A spreadsheet can track inventory for exactly as long as a business stays small enough that nobody minds double-counting a pallet or missing a reorder point. Past that, the gap between what the spreadsheet says is on the shelf and what’s actually there starts costing real money in rush shipping, in stockouts, in the customer who orders a product that quietly sold out three days ago.
That’s the problem inventory management software is built to solve, and there’s no shortage of it built specifically for small businesses. But “best” depends heavily on what kind of small business is asking. A boutique running one storefront on Square has almost nothing in common, inventory-wise, with a three-person team assembling furniture from raw materials, or a Shopify seller juggling stock across Amazon, TikTok Shop, and their own site. The tool that’s a perfect fit for one is often the wrong choice or wildly overpriced – for another.
Below are nine inventory management platforms worth considering, organized by the type of small business each one fits best, along with current pricing, so there are no surprises after the free trial ends.
Before getting into the list, it’s worth being clear about what separates a genuinely useful inventory system from a glorified spreadsheet with a login screen. A few things matter more than the length of the feature list:
Advertisement
Real-time syncing across sales channels. If stock counts update on a delay, overselling is only a matter of time.
Order volume limits. Several platforms below cap how many orders or invoices a plan can process monthly – a business can outgrow a plan’s limits well before it outgrows the software itself.
What it integrates with. An inventory tool that doesn’t talk to the accounting software, ecommerce platform, or POS system already in use just creates a second system to reconcile by hand.
Pricing model. Some tools charge per user, some per order volume, some per location, and that structure can make a “cheaper” plan more expensive in practice, depending on how the business operates.
With that framework in mind, here’s the list.
1. Zoho Inventory : Best overall value
Best for: Small businesses starting out or replacing spreadsheets | Starting at: Free; paid plans from $29/month | Standout feature: A genuinely usable free plan plus native integration with the rest of the Zoho ecosystem
Zoho Inventory is the rare inventory platform that’s genuinely useful on its free plan, which makes it a sensible starting point for a small business that isn’t ready to commit to a monthly bill yet. The free tier covers 50 orders and 50 invoices per month for one user across two locations – thin, but enough to test whether the workflow fits before paying anything.
Paid plans scale cleanly: Standard runs $29/month (billed annually; $39 month-to-month) for 500 orders and three users, Premium is $79/month for 3,000 orders and five users, Plus is $129/month for 7,500 orders and ten users, and Enterprise tops out at $249/month for 15,000 orders. Every tier includes multichannel selling, warehouse management, and order fulfillment tools, and the platform integrates natively with the rest of the Zoho ecosystem – a real advantage for a business already using Zoho Books or Zoho CRM.
The trade-off is that Zoho Inventory’s advanced features, serial and batch tracking, for instance – are locked behind the Professional tier and above, so a business with compliance-heavy inventory (food, cosmetics, electronics with warranties) may need to budget for a higher plan sooner than the sticker price suggests.
Advertisement
2. QuickBooks Online : Best for businesses that want accounting and inventory in one place
Best for: Businesses that want inventory and accounting under one login | Starting at: Plus plan, roughly $115–$140/month (verify current rate) | Standout feature: Inventory synced directly with invoicing, COGS, and payroll
For a small business already doing its books in QuickBooks, adding a separate inventory platform means reconciling two systems that were never designed to talk to each other perfectly. QuickBooks Online sidesteps that by building basic inventory tracking directly into its Plus plan: quantity on hand, cost of goods sold [COGS, the direct cost of the products a business has sold], and purchase orders, all inside the same login used for invoicing and payroll.
Pricing here needs a caveat: Intuit has raised QuickBooks Online prices more than once through 2026, and third-party trackers currently disagree on the exact current rate for Plus, with figures ranging from roughly $115 to $140 per month depending on when they were last updated. The Plus plan supports up to five users and includes project profitability tracking alongside inventory.
The real limitation isn’t price, it’s depth. QuickBooks Online’s inventory tools cover the basics well but lack the multichannel, warehouse, and manufacturing features that dedicated inventory platforms offer. A business selling on three marketplaces or assembling products from components will likely outgrow it quickly.
