Newsletter
Crude oil prices shoot up, MF inflows rise in August, and Xi Jinping to visit India.
🗓️ Morning, folks and Happy Fridayyyy! ☀️
Samsung and Duolingo unleashed their wrath on Apple on Thursday.
Apple has finally entered the foldable phone race, but it didn’t take long for Samsung to remind everyone who got there first.
Within minutes of the iPhone Duo launch, Samsung was back on social media, taking a cheeky swipe at Apple and alluding to how the company may have taken some inspiration from its foldable devices.
And Samsung wasn’t the only one joining the roast. Duolingo jumped into the party too, after Apple named its new phones the iPhone Duo, which, awkwardly enough, is also the name associated with the language-learning app’s iconic mascot.
But will this water down the fan hype and impact the sales? Only time will tell.
We also made a video on this, click on the link to find out.
POLL
Would you actually buy the iPhone Duo? 👀
Yes, take my money8%Checking my bank balance11%My phone still works, thanks64%I am a Samsung loyalist16%73 VOTES · 21 HOURS REMAINING
Back to business. 🥸
Markets saw some relief on Thursday, snapping a three-day losing streak after a CAS adjustment helped the Nifty and Sensex end in the green.
Information technology and metal stocks were among the biggest drags on the Nifty, while buying in real estate and financial stocks helped keep the markets in positive territory.
💡 Spotlight: Rising crude prices put India on edge 🛢️
ONGC and Oil India shares had a good Thursday, with both stocks ending in the green.
But why: the gains came as crude oil prices remained elevated, which can boost revenues and profits for upstream oil producers. Tensions from the US-Iran war have kept crude prices above $105 per barrel.
So, why are higher crude oil prices good for these companies?
Companies like ONGC and Oil India produce and sell crude oil. When crude prices rise, they can earn more for every barrel they sell, which can improve their revenues and profits.
But what’s good for these companies isn’t necessarily good for India.
India is the world’s third-largest oil importer, so higher crude prices mean a bigger import bill. They can also push up inflation, hurt corporate profits and put pressure on economic growth.
Let’s hit it! 💪🏻
1 Big Thing: Small-cap funds ate 🤑
Mutual fund data for August is out, and monthly systematic investment plan (SIP) contributions hit a record high of ₹32,297 crore, up 3.8% from ₹31,115 crore in July, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).
What stood out: small-cap mutual funds continued to attract the most money among equity fund categories.
Small-cap funds received ₹7,973.3 crore in net inflows in August, up 2.6% from ₹7,767.5 crore in July.
Put simply, more than ₹1 out of every ₹4 invested in equity mutual funds during the month went into small-cap funds.
And the trend has picked up sharply this year. Small-cap inflows have grown from ₹2,942 crore in January to nearly ₹8,000 crore in August, making them more than 2.5 times higher.
But August wasn’t a sudden spike. Small-cap inflows rose only around 3% from July.
What stands out is their consistency, with inflows staying close to ₹8,000 crore for the second straight month, even as overall equity fund flows fluctuated.
2. Nexus is going mall shopping again 🛍️
Nexus Select Trust is set to acquire a 100% stake in the upcoming Galaxy Complex in Beharbari, Guwahati, for around ₹1,600 crore.
This will be Nexus’ second under-construction acquisition since its listing and its first in Northeast India.
Note: Nexus Select Trust is India’s first listed retail Real Estate Investment Trust - REIT.
The why: Guwahati acts as a major commercial centre for the wider Northeast, a region with a population of more than 50 million people.
Rising incomes, urbanisation and growing demand for national and premium brands are making the city increasingly attractive to organised retailers.
Zoom out: Nexus wants its East India portfolio to generate more than ₹600 crore in annual net operating income, equivalent to over 25% of its existing portfolio.
This …10:00 AM · Sep 10, 2026 · 31.4K Views19 Replies · 141 Reposts · 532 Likes
3. Is India slowly falling out of love with petrol cars? 👀
For the first time, CNG, hybrid and electric cars together outsold petrol cars in India.
In August 2026, these alternative-fuel vehicles made up 41.9% of passenger vehicle sales, compared with petrol’s 40.85%.
CNG alone now accounts for 25.2% of car sales, while EVs are at 7.6% and hybrids at 9.04%.
Two years ago, petrol still had more than half the market. Today, buyers are spreading across fuels based on running costs, charging access and how they actually use their cars.
India may not be moving neatly from petrol to EVs. It is becoming a multi-fuel car market.
4. Stocks that kept us interested 🚀
What went up ⬆️
💊 Indoco Remedies rallied 10% as Goa facility passed UK-MHRA inspection with no major observations.
🛢️ Man Industries jumped more than 10% on ₹600 crore order win.
💧 Shakti Pumps gained 7% after getting ₹235.9 crore order for 10,000 solar water pumping systems in Maharashtra.
🏗️ Dilip Buildcon climbed over 3% after emerging as a successful bidder for the ₹1,800 crore Paradip-Raipur LPG pipeline project.
💻 Redington ended nearly 4% higher after Apple launched the iPhone 18 series and hiked iPhone 17 prices in India.
🛣️ IRB Infrastructure rose 4% after August toll revenue increased 25% YoY to ₹807.4 crore.
🛵 Ather Energy ended nearly 5% higher after Nomura raised its target price on Konarc launch, faster EV adoption.
♻️ Enviro Infra rose nearly 3% on ₹224 crore wind EPC order from Tata Power RE.
What went down ⬇️
💻 HCL Tech fell nearly 2% after Citi gave a bearish call and flagged its rich valuation despite AI progress.
💰 Gaja Alternative slipped more than 2% as revenue dropped 49% YoY in Q1 to ₹16 crore.
What else are we snackin’ 🍿
🇨🇳 Xi visit: China confirmed Xi Jinping will visit India for the BRICS summit, marking his first trip to India since 2019.
🌐 Export platform: India launched an online platform connecting Indian exporters with US buyers as the two countries continue negotiations on a trade deal.
🍔 Swish funding: Swish raised $24 million led by Bertelsmann India Investments to scale its 10-minute fresh food delivery business.
🌍 UAE entry: PhonePe received a UAE central bank licence, marking its first overseas expansion with plans to offer payments, remittances and wallet services.
With a long weekend ahead, we’ll be back like clockwork on Tuesday.
Wishing you a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Have an extra modak this weekend. ⚡️
Hit that 💚 if you liked this issue.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational and research purposes only. Nothing here should be considered financial, investment, legal, or professional advice.
