Indian equities are anticipated to extend recent gains in August, driven by renewed foreign fund inflows and the unwinding of AI-skewed trade. Analysts expect the Nifty to continue its upward trajectory after consolidation, despite lingering geopolitical uncertainties in West Asia.
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) became net buyers in Indian equities in July, investing Rs 20,200 crore after four months of outflows. Attractive valuations, improving corporate earnings, and a better global investment environment, including stability in the rupee and large-cap stocks, drove the comeback.
Goldman Sachs' equities trading business drove significant growth in Q2, with a 72% revenue surge to $7.42 billion, outperforming expectations amid market volatility. Strategic investments and a shift in the Global Banking & Markets group contributed to the success.
Ark Invest sold ~$4.4M in crypto-related stocks (Bitmine, Robinhood, Block, Bullish) as shares fell, while buying ~$14.5M in SpaceX shares across its ETFs.
Chinese stocks trading overseas are emerging as defensive plays for global investors, offering shelter from US equities and bonds due to Federal Reserve monetary policy confusion and a struggling artificial intelligence trade.
Perpetual futures for tokenized stocks and commodities on Hyperliquid and Binance nearly matched Bitcoin's trading volume, reaching $61.7 billion last week. This growth, particularly in equities and commodities, signals a shift in crypto markets and draws attention from traditional finance leaders.
KOSPI plummets 17% over two days, erasing $620 billion, triggered by SK Hynix's earnings miss and exacerbated by leveraged retail bets. Hyperscaler credit default swaps surge, implying 12% default odds, with Oracle's OpenAI exposure a key concern.
Crypto exchanges are expanding into tokenized stocks, commodities, and precious metals, with market capitalization growing to $6.6 billion in June 2026 from $1.4 billion in January 2025, driven by competition from traditional brokerages and decentralized exchanges.
Alpaca, a California brokerage, custodies over $1.5 billion in shares backing tokenized equities, dominating a market promoted as decentralized. However, the upcoming launch of DTCC's Tokenization Service in October threatens to disrupt this concentration by offering tokenized stocks with full shareholder rights, potentially undermining Alpaca's position.
ChangXin Memory Technologies' (CXMT) $8.6 billion IPO on the Shanghai STAR Market, expected July 27, is sparking fears of a liquidity squeeze in Chinese equities as investors reallocate funds. While an amplifying factor, analysts say crowded positioning and high leverage are the primary causes of recent tech sector pullbacks.
U.S. stock indexes tumbled as investors priced in a prolonged Middle East conflict, with Brent Crude futures topping $100 and 10-year Treasury yields exceeding 4.7% after new attacks on tankers, raising concerns about inflation and borrowing costs.
The Indian rupee gained 0.1% against the US dollar on Thursday, opening at 96.49, despite facing pressure from rising crude oil prices. Traders expect continued strain, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) intervention anticipated to limit sharper losses. Geopolitical tensions are driving oil prices higher, offsetting previous RBI measures.
Bitcoin held firm near five-week highs despite escalating US-Iran tensions, with US stocks also shrugging off risks. Analysts suggest a potential short squeeze in the S&P 500, while some traders predict Bitcoin will outperform US stocks in the foreseeable future.
South Korea's major crypto exchanges saw trading activity fall by an average of 77% year-over-year, while the KOSPI stock index more than doubled. This suggests a significant shift in retail speculative interest from cryptocurrencies to equities, potentially impacting smaller crypto platforms.
Coinbase's Base network, led by creator Jesse Pollak, is "imminently" launching 1:1-backed tokenized equities, inspired by Robinhood Chain's success in an EVM environment. This move accelerates Base's strategic pivot towards financial applications, shifting from its earlier focus on social products.
Analysts believe a sharp pullback in SpaceX and valuation pressure on US tech giants will not significantly impact Hong Kong equities, citing distinct business models and less stretched valuations for local tech firms.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warns investors are underestimating global economic risks, including geopolitical conflicts and rising U.S. deficits. He advises against buying equities and long-dated U.S. Treasurys at current prices, predicting higher interest rates due to persistent budget deficits.
Bernstein analysts raised Robinhood's (HOOD) price target to $160, maintaining an Outperform rating, based on their view that tokenized equities and prediction markets, rather than traditional crypto, will drive its next growth phase. They project significant revenue growth from prediction markets and see tokenized real-world assets as a major long-term opportunity, with other financial institutions also expanding tokenization infrastructure.
The long-standing inverse correlation between US equities and Treasuries, which acted as a 'free insurance policy' for investors, has broken down since 2020. This shift is primarily driven by inflation volatility, causing stocks and bonds to move in tandem, and impacting the appeal of traditional safe havens and risk assets like Bitcoin.
Foreign investors are increasingly favoring Indian bonds over equities, driven by India's removal of tax on overseas bond investors and the anticipated inclusion in the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index by early 2027. This move is expected to attract $25-27 billion in inflows by FY2028, helping narrow India's balance of payments deficit and shore up the rupee.
Morgan Stanley reports record Q2 revenue ($21.35B) and profit ($5.58B), exceeding estimates, driven by a 69% surge in equities trading revenue to $6.3B, fueled by the global AI boom and strength in Asia.
Bitcoin fell below $63,000 on Monday, influenced by rising oil prices and declining equity futures following U.S. strikes on Iran. Factors like thin weekend trading and fund flows also contributed to the drop, with Bitcoin nearing $60,000.
Foreign investors have invested over $1 billion in Indian equities in the past week, signaling a bullish trend. Goldman Sachs and Citigroup project further inflows due to a stable rupee and improved earnings expectations, boosting the NSE Nifty 50 index.
The Indian Rupee depreciated 39 paise against the US dollar, opening at 95.72 and falling to 95.77 due to soaring crude oil prices and escalating Middle East tensions. Concerns over global crude supply disruptions, fueled by Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz, dampened market sentiment.
