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Dear readers, As we approach yet another weekend, here are some key developments across various sectors. Nvidia has surpassed Apple to become the world’s largest company, driven by the AI boom. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates, by 25 basis points to 4.75%, the second such reduction in 2024. In the workplace, Gen Z’s approach to mental health got attention, with one employee taking a week off after a breakup. Additionally, Indian banks are expecting steady growth, despite challenges in unsecured lending. Read on for all the details! <h2>Top stories from the week </h2> Indian banks to have steady growth in earnings over next 3-4 years, fees from unsecured lending may dip, notes Jefferies report Jefferies forecasts steady earnings growth for Indian banks over the next 3–4 years, with a 13% annual loan growth rate. However, a decline in unsecured lending could reduce fee income. While net interest income is expected to grow at 12%, challenges such as rising defaults and a potential dip in rate cuts could affect profitability. Despite this, banks’ return on equity and assets remain promising. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indian-banks-to-have-steady-growth-in-earning-over-next-3-4-years-fees-from-unsecured-lending-may-dip-notes-jefferies-report/articleshow/115048179.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Nvidia becomes world’s largest company amid AI boom, surpasses Apple in the race Nvidia has surpassed Apple to become the world’s largest company by market capitalization, driven by the AI boom. The company’s strong performance is fueled by surging demand for its chips used in AI technologies. With a market cap hitting $3.43 trillion, Nvidia continues to dominate the AI hardware sector, powering data centres and AI research. The company’s revenue growth of 122% YoY further cements its leadership in the AI space. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/nvidia-becomes-worlds-largest-company-amid-ai-boom-surpasses-apple-in-the-race/articleshow/115003223.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> ‘He had a breakup and took a one-week leave’: Manager shares about his Gen-Z employee, internet reacts A manager’s tweet about granting a Gen Z employee a week off for a breakup sparked widespread debate. While the manager expressed frustration over project delays, internet users defended the employee’s mental health needs, criticizing the manager’s lack of empathy. Some supported the manager’s view, pointing out generational differences in work culture. The incident went viral, furthering discussions about Gen Z’s unique workplace expectations. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/he-had-a-breakup-and-took-a-one-week-leave-manager-shares-about-his-gen-z-employee-internet-reacts/articleshow/115041747.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> US Fed cuts interest rates by 25 bps, Powell notes Trump’s victory to have no impact on policy decisions The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.75%, the second such reduction in 2024. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized the Fed’s independence despite Trump’s criticism and suggested that the economic outlook remains uncertain, though the Fed is focused on inflation targets. Trump’s policies may lead to higher inflation, adding complexity to the Fed’s efforts to stabilize prices. Experts anticipate that bond yields will stabilize, benefiting emerging markets like India. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/us-fed-cuts-interest-rates-by-25-bps-powell-notes-trumps-victory-to-have-no-impact-on-policy-decisions/articleshow/115070690.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Big Tech’s winners and losers from Donald Trump’s win, according to the market After Donald Trump’s election victory, tech stocks surged, with companies like Tesla seeing significant gains. Tesla’s rise was fueled by Trump’s public support for CEO Elon Musk. Conversely, companies like Apple faced challenges due to fears over potential tariffs on China. While some, like Google, might benefit from lighter regulations, others like Meta could face political challenges. Overall, the election results reshaped market expectations for Big Tech’s future. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/here-are-big-techs-winners-and-losers-from-donald-trumps-win-according-to-the-market/articleshow/115067798.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Top web stories</h2> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/webstories/donald-trump-on-screen-a-look-at-his-iconic-cameos/slidelist/115045250.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Donald Trump on screen: A look at his iconic cameos</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/webstories/8-lifestyle-mistakes-contributing-to-health-problems-in-india/slidelist/115051791.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">8 lifestyle mistakes contributing to health problems in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/webstories/10-magical-indian-experiences-every-traveller-should-try/slidelist/115052527.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">10 magical Indian experiences every traveller should try</a>

