Business
Market Wrap: Sensex adds 266 pts, Nifty above 25,650; Indian rupee logs best week in over 3 years
The BSE Sensex rose 266 points or 0.32% to close the week at 83,580 while the Nifty 50 gained 51 points or 0.20% to end the day at 25,693.
In his address, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the central bank’s inflation outlook remains comfortable, with CPI inflation for FY26 projected at 2.1%, according to Monetary Policy Committee. The central bank expects price pressures to stay broadly contained, reflecting stable domestic conditions and manageable demand trends.
In today’s session, cigarette makers including ITC, Godfrey Phillips and VST Industries surged up to 13% after reports indicated companies had raised prices following the recent tax hike, passing on higher costs to consumers. The rally was also supported by value buying at lower levels after a sharp correction triggered by the cigarette taxation overhaul announced on December 31, which came into effect from February.
The broader market, represented by the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap 100 indices, ended 0.2% and 0.3% lower, respectively.
Expert views
Indian equity markets traded with a cautious, range-bound bias today as investors digested the central bank’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged, reinforcing its preference for stability amid improving global trade visibility following recent U.S. tariff adjustments. Sentiment, however, drew support from regulatory clarity after the RBI indicated that banks would be permitted to lend to REITs, enhancing long-term funding visibility for the real estate and credit ecosystem. On the domestic front, support also came from a slight recovery in the Indian rupee, aided by moderated corporate dollar demand, which helped ease near-term currency concerns, Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money said.
Global Markets
Global markets retreated on Friday as a Wall Street selloff spilled across regions, with volatility hitting precious metals and cryptocurrencies while AI-related concerns weighed on equities. The MSCI All-Country World Index recovered from intraday lows to trade near flat, but it still remained on track for its worst weekly performance since mid-November, down about 1.6%.European markets also opened lower as a busy earnings week drew to a close. The pan-European Stoxx 600 slipped 0.37% in early trade, with most major indices and sectors in negative territory. Share price movements this week were largely driven by corporate updates from major names including LVMH, Novo Nordisk, Shell and several large banking groups, while Friday’s earnings calendar appeared relatively light.
In Asia, equities weakened, with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan falling 0.7% and heading for a second consecutive day of losses. Japanese markets bucked the trend, with the Nikkei 225 rising 0.8% ahead of the upcoming election, offering some support amid broader regional caution.
Crude impact
U.S. crude futures extended losses on Friday and were headed for their first weekly decline in several weeks, as easing concerns over Middle-east supply disruptions shifted investor focus to the outcome of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled in Oman later in the day. Brent crude futures fell 50 cents, or 0.74%, to $67.05 per barrel at 0102 GMT after settling 2.75% lower in the previous session.
Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 52 cents, or 0.82%, to $62.77 per barrel, following a 2.84% drop on Thursday. The continued decline reflects cautious market sentiment as traders assess potential developments from the negotiations and their impact on global oil supply.
Rupee vs Dollar
The Indian rupee closed 0.33% lower at 90.6550 per U.S. dollar, compared with the previous close of 90.3550.
The Indian rupee advanced 1.4% for the week, marking its strongest weekly gain since January 2023.
(With inputs from agencies)
Business
Bluesky Introduces Agentic AI ‘Attie’ That Delivers Custom Feeds Based on Preferences
Bluesky is the latest social media platform to introduce its very own AI chatbot, with Attie being formally introduced to the world as the technology is set to deliver custom feeds to users with simple prompts.
Attie can understand natural language and help users create a feed that they want without the hassle of learning how to code.
Bluesky Introduces New Agentic AI Social App, Attie
Bluesky’s former CEO and now Chief Innovation Officer, Jay Graber, recently shared a new development from the company called “Attie,” the company’s latest take on a generative artificial intelligence platform, but it is not exactly a chatbot.
Instead of talking to Attie to learn about various topics, create write-ups, and more, the new agentic AI will help users create their own feeds on Bluesky.
The new agentic AI was built using Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, and the app was built on the same underlying protocol that Bluesky is using, the open-source framework AT Protocol.
According to Graber, users need not be intimidated to create their custom feeds on Bluesky with the help of Attie as the experience will only feel like users are “having a conversation rather than configuring software.”
Attie: Create Custom Feeds Using Natural Language
As mentioned earlier, users may create custom feeds using Attie. The company’s development of this new agentic AI centers on using natural language that will allow users to freely talk to the chatbot like in a normal setting with friends, but it can get complex work done, like coding, to create a feed based on their preferences.
It has been almost three years since Bluesky first arrived in the tech industry, with the platform then popularizing the use of custom algorithmic feeds on the social media experience.
Users only need to describe the content they want to see on their feed to Attie to get started. For example, they only need to tell the agentic AI to “build a feed that gives me updates on new and upcoming console game releases from accounts that I follow.”
The agentic AI will act as a coding agent to create the feed without users actually writing code.
Originally published on Tech Times
Business
Excise cut as new fuel plan brought in
Premier Roger Cook has welcomed the federal government’s decision to half fuel excise, saving motorists about 26 cents a litre in petrol and diesel at the bowser.
Business
Dollar holds firm as markets brace for drawn-out Middle East war