Advertisement
3. Square for Retail : Best for brick-and-mortar retailers already on Square
Best for: Retailers already processing payments through Square | Starting at: Free; Plus plan $49/month per location | Standout feature: Inventory tools built into the same POS already running sales
Square for Retail makes the most sense for a business that’s already processing payments through Square and wants inventory tracking layered onto the same system, rather than bolted on separately. Under Square’s current unified pricing, the Free plan includes basic point-of-sale and inventory tools with no monthly fee, while Square Plus adds advanced inventory tracking, low-stock alerts, and purchase order management for $49 per month per location, with a reduced 2.5% + 15¢ in-person processing rate. Square Premium, aimed at higher-volume sellers, runs $149 per month per location with further-reduced processing fees.
Square for Retail’s inventory features are genuinely strong for a single-location or small multi-location retailer: cross-location stock transfers, vendor management, and barcode label printing are all included at the Plus tier. Where it falls short is scale, retailers running many locations or complex wholesale operations tend to find Square’s inventory tools thinner than purpose-built platforms like Lightspeed or Cin7.
4. inFlow Inventory : Best for wholesale, distribution, and B2B
Best for: Wholesalers and distributors managing vendor relationships alongside sales | Starting at: $129/month, billed annually | Standout feature: Built-in B2B showroom for wholesale ordering
Advertisement
inFlow is built around a workflow that a lot of inventory software treats as secondary: selling to other businesses rather than directly to consumers. Its built-in B2B showroom, purchase-order-heavy design, and strong barcode and label tools make it a natural fit for wholesalers and distributors who spend as much time managing vendor relationships as they do sales.
Pricing starts at $129/month (billed annually) for the Entrepreneur plan, which includes two team members and 1,200 sales orders per year, but caps users at a single inventory location. The Small Business plan, inFlow’s most popular tier, runs $349/month for five team members, 12,000 annual orders, and unlimited locations. Mid-Size jumps to $699/month with unlimited orders, and Enterprise pricing is custom. inFlow also sells a separate, cheaper Manufacturing product for businesses that assemble finished goods, and a bare-bones Stockroom app (from $99/month) for simple scan-in, scan-out tracking.
The entry-level plan’s single-location limit is worth flagging: a small business planning to add a second warehouse or storefront will need to budget for the $349/month tier from the start, not the $129 headline price.
5. Cin7 Core : Best for multichannel ecommerce brands
Best for: Brands selling the same products across several channels at once | Starting at: $349/month | Standout feature: Real-time stock sync across every connected sales channel
Advertisement
Cin7 Core : formerly known as DEAR Systems before its 2022 rebrand – is built for businesses selling the same products across several channels at once: a Shopify store, an Amazon listing, a wholesale account, maybe a physical pop-up. Its strength is keeping stock levels synchronized across all of them in real time, so a sale on one channel doesn’t lead to overselling on another.
The Standard plan costs $349/month for five users, two ecommerce integrations, and roughly 6,000 orders per year (about 500 a month). Pro runs $599/month with more users and integrations plus manufacturing resource planning [MRP, tools for scheduling production and tracking materials] features, and Advanced reaches $999/month for high-volume operations needing warehouse management. Cin7 also offers a separate enterprise product, Cin7 Omni, with custom pricing.
Cin7 Core is priced well above the entry-level tools on this list, which makes it a harder sell for a business just starting to outgrow spreadsheets. It earns that price for a business already selling on multiple channels – the alternative, reconciling stock across platforms by hand, tends to be more expensive in the long run through overselling and refunds.
6. Katana Cloud Inventory : Best for small manufacturers and makers
Best for: Businesses that turn raw materials into finished products | Starting at: $179/month | Standout feature: Bill-of-materials and real-time raw-material allocation built for production
Advertisement
Most inventory software assumes a business buys finished goods and resells them. Katana assumes the opposite: that raw materials go in, and a different, finished product comes out – the exact workflow a small manufacturer, food producer, or maker business needs and generic inventory tools don’t handle well.
Katana offers a free plan limited to 30 SKUs and one location, useful mainly for testing the platform. The paid Core plan starts at $299/month and includes bill-of-materials tracking, production scheduling, and real-time raw material allocation. Katana’s pricing model has shifted more than once in recent years, and several add-ons – warehouse management, batch traceability, and advanced manufacturing routing, are priced separately from the Core plan, which can push the effective monthly cost considerably higher for a business that needs them.