Weekend wrap: Nvidia’s AI-driven surge, Indian banks’ steady growth and more

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="20138372" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lithuania" source="keywords">Lithuania</keyword> ranks as the <keyword id="23243125" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="happiest-place" source="keywords">happiest place</keyword> for those under 30, but it also has very high suicide rates.</li><li>On the surface, it seems like a paradox. But a closer look reveals a stark generational divide.</li></ul>Domantas Katelė, an official in Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security and Labour, is widely known as his country's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-sick-leave-pto-mental-health-work-from-home-2024-8">"Gen Z"</a> minister. Rings adorn Katelė's tattooed fingers, which he uses to proudly point to his "Politicians make me sick" door sign. At 25, he's the country's youngest-ever deputy minister (he still wears braces), and rarely lets visitors leave his office without taking a selfie. Katelė's portfolio includes <keyword id="20654323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youth-affairs" source="keywords">youth affairs</keyword>. "It's a golden age for the youth of Lithuania," he told Business Insider during a visit to Vilnius in August. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lithuania-happiest-country-young-people-from-local-2024-6">The World Happiness Report</a> backs up his claim, ranking <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lithuania-world-happiest-country-for-gen-z-millennials-education-2024-6">Lithuania as the happiest place in the world for those under 30</a> earlier this year. But it would be inaccurate to paint <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-lithuania-move-career-safety-progression-make-friends-2024-1">Lithuania</a> as some sort of dreamland, Katelė adds. After all, it's also Europe's <keyword id="23243126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="suicide-capital" source="keywords">suicide capital</keyword>. <h2>A paradox?</h2>Though the suicide rates have declined since its independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Lithuania still often leads the European Union in this grim statistic. Between 2019 and 2021, Lithuania had the highest rate of death by intentional self-harm in the 27-country bloc, and, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/suicide-rates.html">OECD's most recent data</a>, it had the second-highest suicide rate globally. It seems paradoxical: How can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vilnius-lithuania-happiest-gen-z-cheap-safe-fun-tech-hub-2024-9">a country be great for young people</a> while also being Europe's suicide capital? Katelė lists some of the reasons Lithuania is ranked so highly for young people — some of the<a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/digpub/housing/bloc-2b.html"> most affordable housing</a> in Europe, free education for many Lithuanians, and a growing economy providing ample job opportunities. Walking the streets of Vilnius in the summer, you'll find stylish young people wherever you look — sipping Aperol Spritzes at Old Town bars, lounging by the river in the artsy Užupis district, or skateboarding at the Baltasis Tiltas Skate Park. <div type="image" title="Užupis waterway" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113488780" hostid="261"></div>Although the city is steeped in history — some very dark and recent — it feels modern and vibrant. But when you talk to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-men-women-leisure-spending-habits-differ-report-shows-2024-9">Gen Zers</a> in Lithuania about its preeminence, the reaction is often the same: disbelief. A few said it made them laugh. "I was very surprised, and my friends who are living in Vilnius were also surprised," said Adriana Doroškevičiūtė, 23, sipping on an iced coffee at a café in the capital. "I thought we were depressed," she added. "When we receive the opposite of that, you think, what is happening?" Richard Bogu, 23, was also shocked. It's not that he thinks Lithuania is a bad place for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-people-are-developing-money-dysmorphia-2024-7">young people</a>; just that, like others, he has come to associate the country with bleakness. "We are known for being very sad people," he said, adding: "But, slowly, we're going toward being a small, happy nation." <div type="image" title="Richard Bogu sits down at a coffee table" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113488790" hostid="261"></div>Bogu said he feels optimistic about the future, especially for people his age — the tech industry, in which he works, is booming, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2210828/average-wage-in-lithuania-up-12-sodra">salaries are rising</a>, and jobs are ample. "This country gave me opportunities," he said. A key benefit is that most Lithuanians can enter the workforce unburdened by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regret-paying-off-student-debt-instead-earning-passive-income-2024-7">student debt</a>, as university education is free for many. Wages are rising rapidly, and the expanding startup sector is <a target="_blank" href="https://unicorns.lt/en/news/lithuanian-startups-are-looking-hundreds-employees-not-just-it-specialists?ref=philomaths.tech">eager to hire</a> young talent. <h2>No country for old men</h2>But while things may be looking up for the younger generation, older Lithuanians don't seem to share the same optimism. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_pw01__custom_12656014/default/table?lang=en">Eurostat's 2023 overall life satisfaction survey of those aged 65 years or over,</a> older Lithuanians are nowhere near as happy as the country's youth. This generational divide bears out in the <keyword id="21021432" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Happiness-Report" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Happiness Report" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Happiness Report">World Happiness Report</keyword>. While Lithuania ranked first for those under 30, it was 19th across all age groups, dragged down by its 44th-place ranking for those over 60. "If you don't have children or grandchildren to care for you, you're basically done," Bogu said. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirees-moving-social-security-cheaper-living-healthcare-canada-japan-mexico-2024-9#:~:text=Retirees%20are%20increasingly%20moving%20abroad,Canada%2C%20Mexico%2C%20and%20Japan.">Retirees</a> in Lithuania receive some of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.etk.fi/en/work-and-pensions-abroad/international-comparisons/pensioners-income-level-internationally/average-pensions-in-europe/">lowest pensions</a> in Europe, and have <a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tespn060/default/table?lang=en&amp;category=t_ilc.t_ilc_ip.t_ilc_pn">among the lowest median relative income</a> of older people across the European Union. Data provided to BI by Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security and Labour shows that 62% of those who died by suicide in 2023 were over 50, with 8.7% under 30. It's a far starker divide than in countries like the US or UK, pointing to a chasm between the generations. <a target="_blank" href="mailto:grizas.antanas@gmail.com">Antanas Grižas</a>, a clinical psychologist specializing in suicide prevention in Lithuania, said the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-kid-baby-boomer-parents-generational-differences-parenting-lessons-2024-4">generational divide</a> is deeply felt in the country, as well as elsewhere in the former Soviet Bloc. He told BI that economic factors, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-retirement-savings-social-security-pension-budgeting-2024-7">low retirement incomes</a>, certainly impact mental health, but that the historical context is key, too. <div type="image" title="A Soviet-era building with a sign reading &quot;Vilnius&quot; is seen in Vilnius, Lithuania on 28 July, 2024." height="684" width="1024" msid="113488788" hostid="261"></div>"The changes after the fall of the Soviet Union were very fast and drastic," he says. Those who lived through this period faced a double trauma: enduring Soviet rule and navigating the chaotic transition to an independent capitalist nation. Plus, as Grižas points out, psychiatry was sometimes politicized under <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-photos-show-life-behind-the-iron-curtain">Soviet rule,</a> with dissidents being labeled as mentally ill, which has strengthened a generational <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-hays-mental-health-vc-what-if-ventures-addiction-2024-7">stigma over mental health.</a> "The <keyword id="19919711" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gen-Z" source="keywords">Gen Z</keyword>, haven't experienced that directly, " he noted. "So it makes total sense that they have different conditioning and a different mindset." Reports like the happiness rankings are also often based on self-assessments, and Grižas suggests that comparisons may play a key part in the variation between the generations. "The younger generation can easily compare and see the progress that we as a nation made," he said. <div type="image" title="Domantas Katelė in front of his office door" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113488778" hostid="261"></div>Katelė, the "Gen Z" minister, agrees that the positive self-assessments among the youth may have been influenced by their awareness of the hardships faced by their elders. While the previous generation was deprived of luxuries, he said Gen Z can relish the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-gen-z-feels-good-about-money-inflation-jobs-2024-6">freedom to spend</a> the equivalent of $160 on dinner, to vacation abroad, and to participate in democracy. "If they take a look and think about that," he said, "it's just not possible to not be happy." Correction: September 19, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Domantas Katelė’s job title. He is a deputy minister, not a minister.

Lithuania is the world's happiest place for under 30s, but it's also Europe's suicide capital