Dollar holds firm as markets brace for drawn-out Middle East war
Business
Albanese Cuts Fuel Excise on Petrol, Diesel for Three Months

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that fuel excise will be cut in half for petrol and diesel beginning April 1.
This will be in effect for three months and will reduce cost of fuel by 26.3 cents a litre.
Fuel Excise Halved for Three Months
According to a report by ABC News, the announcement was made after a meeting of the national cabinet with state and territory leaders. During this meeting, a four-point action plan to deal with the fuel crisis was also discussed.
Albanese also went on to claim that Australia is on “level two” of the fuel crisis. The goal, according to the prime minister, is to “keep Australia moving.”
He likewise said that the country is still far from reaching the next level, which will require “taking targeted action.”
There is still a level four, which will entail “protecting critical services.”
Albanese has also called for citizens to only take the fuel they need as to not cause even bigger supply problems.
NSW Premier Reacts to National Fuel Plan
According to 9News, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said that he welcomes the action plan. He likewise commented on how long he thinks the ongoing conflict in the Middle East will continue.
“We are not necessarily sure what will happen in the Middle East in the next three or six months,” Minns said. “We are not making a decision today to tell people to cancel their trips around the state or cancel Easter holidays.
“But as time goes on, we may tell people to use their common sense on this and reduce their usage,” he added.
Business
Pizza and bread products recalled for metal fragments across 10 states
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Thousands of ready-to-eat pizza and bread products were recalled over the potential presence of metal fragments, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
North Carolina-based Bakkavor voluntarily initiated the recall on Jan. 19, according to the FDA.
Last week, the health agency classified the alert as a Class II recall, which means “use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
NEARLY 10M POUNDS OF FROZEN FRIED RICE SOLD AT TRADER JOE’S ADDED TO RECALL: USDA

Thousands of ready-to-eat pizza and bread products were recalled over the potential presence of metal fragments. (Stefan Irvine/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
About 23,459 cases of roasted tomato and Parmesan focaccia bread were recalled, sold under brand names such as Frederik’s by Meijer, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s and Fresh & Simple.
Additionally, 2,337 cases of HelloFresh Basil Pesto and Mozzarella Pizza, made up of 15 packages per case, were also recalled.
The recall affects four pizza lot numbers and more than a dozen focaccia bread lot numbers, with use-by dates ranging from April 27 through Oct. 15.

Brands affected by the recall include HelloFresh, Frederik’s by Meijer, Fresh & Simple, Harris Teeter and Trader Joe’s. (Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The affected items were distributed in 10 states — Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.
The food products were also shipped directly to customers through HelloFresh.
90,000 BOTTLES OF CHILDREN’S IBUPROFEN RECALLED NATIONWIDE, FDA SAYS

The FDA classified the alert as a Class II recall. (iStock / iStock)
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Customers are urged to dispose of the product or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
No injuries have been reported in connection with the recall thus far.
Business
US stock futures fall as Iran fears persist, Trump comments offer mild relief