That pricing structure is the main thing to watch. Katana is genuinely well-suited to small manufacturers, but a business with modest order volumes and lower-priced items should model the full cost, add-ons included, before committing – several reviewers report the order-based pricing scaling faster than expected as sales grow.
7. Ordoro : Best for ecommerce sellers who need shipping and dropshipping bundled in
Best for: Ecommerce sellers who want shipping, inventory, or dropshipping without paying for all three | Starting at: Free shipping tier; Inventory app from $349/month | Standout feature: Modular apps you can mix and match instead of one bundled platform
Advertisement
Ordoro splits itself into three separate apps – Shipping, Inventory, and Dropshipping – that a business can mix and match rather than paying for a single bundled platform. That’s useful for an ecommerce seller who mainly needs discounted shipping labels today but expects to need inventory or dropship automation later.
The Shipping app has a genuinely free tier (100 labels per month, one user) with an Advanced plan at $59/month for higher volume. The Inventory app starts at $349/month for the Advanced tier and $499/month for Premium, which adds purchase orders and bill-of-materials tracking. The Dropshipping app, aimed at businesses that route orders to suppliers rather than holding stock themselves, starts at $299/month. Bundling all three requires contacting Ordoro’s sales team for custom pricing.
The modular pricing is a double-edged sword: it lets a small business pay only for what it needs right now, but the Inventory app alone starts well above what Zoho or Square charge for comparable core functionality – Ordoro’s real value shows up for businesses that actually need the shipping and dropshipping pieces alongside it, not for inventory tracking in isolation.
8. Sortly : Best for simple, photo-based tracking
Best for: Tracking equipment, tools, or supplies rather than retail inventory | Starting at: Free; paid plans from $49/month | Standout feature: Visual, photo-first interface with no sales or order-management layer to learn
Advertisement
Not every small business is tracking retail inventory. Sortly is built for the ones tracking equipment, tools, supplies, or materials – a contractor’s van inventory, a salon’s product backstock, a nonprofit’s donated goods – where a visual, photo-first interface matters more than purchase orders or multichannel sync.
Sortly’s free plan covers basic tracking for a single user. Paid plans start at Advanced ($49/month), then Ultra ($149/month) for growing teams, and Premium ($299/month) for businesses needing custom reports and deeper QuickBooks integration; an Enterprise tier is available on request. Every paid plan includes barcode and QR scanning, low-stock alerts, and custom folders and tags for organizing items by job, project, or location.
Sortly’s limitation is built into what makes it simple: it’s not a sales or order management platform. A retailer or ecommerce seller processing transactions will need something else entirely; Sortly earns its place on this list specifically for the small businesses tracking physical items that never go through a checkout.
9. Lightspeed Retail : Best for growing, multi-location specialty retail
Best for: Specialty retailers outgrowing single-location simplicity | Starting at: $89/month, billed annually | Standout feature: Deep product-variant and vendor management built for specialty categories
Advertisement
Lightspeed Retail positions itself a step above Square for a retailer that’s outgrowing single-location simplicity – specialty stores in categories like apparel, jewelry, sporting goods, and furniture, where product variants, vendor relationships, and multi-location stock transfers get complicated fast.
The Basic plan runs $89/month billed annually ($109 month-to-month) for one register with integrated payments and core inventory tools. Core, Lightspeed’s most popular tier, is $149/month annually ($179 monthly) and adds loyalty programs and deeper reporting. Plus reaches $289/month annually ($339 monthly) with custom reporting and API access, and Enterprise pricing requires a custom quote. Each tier includes one register; additional registers and multi-location setups typically require a conversation with Lightspeed’s sales team rather than a published per-location rate.
The trade-off for that retail-specific depth is cost and complexity relative to Square: a single-location boutique that doesn’t need Lightspeed’s variant and vendor management may find it more software than necessary, and pricier than a comparable Square Plus setup.
Choosing between them
There isn’t a single best answer here, and that’s really the point, the right platform depends on whether the business is reselling finished goods, building products from raw materials, selling on one channel or six, and how much it’s already invested in an existing POS or accounting system. A business already running QuickBooks or Square has a real head start using the inventory tools built into what it already pays for; one that’s outgrown those basics will get more value from a dedicated platform like Zoho, Cin7, or inFlow, even at a higher monthly cost.