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lithuania topped the World Happiness Report for people under 30, surprising some locals.</li><li>But many Gen Z Lithuanians agree that its capital, Vilnius, is a great place to live.</li></ul>When Lithuania <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lithuania-world-happiest-country-for-gen-z-millennials-education-2024-6">topped the World Happiness Report</a> ranking for people under 30 earlier this year, it came as a bit of a shock — even for those who live there."It was a surprise," said Valdas Benkuskas, the mayor of its capital, Vilnius, when Business Insider visited in August.But, he added: "We who are living here, we know what a wonderful city it is."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-moved-to-lithuania-from-us-life-more-stable-balanced-2024-8">Vilnius</a> is Lithuania's most vibrant and populous municipality, a Baltic city of thousands of students, tech start-ups, and greenery. And it has increasingly looked at ways to tailor itself to younger generations.<div type="image" title="Vilnius aerial view with hot air balloons over the top" height="1414" width="2121" msid="113455165" hostid="261" sizebytes="639984"></div>Benkuskas, an older millennial himself, says he's on a mission to attract young professionals from abroad to come and live in Vilnius, and believes that just one visit to the city will be enough to show its appeal."If you spend a week or more here, you can understand that we have a lot of advantages compared with other European cities," he said.<h2 id="547eafc0-acb8-4b87-8296-cc0eee1e34ec">Small city, big advantages</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lithuania-happiest-country-young-people-2024-3">The World Happiness Report</a> ranks countries based on a survey conducted by Gallup, where respondents evaluate the quality of their lives.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lithuania-world-happiest-country-for-gen-z-millennials-education-2024-6">Lithuania's under-30s</a> rated themselves 7.76 out of 10, notably higher than their US counterparts (6.392), with locals citing factors to BI such as low rent, free education, and a vibrant nightlife.Ignas Kazlauskas, a 28-year-old who runs a sustainable architecture firm and previously lived in the UK, told BI that Vilnius holds its own against other European capitals.Vilnius offers a stark contrast to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-things-to-do-london-england-what-to-skip-2024-1">London's hustle and bustle,</a> he said — less densely populated, not overwhelmed by tourists, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/daviz/percentage-of-total-green-infrastructure#tab-googlechartid_chart_11">about half the city</a> is made up of green spaces."The city is pretty laid-back, which is nice," he added, sipping a filter coffee at a trendy Old Town café where other patrons sat reading in the sun-drenched courtyard.For a capital city, it's relatively small — about the size of Denver, which means that everything is within easy reach."You can basically walk across the whole center of Vilnius in half an hour," Kazlauskas said.<div type="image" title="Ignas" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113455183" hostid="261" sizebytes="706564"></div>The city's 90-or-so lakes, ideal for kayaking, and some of the largest forests in the country are also nearby. When the weather allows, Kazlauskas pilots a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hot-air-balloons-so-expensive-2024-1">hot air balloon</a> as a hobby."People are definitely much happier when they can spend time outdoors and relieve the stress of work, relationships, or whatever," he said.<h2 id="abbe48bb-9ff2-40d6-b100-e1a25defba95">Immigrant inflow</h2>For decades, organized crime and a struggling economy led hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians, especially the young, to move abroad. However, many are coming back, with returning Lithuanians <a target="_blank" href="https://123.emn.lt/en/#immigration">representing a quarter of all immigrants</a> last year.Tens of thousands of immigrants from outside the EU, many from Ukraine and Belarus, are also moving to a transformed Vilnius. The mayor and Lithuania's tourism board want others to follow suit.Part of their pitch is that Vilnius, despite rising housing costs, still remains one of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-find-cheap-accommodation-europe-without-staying-in-hostel-2023-7">Europe's most affordable capitals</a> in which to rent.<a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/prc_colc_rents__custom_12695593/default/table?lang=en">According to Eurostat</a>, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Vilnius in 2023 was equivalent to $876 — almost half the price of Berlin and about a third the price of London.It can be even cheaper for students. 20-year-old Ričardas Pranculis pays only €65 a month, or about $94, for student accommodation.Even on a student budget, he said he doesn't struggle to make ends meet. "I like living here," he added. "Wages have been increasing, more young people can work and earn money, so more people can try different hobbies."<div type="image" title="Ričardas Pranculis in a park" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113455163" hostid="261" sizebytes="2323342"></div>According to an affordability index by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jura.lt/en/news/11934-study-reveals-the-most-affordable-european-capitals-to-live-in-bucharest-tops-list">personal finance website Finasvalp,</a> Vilnius is the fourth most affordable capital in Europe.Elizabeth Avgusta, 24, a senior fund accountant from Indonesia who moved to Vilnius four years ago, said her salary goes a long way.She told BI that it's easy to find meals for under 10 euros, or about $11, though the city also offers plenty of upscale dining options, including four <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michelin-star-chef-paul-liebrandt-rates-fine-dining-in-movies-2024-6">Michelin-starred restaurants.</a><div type="image" title="Adriana Doroškevičiūtė and Elizabeth Avgusta by a fountain" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113455170" hostid="261" sizebytes="2633294"></div>She also said she appreciates how inexpensive and convenient it is to travel from Vilnius. The airport is just a 15-minute drive away from the center, and several budget airlines operate from the city. With many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-lesser-known-european-travel-destinations-from-frequent-traveler">European destinations</a> in easy reach, Vilnius is an ideal base.Avgusta said she's considering <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/london-things-never-do-there-from-local">a trip to London</a> soon, having found round-trip flights for 30 euros. And her colleague, Adriana Doroškevičiūtė, 23, had just booked a cheap <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/berlin-travel-guide-germany-trip">trip to Berlin.</a>But Doroškevičiūtė says that even when traveling, she finds herself longing for Vilnius."Whenever I travel, I always want to come back," she said, describing Vilnius — her hometown — as a city that's comfortable to live in and full of things to do.<div type="image" title="Goda Ponomariovaitė stands by a skate park" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113455174" hostid="261" sizebytes="672792"></div>Outside a food hall beside the Baltasis Tiltas, or White Bridge, 22-year-old Goda Ponomariovaitė looks for a place to sit.The area, a vast green space, is teeming with young people — blasting music at the skate park, shooting hoops, and playing beach volleyball on a patch of fake sand.On a sunny day in August, LA's Venice Beach comes to mind. It's also all free to use, probably why it has become such a popular hangout for the city's youth.<div type="image" title="View of the city from the baltasis tiltas" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113455177" hostid="261" sizebytes="1776256"></div>According to Ponomariovaitė, Vilnius has plenty of free or affordable hangout spots. One of her favorites is a former prison, transformed into a vibrant cultural center.It attracts artists and aspiring musicians and regularly hosts free concerts and film screenings."We have so, so many bars and nightclubs," Ponomariovaitė said.However, she says that what sets Vilnius apart from other cities she lived in, like Amsterdam, is how safe it feels."It's very safe, especially for women, to be in Vilnius and Lithuania at night,' she said. "If you are walking, you don't need to worry that somebody will kidnap you or something."On an evening in mid-August, youthful <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/types-of-influencers-on-social-media-micro-macro-nano-classification-2020-1">influencer types</a> lined up outside trendy restaurants, while bars overflowed onto the cobbled streets with businesspeople clinking beer glasses. Meanwhile, an older crowd dispersed after attending a free show in the town square.Vilnius is trying to offer something for everyone — or, as the mayor confidently puts it, everything for anyone."You can find here everything you need for a high quality of life," he added, "and that makes the city attractive."

Vilnius is cheap, safe, and fun — no wonder it's the world's happiness capital for Gen Z

Domestic <keyword id="19910265" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gold-prices" source="keywords">gold prices</keyword> have risen by 10% on a year-to-date basis on the back of the strength in global gold prices, which have surged by 18% year-to-date, driven by robust <keyword id="19894998" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-bank" source="keywords">central bank</keyword> purchases, heightened geopolitical risks, and growing expectations of a monetary policy pivot from the <keyword id="19901377" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="us-federal-reserve" source="keywords">US Federal Reserve</keyword>, according to the <keyword id="20195223" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Gold-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Gold Council" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="World Gold Council">World Gold Council</keyword>. The reduction in <keyword id="20069572" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="import-duty" source="keywords">import duty</keyword> has ignited a resurgence in gold demand across <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>. Reports from the recently concluded India International Jewellery Show indicate a substantial increase in order bookings from retailers, particularly in preparation for the upcoming festive and wedding season. Manufacturers have noted that in some cases, orders have reached levels not seen in several years, underscoring the strong buying interest among <keyword id="21595593" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jewellery-retailers" source="keywords">jewellery retailers</keyword> and consumers alike. The trend of bar and coin buying has also remained robust, with both consumers and jewellers capitalizing on the more attractive prices to stock up for future manufacturing needs. Historical analysis suggests that Indian consumer demand, encompassing jewellery and bar and coin demand, could see an additional 50 tonnes or more in the second half of 2024. This potential increase is fueled by a combination of an initial boost in consumer appetite due to the more attractive prices and a longer-term alignment of local prices with international rates. In a notable shift, domestic gold prices, which had been trading at a discount to international prices for five consecutive months, have now started trading at a premium following the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> announcement. The discount had widened significantly in July, reaching a peak of around $80 per ounce in the third week of the month, driven by subdued demand and an increased supply of gold through various preferential trade agreements and unofficial channels. However, wholesalers who had inventory purchased under the old customs duty regime began selling gold at a premium to the landed cost to mitigate their losses, further supported by increased consumer demand. While the premiums have moderated recently, from $28 per ounce to around USD 5 per ounce, this shift highlights the changing market sentiment and the impact of rising international gold prices and potential inventory valuation adjustments. The changes introduced in the Union Budget, including a reduction in the long-term investment holding period and a lower tax rate, have made gold ETFs a more attractive investment option. Data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) reveals that net inflows into gold ETFs in July amounted to Rs 13.4 billion (approximately USD 160 million), marking the highest monthly inflows since February 2020 and an 84% increase compared to June 2024. Despite these inflows, the total assets under management (AUM) for Indian gold ETFs grew marginally by 0.3% from the previous month, reaching Rs 345 billion ($4.1 billion). This modest increase can be attributed to the 8 % fall in domestic gold prices following the import duty reduction. Year-to-date, net inflows into Indian gold ETFs have totalled Rs 45 billion ($543 million), with total AUMs rising by 48 % from a year ago. The <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) has continued its gold purchasing trend, although at a slower pace following a significant increase in June, when purchases reached 9.3 tonnes--the highest monthly total in nearly two years. Year-to-date, the RBI's gold acquisitions have totaled 44.3 tonnes, surpassing the total purchases of the past two years combined. The RBI's gold reserves have now reached a record 849 tonnes, representing 8.8% of total foreign reserves, compared to 7.5 % a year ago. In July, gold imports remained steady at $3.1 billion, maintaining the stable trend observed over the previous three months. Between April and July, imports averaged $3.2 billion, with volumes ranging between 43 and 47 tonnes during this period. The gold import bill for July 2024 was 11 % lower than the previous year, with an estimated 26% decrease in volume terms, around 47 tonnes. Despite a surge in international gold prices, domestic gold prices in India have experienced a notable decline, primarily due to the 9 % reduction in import duty announced in the Union Budget 2024-25. This policy change has led to a 6% decrease in the landed cost of gold, marking a shift in the domestic gold market dynamics.