US stock futures fall as Iran fears persist, Trump comments offer mild relief
Business
Costco to open its first stand-alone gas station in Mission Viejo
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Costco is set to debut its first stand-alone gas station this summer in Mission Viejo, California, marking a major expansion of its fuel operations, with a second location in Hawaii slated to open next year.
The California location, located roughly 50 miles from Los Angeles, is expected to open in late June, according to local outlet KABC, citing city officials. It will become the chain’s largest gas station, featuring 40 pumps.
A second location is in the works for Honolulu, Hawaii, in the Kapālama Kai community, according to C-store Dive, citing a spokesperson from private education system Kamehameha Schools, which owns the project.
The move marks a major step for the discount retail giant, whose gas stations at existing warehouse locations have long been plagued by lengthy wait times, heavy traffic and crowded parking lots.
COSTCO SAYS YOUR NEXT CHECKOUT COULD TAKE UNDER 10 SECONDS THANKS TO NEW AUTOMATED PAY STATIONS

Vehicles in line at a Costco gas station in Vallejo, California, US, on Thursday, May 29, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Costco’s Mission Viejo site at 25732 El Paseo will sit on the former location of a Bed Bath & Beyond, which city officials approved for demolition last year to make way for the project. It will neighbor a Krispy Kreme location, a Dairy Queen Chill & Grill and a Jack in the Box.
The project will feature 20 fueling dispensers, equivalent to 40 pumping stations, according to 2025 city planning documents.
Spanning 17,234 square feet, the “fueling canopy” will also house an accessory office and breakroom building for employees, the documents stated.
The new gas station will be open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. exclusively for Costco members, C-store Dive reported.
COSTCO ENTERS FERTILITY CARE WITH MASSIVE DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS THROUGH NEW HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS

A customer pumps gas on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Schenectady, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to GasBuddy, gas prices in the Mission Viejo area currently range from $5.69 to $6.35 per gallon.
The two closest existing Costco gas stations — at the Laguna Niguel and Laguna Marketplace warehouses, roughly 2.5 to 3 miles from the planned Mission Viejo site — both list gas at $5.69 per gallon, according to the Costco app.

Drivers refuel vehicles at a Costco Wholesale Corp. gas station in Brookhaven, Georgia. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
For the Hawaii location, demolition and preparation of the property began in October 2025 and are ongoing, according to the project’s website.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. | 983.86 | +4.21 | +0.43% |
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Gas prices in Honolulu range from $5.14 to $5.59 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. The closest Costco in Iwilei, about 2.2 miles from the planned Kapālama Kai site, lists gas at $4.14 per gallon, according to the Costco app.
Business
Trump says White House ballroom is ahead of schedule

Trump says White House ballroom is ahead of schedule
Business
Trump says intel chief Tulsi Gabbard ’softer’ than him on Iran nuclear issue

Trump says intel chief Tulsi Gabbard ’softer’ than him on Iran nuclear issue
Business
Brent heads for record monthly jump as Iran conflict widens
Brent crude futures jumped $3.09, or 2.74%, to $115.66 a barrel by 2353 GMT after settling 4.2% higher on Friday.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $102.56 a barrel, up $2.92, or 2.93%, following a 5.5% gain in the previous session.
Brent has soared 59% this month, the steepest monthly jump, exceeding gains seen during the 1990 Gulf War, after the Iran conflict effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies.
The war, launched on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has spread across the Middle East, with Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday launching their first attacks on Israel since the start of the conflict, raising concern about shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea.
“The conflict is no longer concentrated in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz, but now extends into the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb – one of the world’s most crucial chokepoints for crude and refined product flows,” JP Morgan analysts led by Natasha Kaneva said in a note.
Saudi crude exports re-directed from the Strait of Hormuz to the Yanbu port in the Red Sea reached 4.658 million barrels per day last week, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. If exports from Yanbu were disrupted, Saudi oil would need to pivot toward Egypt’s Suez-Mediterranean (SUMED) pipeline to the Mediterranean, JP Morgan analysts said.
Attacks in the region escalated over the weekend and damaged Oman’s Salalah terminal despite efforts to start ceasefire talks.
Iran said it was ready to respond to a U.S. ground attack, accusing Washington on Sunday of preparing a land assault even as it sought negotiations.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said they had covered possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region as well as potential U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
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