OpenAI has chosen to rename new versions of artificial intelligence tools widely known as agents. They are now being called “dots.”
Company boss Sam Altman, speaking in San Francisco on Tuesday during OpenAI’s yearly event for technology developers, referred to “dots” as “remarkably capable, always-on agents that can handle really anything you can think of.”
OpenAI in recent months has come under intense scrutiny as internal tests of its AI agents have revealed often unexpected and occasionally harmful actions, leading to more public and government fears.
Dots, however, were pitched as brightly colored cute cartoons meant to function as digital assistants for people with busy lives.
Advertisement
The dots, Altman said, “can handle really anything you can think of.”
A glossy video was shown during the event, with people speaking to and naming animated versions of their “dots,” then giving them various tasks, like building a website and booking afterschool activities for their children.
Speaking about “my dot,” Altman almost entirely eschewed referring to the tool as an agent, which has been in common use for years. AI agents are essentially AI chatbots that are programmed to operate somewhat autonomously.
“You just give your dot a responsibility… and your dots will just get to work and keep working,” Altman added.
Advertisement
The day prior to OpenAI’s Tuesday event, the company said it was delaying the launch of its latest model due to certain safety issues that showed up during internal testing.
Since July, the company has been dealing with a series of issues with its AI agents acting improperly. It has faced unprompted hacking into the AI platform Hugging Face, posting to third-party websites images that AI agents took from ChatGPT user chats, and accessing non-public information maintained by the Australian government.
OpenAI, as well as rival AI firm Anthropic, previously delayed public release of certain AI models due to potential risks, mostly pertaining to cybersecurity or hacking concerns.
Both companies also expect to be listed on the public stock market in the coming months. Anthropic likely will do so this year, while OpenAI is poised for 2027.
Advertisement
And both companies have lately been clear that they believe AI poses a genuine risk on a large scale, be it to public infrastructure or public safety.
Speaking last week to the UN, Altman pleaded for “national and international” AI standards on measuring the capabilities of an AI tool, assessing related risks, AI safeguards, and the degree to which human oversight over such tools is maintained.
Dario Amodei, the head of Anthropic, told the UN that if the speeding development of AI was not properly managed and overseen, future versions of the technology “could be a risk to humanity as a whole.”
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has compared Nigel Farage’s fiscal policies to a “BTC account” handled by one of the UK’s most financially irresponsible prime ministers.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer! “Don’t make me laugh,” John Healey has compared Nigel Farage’s fiscal policies to a “BTC account” handled by one of the UK’s most financially irresponsible prime ministers.
This is from Healey the most useless piece of communist crap ever appointed to this position. This man is really as stupid as they come. Support the British people? NO, he supports the communist socialist failed agenda and the EU, like the rest of Labour’s traitor MPs. Certainly not you the British people, and you voted for the new Communist socialist Islamic republic of Britain.
Now he and Burnham are going to piss all over you while calling for another referendum on rejoining the dictatorship called the EU, OH, AND THEY WILL USE THE WORD DEMOCRACY, SOMETHING THEY DON’T SUPPORT AND NEVER HAVE.
Advertisement
Healey’s jab at the Reform leader during Labour’s 2026 party conference referred to the perceived economic failure of the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss.
Truss’s financial policies were widely criticised for their negative impact on financial markets. This led to a rebellion from several Tory MPs, and she was forced to resign within 44 days of her premiership.
Healey appeared to suggest that a “BTC account” is an equally financially irresponsible form of finance, and that only by pairing it with Truss would you recreate the “fantasy funding” ideals of Nigel Farage.
Healey’s comments upset a lot of Bitcoiners, who claimed his “derogatory” description of a “BTC account” demonstrated “staggering ignorance.”
Advertisement
Freddie New, CEO of the BTC Lightning transaction fee firm B HODL, said Healey is “gleefully ignorant that he thinks it is possible to have a ‘BTC account.’”
UK podcaster Peter McCormack said, “Healey making a dismissive joke about Bitcoin shows that he likely has a woeful understanding of economics, particularly scarcity.”
Most criticisms were technical and took offence at the use of the word “account,” which contrasts with the phrase “crypto wallet” used by crypto holders.