Domestic gold prices surge 10% amid global price rally, central bank buying: World Gold Council

The overall size of the budget has remained almost unchanged from the interim one presented in February, indicating the government's strong commitment to move along the <keyword id="20099794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fiscal-prudence" source="keywords">fiscal prudence</keyword> path, said experts on Tuesday. According to the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the total expenditure in Budget Estimates (BE) 2024-25 is estimated at Rs 48,20,512 crore of which total <keyword id="20018917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="capital-expenditure" source="keywords">capital expenditure</keyword> is Rs 11,11,111 crore. The total expenditure in the Interim Budget presented in February was estimated at Rs 47,65,768 crore of which total capital expenditure was Rs 11.11 lakh crore. Debadatta Chand, Managing Director &amp; CEO, <keyword id="19920717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bank-of-Baroda" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bank of Baroda" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bank of Baroda">Bank of Baroda</keyword>, said the Union Budget complements the main takeaways from the Economic Survey and focusses clearly on medium term development of the economy. "The overall size of the budget has remained almost unchanged from the interim one. The budget has shown strong intent on moving along the fiscal prudence path and targeted the <keyword id="19942084" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fiscal-deficit" source="keywords">fiscal deficit</keyword> at 4.9 per cent for the year," he said. The said action will keep the growth steady as well as robust not only for economy but also banking. Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, ICRA Limited, said the budget has kept the capital expenditure unchanged and pared the fiscal deficit to 4.9 per cent of GDP. "The anticipated reiteration of the reduction in the fiscal deficit to below 4.5 per cent of GDP in FY2026 is welcome. Interestingly, the new medium term fiscal consolidation path has been linked to a reduction in the debt/GDP ratio instead of continued compression of the fiscal deficit/GDP ratio," she said. Buoyed by improvement in revenue collection, the government has lowered fiscal deficit target to 4.9 per cent for the current <keyword id="19910979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-year" source="keywords">financial year</keyword> as against 5.1 per cent estimated in February's interim budget. Ranen Banerjee, Partner and Leader Economic Advisory, PwC India, said that fiscal prudence is the highlight of the full Union Budget 2024-25. The government has gone with realistic projections on its revenue and expenditure estimates and refrained from announcing overly populist measures. "The majority of the allocations, including the capex allocation, are as outlined in the interim budget, thus providing continuity. The capex being kept at INR 11.11 trillion was expected, given that the ability to consume this allocation is limited due to disruption from the elections in the first quarter and the second quarter being typically slowed down by the monsoons," Banerjee said. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) President Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal said the government has announced five schemes to facilitate employment and skilling for 4.1 crore youth over the next five years with a central outlay of Rs 2 lakh crore. "This is a welcome step that will create a skilled workforce to address the existing deficit and generate <keyword id="19972727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment-opportunities" source="keywords">employment opportunities</keyword>. Additionally, financial support for loans up to Rs 10 lakh for higher education will help students pursue higher education and acquire skills," he added. Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals of ICAI (IIIPI) Chairman Ashok Haldia said the budget proposals for an integrated technology platform and sprucing up NCLT infrastructure will provide a fillip to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) regime. IIIPI is promoted by ICAI. Meanwhile, Kumarmangalam Vijay, Partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors, opined that in its new avatar, it seems that the Modi government is keen to deliver on its promise of 'ease of doing business'. "Its focus on making it simpler is evident from the abolition of the angel tax, the increase in new income tax regime thresholds, new Vivad se Vishwas Scheme 2024 for the resolution of pending cases and the increase in the threshold for appeal by tax departments at various levels, decriminalising the non-reporting of shares received from non-resident employers and reducing the period for re-opening of the cases," Vijay said. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) said there has been a focus on the manufacturing sector in the budget. Measures have been taken for simplifying the FDI/ODI rules and regulations, and the <keyword id="21847964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-regimes" source="keywords">tax regimes</keyword>. The enhanced Mudra loan limit and the abolition of angel tax are all set to incentivize the startup and MSME ecosystem of the country. "The nine priorities identified in this progressive and inclusive budget 2024 are aimed at generating ample opportunities for all. Besides agricultural reforms, the budget focuses on skilling, educating and employing the youth, a priority that the ICSI has been concentrating on," said ICSI President B Narasimhan. Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said the government's continued emphasis on infrastructure development is commendable. Enhanced road infrastructure will bolster the travel and tourism sector. "We also welcome the initiatives to develop iconic spiritual and cultural sites into world-class tourist hotspots," Magow said. Furthermore, he said the provision of credit for TCS against income tax under 'Income from Salaries' is logical and will provide much-desired relief to taxpayers who travel internationally.

Budget size almost unchanged from interim, shows govt's commitment to fiscal prudence: Experts

