Stock Market Highlights: Indian equity benchmarks opened slightly in the green on Friday. At the open, Sensex was up over 140 points while Nifty gained 16 points. At the close, Sensex was up 326 points while Nifty was up 65 points.
Markets expect a deal between US and Iran despite contradictory reports. Meanwhile, the rupee opened 6 paise weaker against the US dollar at 96.26. It settled at 96.20 a dollar on Thursday.
Here are the Highlights of Stock Market, Sensex Today, Nifty, Share Market
NPS Swasthya Explained: Can It Replace Your Health Insurance?
Experts say NPS Swasthya is not designed to replace health insurance. Instead, it may work best as a second layer of financial protection. Read full report here
Food Inflation: Expert View By Amit Goyal
Amit Goyal, CEO and Director of Amar Pure Gold
The sharp rise in edible oil prices is now being felt across the entire food industry. Until a few months ago, most companies were primarily managing higher fuel, packaging, and logistics costs. But with edible oil prices increasing sharply, the pressure has now directly shifted to core raw material costs as well. At the same time, geopolitical tensions and crude oil volatility continue to keep freight and packaging expenses elevated.
For food manufacturers operating in highly price-sensitive categories, this has created significant pressure on margins, while export orders have also declined over the past few months due to uncertainty across global markets. Despite these challenges, most organised brands, including us, have tried to absorb a large part of the increase instead of passing it on entirely to consumers. However, sustaining this approach for a prolonged period may become difficult if volatility continues.
Any further increase in edible oil import duties could add further pressure on procurement costs and working capital cycles. For households, this could gradually translate into higher prices for everyday food items, packaged snacks, sweets and festive purchases if edible oil volatility continues for a longer period. The key challenge today is maintaining quality and consistency while managing rising input costs in an increasingly uncertain environment. Going forward, in order to maintain the same quality standards and product integrity, some level of price correction across categories may eventually become necessary.
Edible Oil On Boil, Monthly Budget In Soup: Food Inflation Hits Households
Iran War Impact: Tensions in the Middle East and rising freight costs are once again creating pressure on global vegetable oil markets. Read full report here
Stock Market Live Updates: Wakefit Q4 FY26 Results Out
Wakefit reported a strong Q4 FY26 performance, with revenue growing 14% YoY to Rs 344 crore and Profit After Tax (PAT) rising to Rs 122 crore, compared to a loss of Rs 26 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The company also reported EBITDA of Rs 54 crore, reflecting a 273% YoY increase. For FY26, Wakefit crossed Rs 1,489 crore in revenue, registering 17% annual growth, while delivering a PAT of Rs 189 crore, compared to a loss of Rs 35 crore in FY25.
The company also delivered strong momentum across key categories, with the mattress business growing 17% YoY and the furniture business growing 24% YoY during the year.
Wakefit continued to strengthen its omnichannel presence, recording 49% growth in its retail channel, expanding its COCO store network to 139 stores, and increasing its MBO footprint to 1,948 stores across 536 cities. The company ended the year with Rs 959 crore of investable cash, positioning it strongly for future expansion and investments.
Why Indians Don't Write A Will: Expert View By Saurabh Bansal
Saurabh Bansal, Founder, Finatwork Investment
In India, succession planning is often less about paperwork and more about family psychology. A will may be a legal document, but the hesitation around creating one usually begins much earlier, with the discomfort of discussing wealth openly within the family.
Studies suggest that less than 20% of Indians have a formal will in place, despite rising asset ownership and growing financial complexity. This gap reflects not only limited estate planning, but also a cultural hesitation around discussing money, inheritance and mortality.
In many households, financial information is still concentrated with one or two members. Others may have only a partial understanding of assets, liabilities, nominations or ownership structures. Conversations around who owns what, how assets should be managed, or how wealth should be transferred are often avoided. Over time, this creates silence around important financial matters.
A will makes that silence harder to maintain because it moves the discussion from 'what we own' to 'who should receive what'. This can bring up questions of fairness, expectations, dependency and family dynamics. For many families, these are emotionally difficult conversations, especially when different members have different needs or levels of financial dependence.
The hesitation is also linked to how Indian families view death. Discussions around mortality are often considered uncomfortable or inauspicious. A will brings together two sensitive subjects, wealth and death, which makes many people postpone it.
However, India is entering a phase of significant intergenerational wealth transfer. Without clear succession planning, families may face disputes, delays, liquidity issues or unintended outcomes. A will should therefore be seen not as a negative conversation, but as a practical tool for clarity, continuity and family protection. The process is legal in form, but emotional in substance, and that is why it needs both sensitivity and timely action.