Healey wants a ‘new age of industrialisation’
Advertisement
Healey was defence secretary under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership before he resigned in June. He argued that the government wasn’t willing to spend enough on national defence.
During yesterday’s conference, Healey announced new measures to support a “new age of industrialisation,” which includes a £300 million investment from Rolls-Royce toward its factories, and £6 billion in government contracts to build new submarine docks.
A so-called “Union Learning Fund” was also announced, as were a National Wealth Fund to help create 130,000 jobs by 2030, and a £100 million-backed local apprenticeship scheme.
Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on X, Bluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
El Pollo Loco will open its first New York City restaurant next year as the California chain looks to become a national player.
El Pollo Loco has closed three development agreements for a total of 15 restaurants in the New York area over the next five years, the company announced on Tuesday. The first location will open in Queens in mid-2027.
Founded in Mexico in 1975, El Pollo Loco opened its first U.S. restaurant in Los Angeles. The majority of its locations are still concentrated in California, but its footprint has grown to more than 500 restaurants across 10 states. It is best known for its bone-in grilled chicken, although its menu has grown.
CEO Liz Williams wants to make El Pollo Loco into a national chain. To expand outside its Southwestern stronghold, El Pollo Loco will open restaurants on the East Coast and then move its way back to the West, she said.
Advertisement
To succeed in new markets, the chain will have to build its brand awareness in a crowded space where consumers are watching their budgets.
“Being a 50-year-old brand, people have seen it over the years and have always had that curiosity, but we have our work cut out,” Williams said.
Under Williams’ leadership, El Pollo Loco has embarked on a turnaround focused on modernizing its restaurants and expanding its menu into more convenient options, like wraps and chicken tenders. The efforts have started to pay off for the chain, which has reported three straight quarters of same-store sales growth.
“In the current quarter, we’ve expanded margins, and the business model is healthy overall,” Williams said. “The brand has gotten even stronger and healthier.”
Advertisement
El Pollo Loco has also been expanding quickly during her tenure. When she began in March 2024, the chain was in just six states. Now, it is in 10. And while it opened nine restaurants last year, El Pollo Loco is projecting 10 to 18 new locations by the end of 2026.
Investors like the company’s trajectory. Shares of El Pollo Loco have climbed 44% over the last year. The S&P 500 rose more than 15% over the same period.
Its comeback coincides with a challenging time for the restaurant industry. Burger and taco chains have been facing soaring costs for beef. Consumers have been dining out less frequently to save money, which has intensified competition between eateries.
El Pollo Loco has also had to contend with more competition as restaurants aim to cash in on growth in the chicken category. McDonald’s and Taco Bell — Williams’ former employer — have expanded their chicken options in recent years, fueled by consumer market research. And chicken-focused chains have been expanding quickly, from newcomer Dave’s Hot Chicken to Southern names like Zaxby’s and Raising Cane’s.
Advertisement
In 2024, El Pollo Loco was the eighth-largest chicken chain by U.S. sales, with 2.1% market share, according to Barclays.
But with its focus on grilled chicken and Mexican-inspired flavors, El Pollo Loco stands out from the crowd, Williams said.
“Everyone is talking about wanting to eat a little better and really thinking through their choices,” Williams said. “Everyone loves fried chicken … However, in terms of what you’re able to eat every single day, grilled chicken is just a better option.”
The expansion news comes as El Pollo Loco shakes up its leadership.
Advertisement
The company on Friday said in a regulatory filing that Damon Thomas will join the company as chief operating officer. He joins the company from Shake Shack.
Tara Hinkle was also recently tapped as the chain’s new chief development officer. She previously held roles at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Taco Bell and Starbucks before joining the company in July.
Correction: This story was updated to reflect that Williams said the company’s brand has gotten stronger and healthier. A previous version misquoted her.
Severe flooding in Bangkok and surrounding provinces is projected to reduce Thailand’s 2026 economic growth by 0.3 percentage points, lowering estimates to 2.1%. Immediate losses are estimated at 11 billion baht nationwide, with some assessments ranging up to 33.8 billion baht, and Bangkok bearing the largest share of damage.
The capital experienced significant rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems, disrupting transport, commerce, and supply chains, particularly affecting small businesses. The government declared special holidays to ease pressure, while banks introduced relief measures. The final economic impact depends on how quickly flooding subsides and whether further disruptions occur.
