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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Perth’s coastline stretches along the Indian Ocean with stretches of fine white sand and clear turquoise water that draw both locals and visitors year-round. Western Australia’s capital benefits from a Mediterranean climate, reliable sunshine and a string of accessible beaches within easy reach of the city center. Recent guides from tourism authorities and local polls highlight a consistent group of standouts that combine natural beauty, facilities and variety for swimming, surfing, snorkelling and relaxation.

Cottesloe Beach remains the most recognizable. Located about 12 kilometres west of the central business district, it features soft blonde sand, grassy banks lined with Norfolk Island pines and a sheltered swimming area protected by reefs. The beach is patrolled by lifeguards during the warmer months and offers easy access to cafes and restaurants along Marine Parade. The Indiana Teahouse building, now home to Indigo Oscar, provides a focal point for ocean views. In March 2026, the beach hosted the 21st edition of Sculpture by the Sea, with more than 70 works by local, national and international artists installed along the shore. Founder David Handley said of the return after a 2025 hiatus, “It’s great to be back in Perth at Cottesloe Beach for the 21st Sculpture by the Sea.” The free exhibition drew strong crowds and underscored the beach’s dual role as a recreational and cultural landmark. Mornings often deliver the calmest conditions before the afternoon sea breeze, known locally as the Fremantle Doctor, picks up.

Scarborough Beach ranks high for its energy and amenities. Situated roughly 14 kilometres northwest of the city, the long stretch of sand supports swimming, surfing and bodyboarding. Lifeguards patrol year-round in key sections. The foreshore has undergone significant upgrades in recent years, adding a heated ocean pool, skate park, adventure playground, expansive grassed areas and a range of dining options. Sunset markets operate regularly in the warmer months, featuring food stalls and live music. The beach attracts families during the day and a livelier crowd in the evening as the sun sets over the ocean. Nearby Brighton Beach offers a quieter alternative with similar water quality but fewer people.

City Beach has emerged as a strong local favourite. In a late 2025 online poll conducted by a major Perth newspaper that attracted hundreds of votes, City Beach received 27.8 percent support, edging out Scarborough and Cottesloe. The beach sits about 11 kilometres from the CBD and features white sand, rock shelves that create sheltered swimming zones and shady grassed areas ideal for picnics and barbecues. Facilities include a surf club, beach matting for accessibility and a beach wheelchair. Nearby eateries provide casual and more upscale options. Lifeguards operate on weekends and public holidays in the peak season, with a roving presence during the week. Its central location between Cottesloe and Scarborough makes it a convenient choice for those seeking a balance of space and amenities without the heaviest crowds.

Leighton Beach, just north of Fremantle and about 16 kilometres from the city, delivers a more tropical atmosphere. Powdery white sand meets shallow azure water that suits families and less confident swimmers. The beach is patrolled on weekends and public holidays between October and April. Designated dog-exercise areas operate on the northern end. Visitors often bring umbrellas and set up for the day, then stop at nearby cafes such as Bib & Tucker for meals with coastal views. The relatively consistent conditions and proximity to Fremantle’s historic precinct make it popular for both swimming and longer stays.

Mettams Pool, further north near Trigg, stands out for its natural lagoon formed by reefs. The calm, shallow water supports snorkelling, with opportunities to see fish, starfish and other marine life close to shore on suitable days. A concrete ramp provides wheelchair access to the sand. The site forms part of Perth’s northern beach corridor and pairs well with a visit to nearby Trigg Beach for those interested in surfing. Lifeguard services are limited compared with the major southern beaches, so swimming between any marked flags and checking conditions remains essential. Coffee and basic facilities are available nearby.

These five beaches illustrate the range available along Perth’s Sunset Coast. Most offer free public access, with paid parking that can fill quickly on weekends and during peak summer periods from December to February. Water temperatures remain comfortable for swimming well into autumn. Safety advice from local authorities consistently stresses swimming between the flags where lifeguards are present, watching for rips and strong currents, and applying sun protection given the region’s high UV levels.

Infrastructure improvements, including accessibility features and foreshore upgrades, have enhanced the visitor experience in recent years. Events such as Sculpture by the Sea add seasonal interest, while everyday facilities support casual day trips. Public transport links, including trains to Cottesloe and buses serving the northern beaches, reduce reliance on cars for some locations.

Perth’s beaches continue to rank among Australia’s strongest coastal assets for their combination of water quality, sand quality and proximity to urban amenities. Whether seeking an iconic sunset at Cottesloe, the social atmosphere of Scarborough, the local preference for City Beach, the family-friendly shallows of Leighton or the snorkelling calm of Mettams Pool, visitors find consistent natural appeal backed by practical facilities. Conditions can change with wind and swell, so checking local forecasts and beach reports remains advisable before any visit.