This Indian-Origin Investor Could Earn $128 Billion From SpaceX IPO
SpaceX IPO: If SpaceX listing succeeds, it could make Elon Musk world's first trillionaire. And the Indian-origin investor may rake in billions. Read full report here
Laxmi Dental Q4 & FY26 Performance Drives Strong Market Momentum
Laxmi Dental stock surged nearly 20% in today's session, driven by strong investor confidence following its latest quarterly results. The rally comes on the back of a robust Q4 and FY26 performance, with the company reporting its highest-ever quarterly revenue, improved profitability, and healthy margin expansion despite tariff-related pressures and broader macroeconomic headwinds. Strong execution across the dental laboratory business, recovery in the clear aligner segment, and continued traction in digital dentistry further supported sentiment. With broad-based growth across key business segments and improving operational momentum, Laxmi Dental appears well positioned to sustain its growth trajectory.
Share Market Update: Check Expert View By WazirX
WazirX Market's Desk
"Bitcoin traded around $77,000 over the last 24 hours, while Ethereum held near $2,100, as crypto markets continued to react more to macroeconomic conditions than to crypto-native catalysts. BTC's current levels are being supported by rising long-to-short ratios among top traders, which has helped strengthen the $76,000 support zone. However, upside momentum remains limited as persistent Bitcoin ETF outflows and rising U.S. bond yields continue to weigh on broader market sentiment.
The biggest macro driver remains the "higher for longer" interest rate narrative. Rising Treasury yields and ongoing inflation concerns have reduced risk appetite across global markets, keeping both equities and crypto volatile.
Altcoin momentum stayed concentrated in a few major tokens rather than the broader market, with Solana and TON continuing to show relative strength.
Overall, the market remains range-bound for now, with strong downside support for Bitcoin, but limited breakout potential toward $82,000 until ETF flows improve and macro conditions stabilize."
JFrog Report Exposes India's Software Supply Chain Crisis: 65% Lack Malicious Package Detection, 71% Have No Container Security
JFrog Ltd. (Nasdaq: FROG), the Liquid Software company and creators of the JFrog Software Supply Chain Platform, the system of record for trusted software artifacts, binaries, and AI assets, today released its 2026 Software Supply Chain Security State of the Union, a global study examining how organizations are building, securing, and managing software in an increasingly AI-driven economy. The findings reveal that Indian organisations are among the most AI-active in the world, but critical gaps in malicious package detection, container security, and secrets scanning leave them exposed as attackers weaponise AI models, compromise developer tooling through stolen maintainer credentials, and infiltrate open-source ecosystems at unprecedented scale.
Last year was the most dangerous on record for software developers globally, wherein malicious npm packages surged 451% year-over-year to more than 171,000 unique instances. npm overtook Maven as the most-used enterprise ecosystem for the first time, and a wave of npm supply chain attacks, including the self-replicating "Shai-Hulud" worm. For India, where defensive tooling lags significantly, that exposure is especially acute.
"AI is accelerating how software is built, but it is also expanding the potential attack surface and increasing vulnerabilities," said Sudhir Narla, General Manager for JFrog India, and VP of Customer Success. "We're seeing a shift from isolated vulnerabilities to systemic risk across the entire software supply chain. Indian organisations will need to move beyond traditional security approaches and rethink how they establish trust in increasingly AI powered, automated environments."
India-Italy Strategic Partnership: Expert View By Divya Kumar Gulati
Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman, CLFMA of India
India and Italy's strategic partnership reflects the growing importance of international collaboration in strengthening agri-food ecosystems, sustainability, and trade resilience. The agreement signed between India's Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Italian stakeholders is a positive development for the seafood, aquaculture, and allied feed sectors, creating opportunities for technology exchange, quality enhancement, and market expansion. At a time when the global feed and aquaculture industries are facing rising input costs and geopolitical uncertainties, such partnerships can play a crucial role in driving innovation, improving supply chain efficiency, and advancing nutritional and export security for both nations.
Bitcoin Pizza Day: Expert View By Raj Karkara
Raj Karkara, COO, ZebPay
Bitcoin Pizza Day serves as a powerful reminder of how innovation, long-term conviction, and community-driven adoption can transform the future of finance. What began in 2010 as the purchase of two pizzas for 10,000 BTC has evolved into a defining moment in financial history, with Bitcoin today increasingly being recognized as a strategic digital asset within modern investment portfolios.