Thailand’s latest flooding could reduce annual economic growth by 0.3 percentage points this year, as widespread disruption across Bangkok and surrounding provinces weighs on businesses, transport and household spending.
The flooding could lower Thailand’s 2026 growth rate to 2.1%, from an earlier estimate of 2.4%, according to economist Aat Pisanwanich, who was quoted by Reuters in a recent article. Third-quarter growth could decline by approximately 0.5 percentage points to 1.7%.
Advertisement
The immediate economic losses have been estimated at 11 billion baht, or approximately $320 million, nationwide. A separate assessment by Rangsit University placed the potential losses between 16.9 billion and 33.8 billion baht, with a moderate-damage scenario reaching 25.345 billion baht.
Bangkok is expected to bear the largest share of the losses, at approximately 10.586 billion baht. The estimate covers the period from September 24 to 27 and includes disruptions to commerce, services and travel.
Bangkok bears the largest impact
The capital received around 320 millimetres of rain over two to three days, overwhelming drainage systems and flooding entire neighbourhoods. Water levels began to recede in several areas after the rain eased, but residents in some communities remained stranded or dependent on evacuation centres, as was reported by varoius medias like Internazionale.
The economic impact has extended beyond direct damage to buildings and vehicles. Businesses have faced difficulties moving workers, receiving supplies and delivering products, while shops in flooded areas have struggled to reopen.
Advertisement
Transport interruptions have also reduced consumer activity. Residents unable to travel to work or commercial districts have postponed purchases, while companies have incurred additional costs for alternative routes, temporary closures and emergency repairs.
The government declared special holidays for civil servants in Bangkok and three surrounding provinces on September 28 and 29 in an attempt to reduce travel and ease pressure on the transport system. However, the measure also reflects the scale of the disruption facing the Bangkok metropolitan area.reuters
The Stock Exchange of Thailand will continue operating during the special holidays, maintaining trading on the SET, mai, TFEX, LiVEx and related platforms. The decision is intended to preserve financial-market continuity even as parts of the capital remain affected by flooding.nationthailand
Pressure on supply chains
In the other hand, the Federation of Thai Industries has warned companies to protect workers, review transport routes and prepare for further disruption. Water levels in reservoirs and canals remain a concern even after rainfall has eased in parts of the country.
Advertisement
The risk is particularly significant for businesses that depend on just-in-time deliveries. Delays affecting warehouses, roads, ports or industrial facilities can spread quickly through supply chains, even when the original flooding is concentrated in a limited number of districts.
Banks have begun offering relief measures to affected households and companies. Krungthai Bank and Export-Import Bank of Thailand are providing repayment assistance, lower interest rates and additional liquidity to customers facing losses or cash-flow problems.
Those measures could prevent temporary disruption from becoming a wider credit problem. However, debt relief cannot replace lost inventory, damaged equipment or the income businesses lose during forced closures.
The flooding has also exposed differences in economic vulnerability. Large companies may have insurance, backup facilities and alternative suppliers. Small businesses and informal operators often have fewer reserves and are more likely to face a permanent loss of income after several days without sales.
Advertisement
Growth outlook becomes more fragile
The estimated 0.3 percentage-point reduction in annual growth would not by itself push Thailand into recession. But it adds another obstacle to an economy already dealing with moderate expansion, high household debt, external uncertainty and persistent energy costs.
The final impact will depend on how quickly water levels fall and whether additional rainfall causes a second wave of disruption. A rapid recovery could limit the damage, while prolonged flooding could increase losses through reduced production, weaker consumption and delayed investment.
For now, Thailand’s economic response is focused on drainage, emergency assistance and financial relief. The next stage will be more difficult: restoring businesses, repairing infrastructure and determining whether the country’s cities and supply chains are prepared for increasingly frequent climate shocks.
The final economic cost remains uncertain. The Federation of Thai Industries has warned that disruption can spread through supply chains, affecting raw-material deliveries, worker mobility, warehouses and machinery. At the same time, economists have stressed that a rapid recovery in affected areas would limit the damage, meaning the duration of the flooding is now more important than the initial rainfall event.
Advertisement
The floodwaters may recede within days. The economic consequences will last longer, particularly for smaller businesses that cannot afford another interruption before the recovery from this one is complete.