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump Jr. will not take on a White House role, opting instead for the VC firm 1789 Capital.</li><li>The firm, co-founded by Omeed Malik, funds conservative causes like Tucker Carlson's media venture.</li></ul>The venture capital firm that Donald Trump Jr. is reportedly joining eschews investments that push social and environmental issues and instead focuses on what it calls "EIG," or entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth.The Palm Beach, Florida-based firm, called 1789 Capital — the US constitution went into effect that year — has invested in Tucker Carlson's new conservative media venture, Substack, and BlinkRx, a prescription startup.The president-elect's eldest son — who had an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-family-then-and-now-photos-2024-11">active role in Donald Trump's presidential campaign</a> and is now on his transition team — told a group of supporters at a conference earlier this week that he would be joining 1789 as a partner, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/us/donald-trump-jr-firm.html">The New York Times first reported</a>. Several people with knowledge of the matter also told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-12/don-trump-jr-opts-out-of-white-house-to-join-1789-capital?cmpid=BBD111224_MKTDLY&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_term=241112&amp;utm_campaign=marketsdaily&amp;embedded-checkout=true">Bloomberg</a> of Trump Jr.'s plans.The firm was co-founded in 2022 by Omeed Malik — a former Bank of America executive who also founded boutique investment bank Farvahar Partners — alongside author and investor Christopher Buskirk.Malik, who once <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-guilty-verdict-donors-backing-conviction-2024-5">co-hosted a Trump fundraiser that raised more than $10 million</a>, serves as the firm's president and Buskirk as its chief investment officer, according to its website. Both Buskirk and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-political-contributions-by-name-for-trump-vs-harris-2024-8#omeed-malik-10">Malik donated to Trump's</a> 2024 presidential campaign, the Republican National Committee, as well as to other conservative causes and candidates, according to political donation <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=omeed+malik&amp;order=desc&amp;sort=D">records</a>.The firm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.1789capital.io/">bills itself</a> as "anti-ESG" — an acronym for companies that say they commit to certain environmental, social justice, and corporate governance-focused principles. One of 1789's areas of interest is in companies or industries that have faced negative effects of ESG, its website says. It also focuses on what it calls deglobalization, building out an economy that is parallel to the traditional one, and disrupting industries it deems weighed down by excessive bureaucracy. Like 1789 Capital, Trump Jr. has long been a proponent of the parallel economy, also called the "patriot economy," a term used by MAGA conservatives to refer to businesses that align with their traditional values.And Trump Jr.'s connection to Malik, the president of 1789 Capital, includes the pair's mutual support of a parallel economy platform called PublicSquare.Both <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/6317479/bud-light-boycott-maga-economy-donald-trump-jr/">Malik</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/maga-amazon-alternative-publicsquare-rcna127418">Trump Jr.</a> have been investors in and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.publicsquare.com/events/town-hall">vocal supporters</a> of PublicSquare, an online shopping marketplace similar to Amazon that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://investors.publicsq.com/overview/default.aspx#:~:text=Corporate%20Overview,both%20consumers%20and%20business%20owners.">bills itself as a place to connect</a> Americans to "businesses that value life, family, and freedom." In order to use the platform, businesses have to commit to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://support.publicsquare.com/en/articles/6746843-what-values-do-the-businesses-on-publicsquare-have-to-share">PublicSquare's core values</a>, which include the "sanctity of every life," "the family unit," "freedom and truth," and adherence to the US Constitution.Malik and Trump Jr. together rang the New York Stock Exchange's ceremonial opening bell on the day the company went public in 2023, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/6317479/bud-light-boycott-maga-economy-donald-trump-jr/">Time Magazine reported</a> at the time. Malik didn't return a request for comment from BI.As for 1789 Capital's own investments, the firm has contributed $15 million to the Tucker Carlson Network, the conservative commentator and former <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tucker-carlson-raise-millions-new-media-company-neil-patel-report-2023-7">Fox News host's new media venture</a>, according to VC database PitchBook.On its website, the firm doesn't tout its specific investments but does offer a broad list of industries it's interested in, including consumer, fintech, healthcare, B2B SaaS, tech-enabled services, software, infrastructure, energy, and special situations.Representatives for Trump Jr. through the Trump Organization and the Trump transition team didn't respond to a request for comment from BI. Buskirk also didn't respond to requests for comment from BI, nor did the company's chief operating officer, Jordan Cohen.

This is the anti-ESG venture capital firm that Donald Trump Jr. is joining instead of taking a White House role

Mumbai: The rupee slipped 1 paisa to an all-time low of 84.40 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, as persistent <keyword id="20520117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-fund-outflows" source="keywords">foreign fund outflows</keyword> and a muted trend in domestic equities weighed on the local unit. Forex traders said the USDINR pair has shown significant volatility in recent sessions, with the rupee inching closer to its all-time low of 84.40. This downward pressure is largely driven by global factors, particularly the Dollar Index's strengthening. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 84.40 against the greenback, registering a fall of 1 paisa over its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee fell 1 paisa to a new lifetime low of 84.39 against the US dollar. "It appears that the rupee has established support around the current levels, with depreciation limited near 84.50," CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said. Pabari further added that the RBI stands tall as the depreciation in the rupee seems to be limited as the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) continues to sell the dollars to protect the sharp depreciation. "For the 5th consecutive week, India's forex reserves declined, possibly due to RBI selling the dollars. Currently, the forex reserves of India stand at USD 682 billion down from the recent all-time high of USD 704 billion," he said. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading lower by 0.04 per cent at 105.98. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.25 per cent to USD 72.07 per barrel in futures trade. On the domestic equity market front, Sensex was trading 210.66 points, or 0.27 per cent lower, to 78,464.52 points. The Nifty fell 100.45 points, or 0.42 per cent, to 23,783.00 points. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Tuesday, as they offloaded shares worth Rs 3,024.31 crore, according to exchange data. On the macroeconomic front, retail inflation breached the Reserve Bank's upper tolerance level, soaring to a 14-month high of 6.21 per cent in October mainly on account of rising food prices. Inflation based on the consumer price index (CPI) was 5.49 per cent in September and 4.87 per cent in the year-ago month. India's industrial production expanded by 3.1 per cent in September after recording a contraction in the preceding month, as all three major segments -- mining, manufacturing, and power generation -- showed improvement. However, the growth in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) during the month was lower than 6.4 per cent registered in September 2023.

Rupee falls 1 paisa to all-time low of 84.40 against US dollar in early trade

India's GDP growth is projected at 7.2 per cent in 2024-25, around 7 per cent in the next fiscal, and after that, there is a strong likelihood that the growth will revert to the 8 per cent trend, said <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> deputy governor <keyword id="20244361" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Michael-Debabrata-Patra" source="keywords">Michael Debabrata Patra</keyword>. He was speaking at the New York Fed Central Banking Seminar organised by the <keyword id="20238413" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Federal-Reserve-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Federal Reserve Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Federal Reserve Bank">Federal Reserve Bank</keyword> here on Monday. "...I do believe with all the strength of my conviction that India's time has come," he said, and highlighted the country heads into its future with the youngest population in the world with a median age of 28 years. Unlike in many parts of the world, the working age population is growing -- every sixth working age person is an Indian. Patra said that since independence in 1947, India's growth path has undergone three structural shifts with trend growth, having risen to 7 per cent during 2002-2019. After the severe contraction during the pandemic, a new growth trajectory averaging 8 per cent seems to be forming during 2021-24, he said. India is now regarded as the fastest growing major economy in the world. Already the fifth largest economy in terms of market exchange rates, it is poised to become the third largest economy by 2030, the senior RBI official said and added the country is already the third largest economy in terms of <keyword id="20776921" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="purchasing-power-parity" source="keywords">purchasing power parity</keyword>. "Our projections show that India's <keyword id="21013593" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-GDP-growth" source="keywords">real GDP growth</keyword> will be 7.2 per cent in 2024-25 and around 7.0 per cent in 2025-26 in a cyclical correction to the rebound from the pandemic. Thereafter, there is a strong likelihood that India's growth will revert to the 8 per cent trend," Patra said. On inflation, he said it is projected to average 4.5 per cent in 2024-25 and 4.1 per cent in 2025-26. Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation fell below target during July-August but rose to 5.5 per cent in September on the back of a pickup in price momentum in some food items and adverse base effects inherent in year-on-year measurement. "Our projection indicates that these price pressures will persist in October and November before headline inflation realigns with the target from December 2024 and remains aligned in 2025-26," the deputy governor said. He also emphasised that India is emerging as a world leader in leveraging <keyword id="20181895" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-technologies" source="keywords">digital technologies</keyword> for transformative change.

