📉 Whirlpool’s stock tanks, Flipkart’s astrology play, and other masala bites! (Jan 31)

Happy Friday! But this isn’t just any Friday—it's the last one before Budget 2025! 🏦🎤 The excitement is brewing, Twitter is flooded with speculation, and the finance bros have their spreadsheets out. Will Nirmala Sitharaman bring tax relief? More capex spending? A big push for AI? The countdown begins… ⏳🚀

While we gear up for the big day, here’s what’s stirring up the markets, businesses, and startups today!

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☕ Chai Shots

• Whirlpool India Drops 20% 📉 – Parent company Whirlpool Corp. announced plans to cut its stake to 20%, shaking up investor confidence.

• SoftBank Eyes OpenAI at a $300B Valuation 🤖💸 – SoftBank is in talks to lead a $40B funding round for OpenAI.

• Volvo’s $1B Tech Deal: HCL vs. Infosys 🏎️💻 – The IT giants are battling for a mega outsourcing contract at the Swedish truck maker.

• Flipkart’s Astro Move 🔮 – The e-commerce giant might acquire InstaAstro for $18-$25M, possibly rebranding it to "Sukh".

• Airlines Add Flights to Prayagraj, But Maha Kumbh Fares Soar ✈️ – Despite IndiGo doubling flight capacity and Akasa & SpiceJet adding more seats, ticket prices are still 3-10X higher due to soaring demand.

📊 Market Masala

• 🔥 Defence Leads, PSU Stocks Shine! – Indian markets extended gains for the third consecutive session, powered by a 2% rally in defence stocks ahead of Budget 2025. Bharat Electronics (BEL) surged 4.87%, followed by Power Grid, Hero MotoCorp, and Bharti Airtel 🚀.

• 🏅 Gold Rallying Despite Global Trends – Domestic gold prices jumped 2% per 10g, outpacing international gold’s modest 0.5% gain. This divergence reflects strong local demand ahead of Budget announcements 🏆✨.

• 📊 Budget Day = High Volatility! ⚡ – Historical data shows that in only 8 out of the last 25 years, the market moved less than 1% on Budget day! Expect wild swings as investors react to policy announcements 📉📈.

🔥 The Big Brew: Budget 2025 – Growth vs. Deficit?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to unveil Budget 2025 tomorrow, and she has a tightrope to walk—boost growth or cut deficit? 🏗️💰

Key Budget Expectations:

• ✅ Income Tax Relief? Possible tweaks, but only 1.6-2% of Indians actually pay income tax. Impact on demand may be limited.

• ✅ Capex vs. Fiscal Deficit? ₹11.1 lakh crore capex target might be missed. Expect selective infra spending while keeping fiscal deficit under 4.5%.

• ✅ Push for 'Viksit Bharat' 🚀 More focus on PLI schemes, AI, manufacturing & exports. Efficiency & job creation to be prioritized.

• ✅ RBI & Interest Rates 🏦 Lower inflation may allow rate cuts later in 2025. Good news for real estate, banking stocks & startups.

• ✅ Immigration & Foreigners Bill 📜 Stricter border policies, visa regulations & illegal immigration control. BJP may use it as an election issue in West Bengal, Assam & Delhi.

📊 Final Verdict: A budget that balances selective tax relief, infra push, and fiscal discipline. Expect markets to react sharply! 📉📈

🌎 Global Masala

• 📊 Big Tech Earnings Drive Gains 🚀 – The S&P 500 (+0.5%), Dow (+0.4%), and Nasdaq (+0.3%) gained momentum as investors digested earnings from Apple, Tesla, and Meta 📈.

• 🍏 Apple Beats, But China Sales Slump 📉 – Apple posted $124.3B in revenue, exceeding expectations, but iPhone sales missed forecasts at $69.1B 📱. China sales fell 8%, adding to concerns about its dominance in the region 🇨🇳.

• 📦 UPS Stock Sinks 15% 🚚 – UPS announced it will slash Amazon deliveries by 50% by 2026, sending its stock plummeting 15% 📦📉. Analysts expect near-term revenue struggles.

• Blackstone Holds Firm on Data Centers Despite DeepSeek Shakeup 🏢💾 – The asset manager reassured investors that AI-driven cost reductions won’t weaken the long-term need for physical infrastructure.

• European Watch: Stock Markets Rally as ECB Cuts Rates 📈 – The Stoxx 600 index hit a record high, with investors optimistic about easing monetary policy.

🚀 Startup Scoop

• Teen Self-Care Brand Sammmm Secures ₹10 Cr 💄🧴 – The Gen Z-focused beauty brand raised funding from Fireside Ventures & Sauce VC to expand its product line.

• Spiritual Tech Startup Utsav Raises ₹6.35 Cr 🔱📱 – The AI-powered pooja & astrology app got funding to onboard more temples and enhance its tech features.

• SuperOps Bags $25M for AI-Powered MSP Solutions 💻🛠️ – The IT automation startup raised funds to scale AI-driven support for managed service providers.

• Fintech Startup Cushion Shuts Down 💸 – Despite raising $21.6M, the “Plaid for BNPL” startup failed to scale and is shutting down at the end of 2024.

☕ Chai Break Trivia 🍵

Did you know? 🧐 The world's most expensive mango is the Miyazaki mango from Japan, which can cost up to ₹2.7 lakh per kg! 🥭💰 It's so exclusive that farmers wrap each mango in a net hammock to ensure perfect sunlight exposure. Now that's some premium fruit pampering! 😲✨

Enjoy your Friday, but don’t forget—the Budget 2025 tea is about to be spilled tomorrow! 🍵📜 Till then? Happy Fridaaaay!