The episode also exposes a longer-term investment issue. Bangkok’s vulnerability to extreme rainfall creates recurring costs for retailers, manufacturers, logistics operators and property owners. Beyond emergency relief, businesses and policymakers face increasing pressure to invest in drainage capacity, flood barriers, water-management systems and continuity planning.
After two difficult years for Indian equities, there is scope for reasonable returns as valuations turn less demanding, according to senior market participants who spoke to ET. Large caps look better placed, while the outlook is more cautious on mid- and small-caps. Financials, manufacturing and consumption are among the preferred themes, while views on technology are sharply divided
NEELESH SURANA, CIO, Mirae Asset Mutual Fund
MARKET OUTLOOK: India looks better positioned than sentiment suggests and is a natural hedge against crowded AI trade. Valuations are no longer a headwind, while domestic fundamentals are sound. Any global trade rotation could be meaningful. Key risks are elevated crude, rising developed market bond yields, El Niño and heavy equity issuance. Overall, we expect low-teens returns. PREFERRED INVESTMENT STRATEGY: Our strategy is a barbell, combining quality stocks with strong earnings upgrades at sensible valuations with holding sector leaders that have corrected over the past two years and are now in value zone.
THEMES LOOKING ATTRACTIVE: Banking, consumer discretionary, healthcare and manufacturing. Sector leaders, impacted by FPI selling over the last two years, are now attractive.
THEMES TO STAY AWAY FROM: Slow-growth or disruption prone sectors like consumer staples and IT. Cautious on narrative-driven, richly-valued sectors like capital goods.
JANAKIRAMAN RENGARAJU, CIO – India Equities Templeton Global Investments
MARKET OUTLOOK: The 12-month base case for Indian equities may not be quite euphoric, but it is constructive. Largecap valuations are more reasonable, while higher mid- and small-cap multiples call for greater prudence. Globally, the picture has deteriorated. Unresolved conflicts have entrenched inflationary pressures, while rising interest rates and heavy fiscal debt reinforce each other. Tariff uncertainty continues to cloud trade growth, while questions are emerging over the viability of massive AI investments, even as enthusiasm and valuations remain elevated.PREFERRED INVESTMENT STRATEGY: Adopt a tone of ‘cautious optimism’ over the medium term.
THEMES LOOKING ATTRACTIVE: Financials, industrials and capital goods, consumption and electronic manufacturing, which are linked to capex pick up, rising affluence and credit growth.
THEMES TO STAY AWAY FROM: Avoid expensive small and mid-caps with weak cash generation and businesses dependent on endless equity funding.
MARKET OUTLOOK: Economy remains in good shape, while valuations are now neutral. This should translate into reasonable market returns broadly in line with earnings growth.
PREFERRED INVESTMENT STRATEGY: Don’t chase narratives that have already played out, rather look at sectors that have been underperforming since the last 2-3 years.
Advertisement
THEMES LOOKING ATTRACTIVE: Private banks, insurance companies, automobiles and cement.
THEMES TO STAY AWAY FROM: Careful about companies where promoters are diluting (either through primary or secondary sales) or where private equity is selling, including IPOs. Promoter dilution and PE sales happen when performance and valuations are close to peaks. Cautious on metals, IT and FMCG. For IT, the problem is not AI but the fact that Indian listed companies are losing market share to GCCs set up in India.
R SIVAKUMAR CIO, Axis Mutual Fund
MARKET OUTLOOK: The outlook is constructive. Economic slowdown over the last few quarters appears to be more cyclical than structural. Valuations in parts of the market remain elevated, particularly within mid- and small-caps.
PREFERRED INVESTMENT STRATEGY: Alpha generation is likely to come from selective stock picking rather than broad market direction. A balanced approach across largecaps, which offer valuation comfort and resilience, and select mid-cap opportunities, which continue to deliver superior earnings growth, remains appropriate.
THEMES LOOKING ATTRACTIVE: Constructive on manufacturing, power and electrification, energy transition, select financials, particularly banks and capital-market-linked businesses, as well as export-oriented companies.
