.png)
On Episode 608 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Mahesh Balasubramaniam, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company (Kotak Life).
____________________________________________
In Partnership With:
Want smarter investing at your fingertips?
With InvestingPro, get real-time market data, custom alerts, and global financial insights — all in one place.
Join 46 million users already making sharper decisions.
Download InvestingPro today: https://www.investing-referral.com/aff303
____________________________________________
SHOW NOTES
(00:00) Top Business News Today
(01:00) Market Rallies Despite War Tensions
(01:29) Gold Price Hits ₹1 Lakh Mark – All-Time High in India
(04:34) Oil Prices Volatile Amid Israel-Iran Tensions & M&A Buzz
(10:07) China Biotech Stocks Surge – New DeepSeek Moment?
(11:59) India’s Life Insurance Goes Digital Post-COVID
Markets Hold Out:
Indian equity markets bounced back despite geopolitical jitters. Sensex rose 677 points to 81,796, and Nifty gained 227 to 24,946. Broader indices—mid- and small-cap—also rose nearly 0.9%.
Gold, reaffirming its safe-haven appeal amid Middle East tensions, hit a new high of ₹1,01,078 per 10g in India, crossing ₹1 lakh for the first time. Rising prices may slow non-investment demand. Silver and global gold futures remain strong, with gold topping $3,450/oz before easing slightly.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports mutual funds pulling out of utility stocks as peak power demand projections (277GW) fell short due to early monsoons. Demand for ACs and cold drinks also dropped, despite high production. On the upside, steelmakers may benefit this quarter from improved coil prices, lower coking coal costs, and safeguard duties.
India’s merchandise trade deficit narrowed to $21.8B in May (vs. $26.4B in April), driven by lower imports. Exports remained flat at $38.7B, while imports fell from $64.9B to $60.6B. Services trade continued strong with a $14.6B surplus.
Oil Moves:
Oil prices fell Monday after a 7% Friday jump. Brent slid to $73.30/bbl; WTI to $71.99. The market remains volatile as Israel-Iran tensions persist. Energy CEOs at the Energy Asia Conference warned against forecasting oil prices. While supply through the Strait of Hormuz remains unaffected, potential disruptions loom.
In industry news, ADNOC bid ~$19B for Australia’s Santos to expand LNG production. Petronas plans to cut costs, breakeven at $50/bbl, and expand in existing territories. India’s oil outlook is also optimistic: Energy Minister Hardeep Puri hinted at a possible Guyana-scale discovery in the Andaman Sea, which could be a game changer.
China's Cancer Drugs Drive Biotech Stocks:
China's biotech sector is outperforming, with the Hang Seng Biotech Index up 60% YTD—outpacing tech. Global giants are betting big: Pfizer licensed a cancer drug from 3S Bio for $1.25B; Bristol-Myers Squibb inked an $11.5B deal with BioNTech for a drug licensed from China's Biotheus. Q1 biotech deal value in China hit $37B—over half the global total.
The India Life Insurance Outlook:
Post-COVID awareness and digitisation are boosting India’s life insurance sector. Policies now combine protection with returns. Digitisation is rising in application and claims processes, though overall tech penetration remains low. Younger, digital-savvy Indians find policies more accessible—but adoption remains the challenge. Kotak Life’s MD Mahesh Balasubramanian shares a cautiously optimistic outlook.
Liked this episode of Stocks Resist War Panic | Economic Trends You Need To Know with Govindraj Ethiraj on The Core Report? Stay updated on stock market trends, gold prices, oil news, China biotech, and India’s life insurance growth. Subscribe for sharp insights and daily economic analysis.
#StockMarketIndia #GoldPrices #OilNews #ChinaBiotech #IndianEconomy #TheCoreReport #TheCore
Join The Core Insider to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzXJw6XkwZulY4nigdtvs4Q/join
Listeners! We await your feedback: https://tinyurl.com/TCR-Listener-Survey
The Core & The Core Report is ad supported & FREE for all readers & listeners. Write in to [email protected] for sponsorships & brand studio requirements.
For more of our coverage check out thecore.in (https://www.thecore.in/)
Support the Core Report (https://tinyurl.com/Support-the-Core-Report)
Join & Interact anonymously on our WhatsApp channel (https://tinyurl.com/The-Core-WhatsApp-Channel)
Subscribe to our Newsletter (https://www.thecore.in/newsletters/thecorenewsletter)
Follow Us on Social Media for More Updates:
Twitter (https://twitter.com/the_core_in)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/the.core.in/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thecore.biz/)
Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecore-in)
Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@thecore_in)