Nifty 50 jumped nearly 200 points in just two minutes on Monday, as traders adjusted to India’s new closing auction system for large stocks. At 3.28 pm, Nifty was trading at 24,573, which then surged to 24,774 to close nearly 1.6% higher at 3:30 pm. The sharp move came after exchanges introduced the Closing Auction Session (CAS) from August 3. The new system changes how the closing price is calculated for stocks that are part of the futures and options list.

The move appeared to surprise some intraday traders, especially those used to the old 3:30 pm closing pattern. Under the new structure, different parts of the market now close at different times. For F&O-linked stocks, continuous trading stops at 3:15 pm. These stocks then move into a closing auction process. Other stocks continue trading until 3:30 pm. Index and stock F&O contracts remain open until 3:40 pm.

What changed from August 3

The biggest change is that F&O stocks no longer use the old final 30-minute VWAP method to decide their official closing price. Earlier, the closing price was calculated using the volume-weighted average price of trades done in the last 30 minutes of trading. VWAP means the average price weighted by traded quantity.

This was used because the last traded price can be misleading. A stock may trade around Rs 1,000 for most of the day, but one small trade at Rs 980 near the close can make the last traded price look weak. VWAP reduces that distortion.

From August 3, the regulator has introduced a closing auction for stocks that have derivatives contracts. In this system, buy and sell orders are pooled and matched at a single price. That price becomes the official closing price.
The idea is to make the closing price more fairer, especially for large orders and passive funds that need to trade near the close.Also Read: Explained: What is CAS and what do new stock market timings mean for BSE, NSE traders?

How the auction works

For stocks under CAS, exchanges first calculate a reference price between 3 pm and 3:15 pm. This is based on the VWAP of trades during that period. At 3:15 pm, continuous trading stops. There is then a five-minute transition period until 3:20 pm. No fresh orders can be entered during this window.

From 3:20 pm to 3:25 pm, investors can place market and limit orders. Exchanges show details such as indicative price, buy quantity, sell quantity and order imbalance. From 3:25 pm to 3:30 pm, only limit orders can be placed. Market orders already placed cannot be changed or cancelled during this period.

The order entry window closes randomly between 3:28 pm and 3:30 pm This is meant to stop a last-minute rush of orders. From 3:30 pm to 3:35 pm, exchanges match the orders. The price at which the maximum quantity can be traded becomes the equilibrium price. That becomes the stock’s official closing price.

If two prices can execute the same quantity, the price with the lowest unmatched quantity is selected. If there is still a tie, the price closest to the reference price is chosen. If no price is discovered, the reference price is used.

Why Nifty moved so fast

The Nifty may have moved sharply because the closing prices of index stocks directly affect index calculation. The Nifty and Sensex are based on the market value of their constituent stocks. When the auction discovers closing prices for large index stocks, the index can move quickly even though regular continuous trading has already stopped for those stocks.

The 200-point jump in two minutes suggests that orders placed during the auction changed the final prices of some large stocks enough to move the index. Traders may also have been caught off guard by the new timings.

Intraday positions using MIS product type now have earlier auto square-off timings. For equity stocks under CAS, auto square-off is at 3:10 pm For equity stocks not under CAS, it is 3:25 pm For index and stock F&O contracts, it is 3:26 pm

That means some traders who were used to managing positions closer to 3:30 pm now have to adjust earlier.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Three investors in One 97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, are looking to sell shares worth up to Rs 2,002 crore through a screen-based transaction on Indian stock exchanges. The transaction is a 100% secondary share sale, which means the company will not receive any money from the deal. The shares will be sold by Saif Partners India IV, Saif III Mauritius Company and Elevation Capital V, according to the term sheet.

The base offer size is up to 1.49 crore shares, representing about 2.3% of Paytm’s existing share capital. The base deal size is up to Rs 2002 crore, or about $210 million. Morgan Stanley India Company Pvt Ltd is the placement agent for the transaction.

The floor price at 5% discount. The offer floor price has been fixed at Rs 1,339.65 per share. This is a 4.99% discount to Paytm’s closing price of Rs 1,410 on August 3.

The books opened on August 3 and are expected to close around 7 am IST on August 4, with an option to close earlier. The expected trade date is August 4, while settlement is expected on August 5.

The term sheet said no guidance will be given on pricing until the shares are crossed on Indian stock exchanges on August 4. It also said investors should indicate demand across the price range.

Saif entities hold key stake in Paytm
Before the transaction, Saif Partners India IV held about 23.2 million Paytm shares, or around 3.63% of the company’s existing share capital. Saif III Mauritius Company held about 54.7 million shares, or around 8.55% of the company’s existing share capital.Elevation Capital V holding was not disclosed in the term sheet. The shareholding pattern was disclosed on BSE on August 3. The vendors, their agents and nominees will be under a 60-day lock-up after the transaction.

Large investor exits through block deals are common after a stock has seen a strong rally. They allow early investors to reduce holdings while giving institutional buyers a chance to buy a large quantity of shares in one transaction.

Oracle Corp. shares advanced nearly 6% in midday trading Monday, climbing to around $138 amid a broader rally in technology stocks and renewed investor focus on the company’s cloud and artificial intelligence growth trajectory.