Advertisement
THEMES TO STAY AWAY FROM: Investors should avoid chasing momentum in overcrowded themes. In technology, we remain watchful of disruptions and pricing pressures emerging from AI-led changes in the global IT services landscape
SHANKAR SHARMA, Founder, GQuant
MARKET OUTLOOK: Barring occasional rallies, I do not see the Indian markets outperforming the world or even the peer group. The Vaibhav Suryavanshi Syndrome afflicts Indian companies: domestic success is mistaken for globally transferable skill. Largecaps have thrived on India’s easy pitch, building market capitalisation rather than global scale and brands. When domestic growth fades, competing overseas will require an entirely different mindset. There will be pockets where money is going to be made; but in aggregate, Indian returns will disappoint for the coming year.
PREFERRED INVESTMENT STRATEGY: The future of the Indian stock market lies in getting “techified”. Tech has been my theme in the last 2 years since the bear market started in India and I have actually made money even in this very-very tough market. This is not going to change anytime soon. Pharmaceuticals is also going to be a good place to be in.
THEMES LOOKING ATTRACTIVE: For me, tech is 80% of the allocation and pharma is 20% and there is nothing else that I am interested in India.
THEMES TO STAY AWAY FROM: Companies which service the domestic Indian consumer. That trade is on its way out and this is not where I would deploy a lot of capital.
The firm has relocated to the South Gate House office scheme
18:41, 28 Sep 2026Updated 18:48, 28 Sep 2026
The Cardiff team of Hazlewoods
Accountancy and business advisory firm Hazlewoods has relocated to larger offices in Cardiff to support expansion plans.
Having set up its first office in Wales at the Capital Tower office building in 2024, it has now moved its team of 34 to South Gate House.
Tom Davies, director at Hazlewoods Cardiff, said: “This is an exciting step for Hazlewoods and reflects the progress we have made since launching in the city less than two years ago. We have built a very strong team here and have been really encouraged by the response from both new and existing clients, reflecting our commitment to developing deep relationships across the region.
Advertisement
“The new office gives us the space to continue growing while maintaining the collaborative approach that is such an important part of the way we work.”
Bruce Black, corporate tax director, said: “This move creates the environment we need to continue finding and developing local talent to build the team, while maintaining the high level of service our clients expect from Hazlewoods. It reflects just how positively the Cardiff office has developed in such a short space of time.
“The team in Cardiff has done a great job of growing the business and I look forward to seeing that continue. We have the expertise, ambition and people to build a really strong presence in Wales, and the new office gives the team a great base from which to do that.”
Hazlewoods is one of the largest independent accountants and business advisers in the South West and Wales, with more than 600 employees and a growing presence in Cardiff, alongside its offices in Cheltenham and Bristol.
Advertisement
The firm provides audit, accounting, tax and advisory services to corporate and private clients and is particularly well known for its specialist sector expertise across the UK. Last year, the firm recorded a turnover of £54.3m.
Its managing partner, James Morter, said: “It has been very gratifying to see the way that Hazlewoods has been welcomed into Cardiff. Early on, we identified a gap in the Welsh market for a firm of our size and experience, and when you combine that with the talent pool in the city, it felt like a natural next step.”
Property advisory firm Knight Frank represented Hazlewoods on the deal, while its building consultancy team supported the fit-out of the new space.
Mark Sutton, office agency partner at Knight Frank’s Cardiff office, said: “Hazlewoods was looking for a space that could support its continued growth in Wales, while offering excellent connectivity and the flexibility to create a workplace suited to its needs.
Advertisement
“South Gate House provided the right combination of quality space and a prime city-centre location, and it has been a pleasure to support the team through the move.”
For the US economy, a ban could deliver short-term relief at the pump by flooding the domestic market with excess supply.
However, energy analysts warn it could backfire.
David Fyfe, chief economist at Argus Media, notes that cutting off American supply would likely cause international prices to skyrocket.
That would push up global freight, food, and industrial costs, ultimately “feeding inflation back into the global economy”.
Advertisement
“At a stroke, the US’s reputation as a reliable supplier of energy to the world would be shot,” Fyfe added.
Removing more than a million barrels of daily American supply would trigger a fierce bidding war among importing nations in Latin America and Europe.
Sarah Raffoul, analytics manager at Argus Media, noted that while higher international prices would eventually curb demand, the immediate gap would severely strain trade relationships and accelerate global inflation.
as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
You must be logged in to post a comment Login