India likely to grow at 7.2% in FY25, says RBI deputy governor

<keyword id="19991358" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-markets" source="keywords">Indian markets</keyword> are navigating choppy waters as global economic shifts, from rate cuts to evolving political climates, create new pressure points across the financial landscape, according to a recent report by ANI attributed originally to the Union Bank of India. The domestic stock and bond markets showed signs of strain, with <keyword id="19910363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bond-yields" source="keywords">bond yields</keyword> witnessing slight adjustments. India’s 10-year government bond yield dipped to 6.82%, a decrease from the previous session, reflecting cautious investor sentiment as the markets react to shifting global indicators. Meanwhile, the 5-year bond yield remained steady at 6.76%, a signal of lingering hesitation amid economic unpredictability. In the currency market, the rupee faced a notable decline, ending the day at ₹84.3725 against the US dollar, slipping from its prior close of ₹84.2800. Market analysts point to significant capital outflows as a key factor, with investors moving funds to perceived safer assets overseas. This migration has weighed heavily on the rupee, underlining the currency’s vulnerability in an environment of global economic flux. India’s stock market bore the brunt of this volatility, with key indices falling over 1%, effectively erasing the gains of a previous rally. This abrupt drop reportedly reflects renewed investor anxiety, largely triggered by the recent <keyword id="20189882" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-presidential-election" source="keywords">US presidential election</keyword> results. Experts suggest that the election has introduced a fresh layer of uncertainty, not only for the US economy but for global markets, impacting everything from policy decisions to investor sentiment. Analysts are also keeping a close eye on upcoming decisions by central banks, which will likely shape the path forward for the Indian equities market. Commodities showed contrasting trends, with Brent crude prices falling on lower demand expectations, as economic indicators point toward cautious spending globally. Gold, on the other hand, experienced a modest rise as investors sought refuge in safe-haven assets, highlighting a shift towards risk aversion among market participants. Globally, major central banks made coordinated efforts to sustain economic growth, with the Bank of England (BoE) announcing a 25 basis-point cut, lowering its benchmark rate to 4.75%. The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) largely backed this move to counter inflation, which has been declining, albeit gradually. Across the Atlantic, the US Federal Reserve mirrored this action with its own 25 basis-point cut, a sign of confidence in the ongoing economic recovery. Both rate cuts, though modest, signal a global trend towards caution as economies work to balance growth with stability. In Asia, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) maintained its supportive stance. Governor Pan Gongsheng sought to reassure foreign investors by reaffirming the PBoC’s commitment to growth-oriented policies. Pan emphasized enhanced communication and pledged to open China’s financial services sector further, aiming to attract more international participants. Europe, meanwhile, faced mixed economic signals. Germany reported a steep 2.5% drop in industrial production in September, signalling a slowdown in manufacturing, while the Eurozone saw a mild 0.5% rise in retail sales, reflecting cautious consumer optimism in the region. Adding another layer to the global economic landscape, the European Union’s Climate Change Service warned that 2024 could be the hottest year on record, underscoring urgent climate challenges just as the UN COP29 climate summit approaches. The summit, set to take place in Azerbaijan, aims to rally increased funding for climate action, though tempered expectations linger in light of recent US political shifts. On the domestic front, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam spoke about India’s potential role in pivotal global trade agreements, specifically the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). These partnerships, Subrahmanyam suggested, could bolster India’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, which currently accounts for 40% of India’s exports, offering a strategic advantage for Indian trade in an interconnected world. As the Indian markets digest these developments, experts believe continued volatility could be the theme for the coming months. (with ANI inputs)