The stock rose $8.26, or 6.36%, as markets responded to signs of de-escalation in Middle East tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pause planned military action against Iran. Broader equity indexes also gained, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posting solid advances as oil prices eased and risk appetite improved.

Oracle has been a prominent beneficiary of the AI infrastructure buildout, even as its shares have experienced significant volatility over the past year. The company reported record results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year 2026 in June, highlighting rapid expansion in cloud infrastructure and a substantial backlog of contracted business.

Remaining performance obligations, a measure of contracted future revenue, reached a record $638 billion at the end of the fourth quarter, up sharply from earlier periods. Cloud infrastructure revenue in the quarter rose 93% year over year to $5.8 billion, while total cloud revenue climbed 47% to $9.9 billion. Full-year cloud infrastructure revenue advanced 77% to $18.1 billion.

The company has guided for continued strong growth, with fiscal 2027 total revenue expected around $90 billion. Management has acknowledged near-term pressure on gross margins linked to the ramp-up of new data centers. Oracle CFO Hilary Maxson noted on the earnings call that fiscal 2027 gross margins “will step down due to timing for the ramp up of our data center projects,” while adding that the company expects margin performance in infrastructure to improve rapidly as facilities reach full contractual revenue levels.

Adding to recent momentum, Oracle expanded its partnership with Alphabet’s Google Cloud late last week. The collaboration will make Google’s Gemini models, including Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite and Gemini 3.5 Flash, available within Oracle AI Agent Studio and across Fusion Cloud Applications and NetSuite. The move allows enterprise customers greater flexibility in selecting AI models for agentic workflows and automation.

Chris Leone, executive vice president of applications development at Oracle, said, “To achieve the best business outcomes, organizations need the flexibility to choose the AI model best suited to each problem. Bringing Gemini to AI Agent Studio gives our customers greater choice as they build next-generation agentic workflows.”

The partnership builds on existing multicloud offerings that enable customers to run Oracle databases and applications across major cloud providers while leveraging specialized AI capabilities. Oracle has positioned itself as a key supplier of high-performance computing capacity for large language models and enterprise AI deployments, securing multiyear contracts with major technology and government customers.

Investors have closely monitored the company’s capital expenditure plans, which include significant outlays to expand data center capacity. Oracle has pursued a combination of debt and equity financing to support the buildout, with remaining performance obligations providing visibility into future revenue conversion as capacity comes online. In fiscal 2027, a substantial portion of the backlog is expected to convert into recognized revenue.

Despite the strong growth metrics, the shares have traded well below prior peaks amid concerns over elevated spending, free cash flow dynamics during the investment phase, and overall market valuation of AI-related stocks. The stock’s 52-week range has reflected that volatility, with shares recovering from recent lows as positive catalysts have emerged.

Monday’s advance also coincided with broader sector strength. Technology companies with exposure to cloud computing and AI infrastructure participated in the relief rally tied to geopolitical developments. Lower energy prices and reduced immediate risk of further escalation supported risk assets across the board.

Oracle continues to emphasize its dual strengths in cloud applications and infrastructure. Cloud applications revenue has grown more moderately but steadily, providing a recurring base alongside the faster-expanding infrastructure segment. The company has highlighted profitability at the AI data center level even as overall margins face temporary pressure from the capacity ramp.

Looking ahead, investors will watch for updates on the pace of data center deployments, customer adoption of multicloud and AI agent capabilities, and any further details on financing plans. The conversion of the large remaining performance obligations into revenue remains a central focus, as does the trajectory of free cash flow once major construction phases mature.

The combination of contracted backlog, accelerating cloud infrastructure growth, strategic partnerships such as the expanded Google collaboration, and a more constructive market backdrop contributed to Monday’s gains. While the shares remain sensitive to shifts in AI spending sentiment and macroeconomic conditions, the latest session reflected renewed confidence in Oracle’s positioning within the ongoing expansion of enterprise AI and cloud capacity.

Trading volume was elevated as the stock moved higher, consistent with broader market participation. Analysts have maintained a generally constructive view on the long-term opportunity, citing the scale of committed customer contracts and Oracle’s established enterprise relationships as supporting factors through the current investment cycle.

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

This article is intended to provide informational content and should not be viewed as an exhaustive analysis of the featured company. It should not be interpreted as personalized investment advice with regard to “Buy/Sell/Hold/Short/Long” recommendations. Financial models presented here, including DCF, rNPV, and scenario analyses, are illustrative tools based on the author’s assumptions and are highly sensitive to inputs; small changes can materially alter outputs. The predictions and opinions presented reflect a probabilistic approach, not absolute certainty. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but inadvertent errors may occur. Readers are advised to independently verify information and conduct their own research. Investing in stocks involves inherent volatility and risk. Before making any investment decisions, it is crucial for readers to conduct thorough research and assess their financial circumstances. The author is not liable for any financial losses incurred as a result of using or relying on the content of this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.