Over the last decade, Bitcoin has matured from an experimental technology into a globally acknowledged asset class, witnessing participation from retail investors, institutional players, corporates, and even sovereign entities. Its continued adoption highlights the growing importance of decentralized technologies and digital assets within the evolving global financial ecosystem. As the investment landscape shifts toward diversification and alternative asset exposure, Bitcoin is steadily positioning itself as a meaningful component of long-term portfolio strategy.
Bitcoin Pizza Day: Expert View By Nischal Shetty
Nischal Shetty, Founder, WazirX
"Bitcoin Pizza Day is one of the most important moments in crypto history because it transformed Bitcoin from an internet experiment into a real economic network. It was actually the first proof that a decentralized digital asset could facilitate real-world commerce.
On May 18, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz posted on the BitcoinTalk forum, offering 10,000 Bitcoins to anyone who would order two pizzas to his home. On May 22, 2010, another forum user had two pizzas delivered to Hanyecz's home. This move aimed to trigger mainstream commercial payments using Bitcoin which was barely established in 2010.
Back then, Bitcoin processed only a few hundred transactions daily with almost no merchant infrastructure, payment processors, or institutional participation. Today, the ecosystem has evolved into a global financial and settlement network processing roughly 500,000-550,000 transactions per day on average, with peak activity crossing 900,000 transactions in a single day during 2024.
What is remarkable is how Bitcoin's utility has expanded over the years. Beyond trading and investing, Bitcoin is now increasingly used for cross-border transfers, merchant payments, institutional settlement, remittances, treasury management, and Lightning-powered micropayments. Merchant adoption has also scaled significantly, growing from virtually zero businesses in 2010 to more than 20,000 merchants globally accepting Bitcoin payments today, alongside large payment ecosystems enabling Bitcoin transactions for millions of merchants worldwide.
WazirX will commemorate the day with a pizza buffet at our office. However, we intend to spend no more than 0.00075 BTC equivalent for the same.
Bitcoin Pizza Day: Expert View By SB Seker
SB Seker, Head of APAC, Binance
Bitcoin Pizza Day has become one of crypto's most celebrated traditions because it captures something essential: innovation happens when someone is willing to try something new, even if it seems impractical at the time. In 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz used Bitcoin to buy pizza because he believed digital currency should have use cases-not just sit in a wallet. Today, we are seeing that vision materialize at scale. Stablecoins are processing trillions in monthly volume and users in markets like India are discovering crypto's practical applications-from everyday transactions to wealth creation and preservation. Bitcoin Pizza Day celebrates the moment crypto moved from theory to practice, and reminds us that the real work is making that utility accessible to everyone.
Welspun Corp Delivers Strong Q4 & FY26 Performance
Welspun Corp Ltd (WCL), the flagship company of Welspun World, announced its consolidated financial results for the quarter ended March 31st, 2026.
- FY26 EBITDA stood at Rs 2,371 crore, against guidance of Rs 2,200 crore. EBITDA margin at 14%. ROCE at 22%.
- Net cash position strengthened to Rs 1,627 crore despite capex investment of Rs 2,532 crore. Net working capital remained negative, supported by advances received from customers.
- Operating Cash Flow (OCF) and Free Cash Flow (FCF) generation improved to Rs 3,204 crore and Rs 672 crore respectively for FY26.
- Maintained all-time high order book of Rs 25,350 crore, including line pipes (India & USA), ductile iron pipes, and stainless steel bars & pipes. USA spiral mill booked through FY28
- Q4 & full year FY26 PAT after exceptional items increased by 28% and 42% y-o-y to Rs 370 crore and Rs 1,613 crore respectively.
- FY27 guidance; Revenue at Rs. 20,000 crore and EBITDA at Rs, 2,850 crore.
- The Board has recommended dividend of Rs 5/- per equity share (100%) of the face value of Rs 5/- each
- Higher oil prices and renewed focus on energy security to further support new investments in global line pipe projects.
Do You Know What Will Happen To Your Crypto After Your Death?
Unlike bank accounts, mutual funds, or FDs, crypto doesn't come with a relationship manager, a branch office, or a standard recovery process. Read full report here
Bitcoin Pizza Day: How A Meal Shaped A Digital Asset
For years, Bitcoin existed largely among programmers and internet enthusiasts. But nobody knew whether it could actually function as money. Read full report here
Share Market News: Check Expert View By InvestorAi
The Thesis
Conviction is tilting toward resilient domestic consumption paired with commodity participation as Brent spiked to $104.52 overnight on US-Iran tension. Wall Street's modest green close and a positive GIFT Nifty set up a constructive open, but the book is positioned for a market that absorbs higher energy without breaking demand - autos and PSU commodity are the signature trades, healthcare the defensive offset.