Indian markets under pressure as global rate cuts stir uncertainty, new report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>PowerSchool sells student data without parents' informed consent, a federal lawsuit alleges.</li><li>The edtech giant calls the lawsuit's allegations "unfounded and inaccurate."</li></ul>It's been 10 years since Emily Cherkin helped her son log onto a school computer on his first day of Kindergarten."He can't even write his name. Why am I teaching a five-year-old control-alt-delete?" she remembers asking herself.Cherkin, a Seattle mother of two, former teacher, and author of the new parenting guide <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=emily+cherkin+the+screentime+solution&amp;rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS1094US1095&amp;oq=emily+cherkin+the+screentime+solution&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigATIHCAYQIRirAtIBCTEwMzY5ajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">"The Screentime Solution,"</a> is now the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that alleges the education technology giant PowerSchool is selling student data, including health and disciplinary records, to its third-party "partners," and doing so without the informed consent of kids or parents.The lawsuit, filed in May in federal court in San Francisco, takes on the world's largest provider of cloud-based software for K-12 schools.PowerSchool, based in Folsom, California, manages data and crunches it into what it calls "analytics and insights" for more than 60 million students and their educators, including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.powerschool.com/global/north-america/united-states/">at 90 of the top 100 US school systems by enrollment size</a>.Boston-based private equity firm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rak-garg-bain-capital-ventures-youngest-partner-2024-7">Bain Capital</a> acquired PowerSchool for $5.6 billion in a deal finalized October 1. PowerSchool <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.powerschool.com/bain-capital/#:~:text=(%E2%80%9CPowerSchool%E2%80%9D%20or%20the%20%E2%80%9C,value%20of%20approximately%20%245.6%20billion.">CEO Hardeep Gulati said</a> the merger will help the company expand its award-winning products, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.powerschool.com/powerschool-ai/powerbuddy/?utm_id=ps00032&amp;utm_campaign=powerschool_powerbuddy_paid-search__pkg00035&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=paid-search&amp;utm_content=text-only&amp;_bk=powerbuddy&amp;_bt=702266406463&amp;_bm=e&amp;_bn=g&amp;_bg=161909434485&amp;cq_plac=&amp;cq_net=g&amp;cq_pos=&amp;cq_med=&amp;cq_plt=gp&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwsoe5BhDiARIsAOXVoUucdfp2kkZDiwXnqSDBRfimw6rztJoPhTxmV5nwd8F7Y9ZtUlGzj3IaAqMIEALw_wcB">PowerBuddy,</a> its new generative AI platform.With two parents and their children as sole plaintiffs, the Cherkin lawsuit may seem a small effort by comparison, but it's throwing big rocks.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25260275-cherkin-v-powerschool-complaint-20240506">The lawsuit</a> caps Cherkin's decade of concern about children and screen time. It calls PowerSchool a "multibillion-dollar surveillance-technology empire." It demands that the company pay back untold millions of dollars earned by selling student data "products" to more than 100 of its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.powerschool.com/company/partners/">partners</a>, including educational consulting firms and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25259171-powerschool-guide-to-p20w">government policymakers</a>.One partner, an educational consulting firm, offers marketing guidance to colleges, trade schools, and the military based on data from the 6 million high school students who use PowerSchool's Naviance college-planning software, the lawsuit alleges."PowerSchool collects this highly sensitive information under the guise of educational support," the lawsuit alleges, "but in fact collects it for its own commercial gain," while hiding behind "opaque terms of service such that no one can understand."PowerSchool is throwing big rocks back.The days of "spiral-bound grading books" are long over, the edtech company's lawyers counter in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25260257-cherkin-v-powerschool-motion-to-dismiss-20240722">a motion to dismiss</a> filed in July.The motion argues that PowerSchools is legally allowed to collect data voluntarily submitted by students and administrators, along with metadata about "unique device identifiers," IP addresses, and "cookie data."PowerSchool also argues that it "adequately discloses" what data it collects.PowerSchool spokesman Austin Zerbach told BI that no PowerSchool product sells any form of student data. "PowerSchool does not endorse or support any use of student educational records other than as agreed to by our customers, the schools and districts controlling the student education record, nor do we conduct targeted advertising with personal data of students," PowerSchool spokesman Zerbach said in a written statement.<h2 id="d912114d-9964-433f-80b6-1ed9123210db">A 345-terabyte trove of data</h2>The information PowerSchool collects from students is "virtually unlimited," the lawsuit says.It lists more than 50 kinds of data that PowerSchool says in public disclosures it "may" collect, including "extracurricular program membership" and "student assessments."<div type="image" title="Categories of data PowerSchool public disclosures mention the edtech company &quot;may&quot; collect." height="1076" width="766" msid="114945245" hostid="261" sizebytes="23708"></div>PowerSchool also tells users it may collect "student behavior data" and information about "physical and mental disabilities," according to the lawsuit.PowerSchool's "data trove" totals some "345 terabytes of data collected from 440 school districts," and includes information from nearly 20 edtech companies it has acquired since 2015, including Schoololgy and Kickboard, a "student behavior management and reporting program," the lawsuit alleges.What's done with the data?The lawsuit alleges that in addition to being aggregated into lucrative analytics "products" for third parties, it's used to "train its AI technologies," including a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.powerschool.com/powerschool-ai/powerbuddy/?utm_id=ps00032&amp;utm_campaign=powerschool_powerbuddy_paid-search__pkg00035&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=paid-search&amp;utm_content=text-only&amp;_bk=powerschool%20powerbuddy&amp;_bt=702266406463&amp;_bm=e&amp;_bn=g&amp;_bg=161909434485&amp;cq_plac=&amp;cq_net=g&amp;cq_pos=&amp;cq_med=&amp;cq_plt=gp&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw-JG5BhBZEiwAt7JR6wXcuxvpa0vkLTae4QJjMPAdsAXLaqF5-fArp6Ea0cuLbThmuvw7YBoCCiwQAvD_BwE">PowerBuddy</a> chatbot marketed not only to educators but to "state officials" for the purpose of "workforce planning," the lawsuit alleges.<div type="image" title="PowerSchool also publicly discloses that it may collect &quot;student behavior data&quot; and records of &quot;physical and mental disabilities,&quot; the Cherkin lawsuit alleges." height="1512" width="822" msid="114945247" hostid="261" sizebytes="38602"></div><h2 id="58f65212-0185-4112-b583-39eb1ada3ba6">The data is anonymized</h2>The data shared with third parties is anonymized, but the lawsuit raises concerns that it is so "granular" that it can be reverse-engineered to identify individual students."There are data brokers — they're called identity-resolution companies — that collect information from internet users, re-identify the data, and then sell it," said attorney Julie Liddell, whose Austin, Texas-based <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://edtech.law/about-us/">EdTech Law Center </a>represents Cherkin in the suit.Technology can easily re-identify anonymized student data, said Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, where he focuses on privacy, surveillance, and technology issues."A generation ago, the most private student data was kept in a locked steel file cabinet in the principal's office, and it was very hard to share that information," Marlow said. "Nowadays the ability to share and reshare that data can be as easy as pressing a key on a keyboard."<div type="image" title="PowerSchool's marketing of student data systems to state government agencies." height="2394" width="1955" msid="114945234" hostid="261" sizebytes="89902"></div>Among the "products" PowerSchool offers educators, policymakers, and government agencies is its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.powerschool.com/college-career-and-life-readiness-cloud/connected-intelligence-p20w/">"P20W Cradle-to-Career State Data Systems."</a>Its data is touted as "longitudinal," captured from the same students from K-12 through post-secondary education and into the workforce.<div type="image" title="PowerSchool markets &quot;efficient access to both historical and current data&quot; from students to government agencies." height="1486" width="1744" msid="114945238" hostid="261" sizebytes="109230"></div>"It's telling state and local governments, 'You will not get a more robust picture of children, starting from their earliest days,'" said Liddell."And this is not just for educational services," she told BI. "It's for workforce planning, for healthcare planning, for juvenile justice and law enforcement planning," she said.PowerSchool's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, including on grounds that it misapplies the law and fails to state "actual damages," will be argued in San Francisco on Thursday before US District Judge James Donato."The claims made in the complaint are unfounded and inaccurate," Zerbach, the PowerSchool spokesman, told BI.The company "strictly and proactively follows all legal, regulatory, and voluntary requirements for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.powerschool.com/privacy/">protecting student privacy</a>," the statement said, pointing to PowerSchool's online "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.powerschool.com/blog/commitment-to-protecting-student-data-privacy/">commitment to protecting student data privacy.</a>""No PowerSchool product, including Connected Intelligence P20W, sells any form of student data," the spokesman said. "Connected Intelligence P20W provides a unified, secure, and integrated platform for education and government agencies to securely unify, integrate, and access their own source system data in a state-specific data cloud. As with all PowerSchool products, only authorized users have data access with stringent data governance as defined by the state agency. "PowerSchool began selling software to help schools track grades, attendance, and enrollment in 1996.Apple purchased the company for $62 million in 2001, then sold it to Vista Equity Partners in 2015. Vista Equity retains a minority investment stake, as does Onex Partners, according to PowerSchool's Bain merger announcement.When the deal closed on October 1, shares of the edtech leader, which had been trading as PWSC, were delisted from the NYSE.The Bain-PowerSchool deal comes on the heels of global investment firm KKR &amp; Co. Inc's $4.8 billion acquisition of the Salt Lake City-based edtech firm Instructure Holdings, Inc., <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/instructure-to-be-acquired-by-kkr-for-4-8-billion-302206622.html">announced in July.</a>"It's unsurprising that private equity firms are increasingly interested in acquiring companies that have access to troves of highly valuable data," Liddell told BI.As a private company, "they will no longer be legally bound to make even the minimum disclosures required by a public company," she said.A spokesperson for Bain Capital did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

