech (surging around 7.14%), followed by Tech Mahindra (+4.20%), Infosys (+3.34%), and TCS (+2.14%).

Automaker M&M also joined the rally with a gain of 2.37%.

On the losing side, some profit-taking or consolidation was seen in select financials and telecom, with Bharti Airtel (-0.32%), HDFC Bank (-0.44%), Kotak Bank (-0.45%), Bajaj Finance (-0.46%), and Eternal [-0.48%] seeing minor dips.

Despite some slight pullback in select heavyweights, the overall market breadth remained positive, indicating continued underlying strength as the winning streak extended to seven sessions.

The post Indian markets open: Sensex reclaims 80K, Nifty nears 24.3K as tech rally powers 7th day gains appeared first on Invezz

Cantor Fitzgerald is joining forces with SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex to launch a Bitcoin-backed investment vehicle worth $3 billion.

The new fund, called 21 Capital, comes as Bitcoin trades near historic highs and institutional appetite for crypto exposure surges under the pro-crypto Trump administration.

The structure is designed to mirror MicroStrategy’s high-profile approach of accumulating Bitcoin through corporate vehicles, a model that helped transform it into a crypto-centric company.

According to the Financial Times, the fund will be backed by direct Bitcoin contributions: Tether with $1.5 billion, SoftBank with $900 million, and Bitfinex with $600 million.

These contributions will be converted into shares of 21 Capital at $10 each, pegging the internal valuation of Bitcoin at $85,000 per coin.

The goal is to create a publicly tradeable vehicle that allows investors to gain Bitcoin exposure without owning the underlying asset directly.

Fundraising through bonds and equity

21 Capital will be operated by Cantor Equity Partners, a special purpose acquisition company that earlier this year raised $200 million.

Along with the Bitcoin contributions, the fund will issue a $350 million convertible bond and raise another $200 million via a private equity placement.

These moves aim to expand the fund’s Bitcoin reserves and liquidity, providing it with flexibility to adjust holdings as the crypto market evolves.

The initiative is being led by Brandon Lutnick, who became chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald after his father Howard Lutnick entered the Trump administration as commerce secretary.

Under Brandon’s leadership, Cantor has ramped up its crypto advisory services, including Tether’s $775 million investment in video platform Rumble.

Crypto optimism fuels new strategy

Bitcoin’s price trajectory has played a key role in the timing of this move.

The cryptocurrency surged past $108,000 following Trump’s November victory and has since pulled back to around $92,000.

Despite this volatility, market sentiment remains strong, especially among institutions looking to replicate early successes seen by firms like MicroStrategy.

That company’s strategy—leveraging both debt and equity to accumulate Bitcoin—now serves as a template. It helped MicroStrategy’s market capitalisation climb to over $9 billion.

21 Capital appears to be taking a similar route, positioning itself as a Bitcoin-focused fund that taps into public markets and private funding sources.

Regulatory risks remain

Despite the enthusiasm, there are still risks tied to the entities involved.

Tether and Bitfinex, which are owned by the same parent company, settled regulatory investigations in the US in 2021.

Although the Trump administration has promised a lighter touch on crypto oversight, such ventures could still attract attention from lawmakers and watchdogs.

The final structure and launch timeline for 21 Capital remain in flux.

Insiders suggest the deal could be announced within weeks, but caution that terms may change or the venture could fall apart altogether.

Still, the move underscores how traditional financial players are working with crypto-native firms to enter the digital asset space at scale.

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