Where We're Concentrated
The cluster is unusually clean: two auto names - one OEM, one supply chain - anchor the consumption thesis, while PSU commodity and the integrated conglomerate carry the crude beta. Defensives sit underneath. The book breaks if Brent runs past $108 and re-introduces demand-destruction fears, or if DII flows soften and stop absorbing the ₹25,897 Cr of FII outflows that have hit the tape this month.
Conviction Picks
Maruti SuzukiHIGHEST CONVICTION
Auto demand resilience is the playable counter-narrative to crude pressure - the book's anchor trade for a rate-cut-supported consumption tape.
Samvardhana MothersonPAIRED CONVICTION
Supply-chain confirmation that the auto call is structural, not single-name - the OEM and the ancillary moving together is the cleanest signal on the file.
Coal IndiaCOMMODITY BETA
PSU energy exposure that wins directly from the overnight crude bid - high-yield, low-beta hedge against the FII outflow drag.
Reliance IndustriesCORE ANCHOR
Conglomerate ballast - energy upside from Brent, consumer steadiness from retail, the only large-cap that mirrors the entire book in one name.
Apollo HospitalsDEFENSIVE OFFSET
Healthcare hedge if crude refuses to cool and consumption stumbles - insulates the book without surrendering directional bias.
One Thing to Watch
Brent at $104.52. A close above $108 flips the auto thesis from resilience to risk. Today's US-Iran talks are the trigger - watch the headlines, not the chart.
Stock Market Today: Expert View By CoinSwitch Markets Desk
BTC is trying to stabilize after a choppy session, but the recovery still looks limited. Price bounced from the $76.7K-$77K area and is now hovering near $77.5K, yet it continues to trade below $78K. The bigger resistance zone sits around $80K-$83K, where options positioning, ETF-holder breakeven levels, and the 200-day moving average all overlap. This makes the next leg higher difficult unless buyers return with stronger conviction. ETF outflows are still a drag, though limited selling from Top ETF Holder IBIT and falling exchange reserves suggest long-term holders are not rushing to exit.
Bitcoin Pizza Day: The $41 Meal That Built A Trillion-Dollar Asset
For years, Bitcoin existed largely among programmers and internet enthusiasts. But nobody knew whether it could actually function as money. Read full report here
Meta Layoffs: Man's Post On Wife's Job Loss Goes Viral
Meta recently began laying off employees across several regions, including Singapore, Europe, and the US. Read full report here
Stock Market Today: Check Expert View By Rajesh Palviya
Rajesh Palviya, Head of Research, Axis Direct
The Nifty 50 ended largely unchanged at 23,654.70 on Thursday, as an initial 170-point gap-up opening witnessed profit-booking at higher levels, resulting in the formation of a long bearish candle on the daily chart. Global cues, however, remained mildly supportive. Wall Street closed in positive territory overnight, with the Dow gaining 0.55%, the S&P 500 rising 0.17% and the Nasdaq inching up 0.09%, amid continued volatility in oil prices and Treasury yields driven by developments around US-Iran negotiations.
Asian markets are trading firm this morning, with Japan and Korea advancing on improving geopolitical sentiment and renewed peace optimism. Commodity prices also remained relatively stable, with gold easing towards $4,510/oz, silver trading near $77 and Brent crude holding around $104.5 amid lingering concerns over the Hormuz region. GIFT Nifty at 23,621.0 indicates a flat to mildly positive start for domestic equities.
Technically, the overall bias remains cautiously positive. A sustained move above the 23,800 mark could trigger fresh momentum towards the 23,900-24,000 zone. On the downside, immediate support is placed at 23,500, while 23,400 remains a crucial support level that bulls need to defend to maintain the ongoing positive undertone.
Woman Built AI Tool At Meta. Weeks Later, She Was Laid Off Too
Meta 8,000 Job Cuts: According to an internal memo, Meta's Head of People said the company wants flatter teams and smaller AI-focused groups. Read full report here
Share Market Live News: Check Total Market Cap Of All BSE Sensex Companies
At the close on Thursday (May 22), the total market cap of all BSE Sensex companies stood at Rs 4,62,11,073.