A lawsuit accuses Bain Capital's PowerSchool of trafficking in student data. The edtech giant says everything it does is legal.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Inflation has come down from pandemic highs, but one economist isn't expecting a return to 2%.</li><li>Rate cuts and other changes in the economy point to 3%+ long-term inflation, says Steven Blitz.</li></ul>For the last decade or so, the Federal Reserve's magic number for inflation has been 2%.The central bank has been aiming to keep the long-run inflation rate at this level to maintain stable prices and a healthy economy.And after the runaway prices of the pandemic era, it seems like the Fed is drawing closer to its 2% goal: the inflation rate was 2.4% for the 12-month period ending in September.However, don't count on a return to the 2% era, said Steven Blitz, chief economist at business intelligence firm GlobalData. Blitz believes the economy is on track for higher, not lower, long-term inflation."I think inflation is going to settle around 3%, 3.5%," Blitz told Business Insider in an interview. "There is now a higher base inflation rate than there was before COVID for a number of reasons."The Fed's rate-cutting campaign is certainly a contributing factor to higher future inflation, in Blitz's opinion. In the past, runaway inflation has only returned to 2% after the Fed engineered a hard landing that slowed consumer spending and wage growth, Blitz said. Financial historian <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-fed-powell-mistake-1970s-runaway-stagflation-unemployment-interest-rates-2024-10">Mark Higgins</a> points out that when the Fed cut rates too quickly in the 1960s, inflation spiked and contributed to stagflation in the 1970s.But there are other factors contributing to an increased long-term inflation rate, many of which Blitz tracked even before the pandemic.Debt levels are creeping up, generating an inflationary effect by increasing demand and prices for goods. In terms of consumer and business debt, after the Great Financial Crisis, households and businesses focused on deleveraging their balance sheets, but this trend started reversing after the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2018, Blitz said. Reduced taxes incentivized spending and also increased the national debt. A higher national debt balance can erode confidence in the dollar, further increasing inflation.Changing demographics in the workplace are also driving increasing debt and higher long-term inflation, according to Blitz.The workforce is getting younger as Gen Z employees enter the market and baby boomers and Gen X employees retire, resulting in growing spending power from Gen Z.As millennials age and gain more income, they're entering their prime homebuying years."They're in that part of their life where they normally leverage their balance sheets to take in physical assets," Blitz said. And as more millennials start families and have children, their expenditures will only continue to increase. These demographic changes will stoke consumer demand and, subsequently, inflation.And lastly, inflation is creeping up thanks to changes in international trade, Blitz said. Import penetration, or the amount of foreign goods flowing into the US, is reaching a plateau. Importing cheap goods from overseas has a disinflationary effect by decreasing prices paid by consumers.Blitz believes import penetration in the US is near or has already reached peak levels, meaning that the deflationary impacts of international trade will be muted in the future. With trends such as nearshoring and reshoring driving companies to move their operations closer to domestic markets, import penetration could certainly decline.In Blitz's perspective, all of these factors add up to an inflation rate exceeding 2% going forward.<h2 id="42586d83-d9bb-4112-b404-1a3b9311f18b">Investing for higher inflation</h2>Investors could start seeing persistent inflation take hold within the next year, according to Blitz. The September jobs report is already one early sign of sticky inflation, especially wage inflation, in his opinion.There are a few ways that investors can prepare their portfolios.In a high-interest-rate environment, bonds are less attractive, Blitz said. Bonds suffer from inflation risk because inflation eats into interest rate payments, reducing their real yield. Higher inflation also pushes up yields as investors demand higher compensation, reducing the value of the assets.Instead, look towards the stock market, he said. While increased inflation might hurt the stock market overall, there are some pockets of equities that will benefit. Technology and value stocks typically perform well in the wake of higher inflation, according to Blitz.In a high-inflation environment, companies look to put their capital into more durable investments as the dollar depreciates. Blitz believes the chip industry in particular is an inflation-resilient choice because they supply assets critical to many supply chains.High inflation can be a boon to value stocks because it boosts businesses' margins."In a lower inflation environment, it's harder to grow revenue off of the nominal growth of the economy," Blitz said. That results in outperformance from growth stocks, which investors anticipate will increase profits at a substantially higher pace relative to the rest of the market.In a 3% to 3.5% inflation environment, there's more opportunity for overlooked value stocks to appreciate. High-quality value stocks with stable margins will actually receive a lift from rising prices, especially if they have good cost management, Blitz said.Those looking to increase their exposure to these areas of the stock market can do so through funds such as the iShares Semiconductor ETF (<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/etfs/ishares-semiconductor-etf-us4642875235?miRedirects=1">SOXX</a>) and the Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF (<a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/etfs/vanguard-value-index-fund-etf-shares-us9229087443?miRedirects=1">VTV</a>).

Why inflation isn't returning to pre-pandemic levels — and 3 trades to capitalize on an overheating economy

The one-hour <keyword id="23618998" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Muhurat-trading" source="keywords">muhurat trading</keyword> session, which marks <keyword id="20963892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali-2024" source="keywords">Diwali 2024</keyword> and the onset of Hindu Samvat 2081 on both NSE and BSE, is set to commence at 6 pm today and will conclude at 7 pm. Generally, investors and traders make symbolic stock buys during this hour-long session, since it is believed that purchases made during this time herald wealth and prosperity for one’s investments for the year to come. If you are looking for <keyword id="19910146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stock-recommendations" source="keywords">stock recommendations</keyword> to add to your portfolio, here are a few value picks by SAMCO and Kotak Securities you can consider: <keyword id="19895995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDFC-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HDFC Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="HDFC Bank">HDFC Bank</keyword> Ltd Holding period: 1 year Last Traded Price: Rs 1,734.30 Per the firm, “The bank has maintained a robust 10-year profit CAGR of 21.74%, operating with a NIM (net interest margin) of 3.5% and a low net NPA (non-performing assets) of 0.3%. Advances and deposits have shown steady growth. Currently, the stock trades below its 10-year average price-to-book value and at a price-to-earnings ratio of 19, offering a favorable risk-reward profile with a substantial downside buffer”. <keyword id="22086440" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vindhya-Telelinks" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vindhya Telelinks" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vindhya Telelinks">Vindhya Telelinks</keyword> Ltd Holding Period: 1 year Last Traded Price: Rs 1,992.55 SAMCO notes that this key cable manufacturing, which is a joint venture between Universal Cables Limited and Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation, has shown robust growth over the last 5 years, nearly doubling revenues with a 14.3% CAGR. The company holds significant investments in Birla Cable Ltd, Birla Corporation Ltd, and Universal Cable Ltd, totaling Rs 3,618 crore—surpassing its market capitalization of Rs 2,545 crore. This solid investment base underscores Vindhya Telelinks’ strong fundamentals and financial potential. <keyword id="23763358" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ramco-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ramco Industries" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ramco Industries">Ramco Industries</keyword> Ltd Holding Period: 1 year Last Traded Price: Rs 244.89 SAMCO observes that over the past decade, sales grew at a 7% CAGR, while the share price rose at a 14% CAGR. Known for its financial stability, Ramco Industries boasts a low debt-equity ratio of 0.07 and has consistently paid dividends since FY17, currently yielding 0.31%. The stock’s attractive price-to-book multiple of 0.5 offers a solid margin of safety, highlighting its investment appeal. <keyword id="22786675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gravita-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Gravita India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Gravita India">Gravita India</keyword> Holding Period: 12 months Last Traded Price: Rs 2,119 Kotak explains that Gravita India is the market leader in India’s emerging recycling industry with a focus on lead recycling. Gravita India is increasing its recycling capacity by a massive 72% to 500 ktpa by FY27E. “We expect the company’s earnings per share to grow by 31.8% in FY25E &amp; 31.6% in FY26E. We also expect an upside of 15% or more on this stock over the next 12 months”, adds Kotak’s note. <keyword id="23763359" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="S-H-Kelkar" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="S H Kelkar" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="S H Kelkar">S H Kelkar</keyword> and Company (SHKL) Holding Period: 12 months Last Traded Price: Rs 289.90 The company is a flavors &amp; fragrances (F&amp;F) supplier and has started to make inroads into the global market. SHK is well-placed to drive double-digit revenue growth. The company is a small but emerging contender in the vast F&amp;F market, with potential for margin expansion—higher-margin geographies &amp; operating leverage—allowing for over 15% return upside in the next 12 months. Kotak Securities further notes that FY25 will likely see more broad-based growth across sectors. However, the OMCs (oil marketing companies) may likely drag down overall profits. Most sectors and stocks are quite overvalued, with the degree of overvaluation ranging from: (1) low for most large-cap consumers, IT services, and pharmaceuticals (2) medium in the investment space (3) high in the case of several low-quality companies. "As the broader market valuations are rich, opportunities arising from market correction can be used to add quality stocks (with attractive valuations) from a long-term investment perspective," explains the research firm's note. SAMCO further advises adding a little glitter to your portfolio using GoldBees and SilverBees ETFs since there are recessionary fears in the US and geopolitical tensions across the world. Even central bankers like RBI have been adding gold to their vaults like never before. At present, markets are looking to secure their return on capital rather than seeking a return on capital. "Thus all of these make a strong case to add gold and silver to the portfolio. They will give stability to your portfolio this Samvat," adds SAMCO's note.

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