Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued a strong warning to the public against using opinion trading platforms, saying these platforms operate outside its regulatory oversight and offer no protection to investors under securities laws.

In an advisory, SEBI said that some online platforms, referred to as ‘opinion trading platforms’, allow users to trade on the outcomes of yes-or-no events.

The payout depends on whether a certain event happens or not. For example, users may place trades on whether a sports team will win, or if a particular political decision will be taken.

These platforms often use financial terms like ‘profits’, ‘stop loss’ and ‘trading’, giving the impression that they are legitimate investment platforms, SEBI added.

Gold prices could climb to $3,300 per ounce in 2025, driven by concerns over slowing economic growth in the US, increasing geopolitical tensions, and rising fiscal deficits, a new report said on Wednesday.

This has led to renewed interest in gold as a safe investment option, especially as equity markets see corrections, as per a report by Capitalmind Financial Services Private Limited.

The report highlights that gold has proven to be a strong and reliable asset for Indian investors over the long term.

Despite its price volatility in global markets, gold has consistently delivered positive returns in Indian rupee (INR) terms.

In fact, the study points out that gold has never had a negative decade in INR, while it faced two decades of negative returns in US dollar (USD) terms.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified the income tax return forms ITR-1 and ITR-4 for the financial year 2024-25 and the assessment year 2025-26.

The returns for incomes earned during the financial year from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, have to be filed using the new forms.

A major change in the ITR forms this year is that ITR-1 (SAHAJ) can be filed for notifying long-term capital gains (LTCG) under section 112A. This is subject to the condition that the LTCG is not more than Rs 1.25 lakh, and the income tax assessee has no loss to carry forward or set off under the capital gains head.

Earlier, ITR 1 did not have a provision to report capital gains tax. This year, taxpayers who have long-term capital gains from the sale of listed equity shares and equity-oriented mutual funds can use ITR-1 to file their tax returns.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the constitution of an interim committee to oversee the operations of IndusInd Bank, which will discharge the duties, roles and responsibilities of the chief executive officer (CEO) of the bank for an interim period until a permanent CEO is appointed, the bank said on Wednesday.

The move comes after IndusInd Bank’s Managing Director and CEO Sumant Kathpalia resigned from his post in connections with the derivatives accounting lapse that has eroded the private sector bank's net worth.

In a stock exchange filing, the bank informed that the committee, comprising Soumitra Sen (Head–Consumer Banking) and Anil Rao (Chief Administrative Officer), will manage the bank’s day-to-day affairs under the supervision of an Oversight Committee of the Board.

The domestic benchmark indices opened flat on Wednesday amid mixed global cues and geo-political tensions, as selling was seen in the PSU bank and financial service sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.32 am, Sensex was trading 7.72 points or 0.01 per cent down at 80,280.66 while the Nifty climbed 1 point or 0.00 per cent at 24,336.95.

Nifty Bank was down 197.50 points or 0.36 per cent at 55,193.75. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 54,356.00 after declining 231.95 points or 0.42 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 16,602.40 after dropping 136.30 points or 0.81 per cent.

According to analysts, Nifty can find support at 24,200 followed by 24,100 and 24,000. On the higher side, 24,400 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 24,500 and 24,700.

"The charts of Bank Nifty indicate that it may get support at 55,000 followed by 54,700 and 54,400. If the index advances further, 55,600 would be the initial key resistance, followed by 55,900 and 56,200," said Hardik Matalia from Choice Broking.

Consumers across Maharashtra, particularly those in the commercial and industrial sectors with sanctioned load above 20 kW, have been advised to review their electrical systems and take corrective action following the implementation of kVAh billing, now in effect as per the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) Tariff Order.

Under the revised billing methodology, consumers are now billed based on apparent energy (kVAh) instead of only active energy (kWh). kVAh billing considers both active (real) and reactive (non-productive) energy consumption. Maintaining a high Power Factor (close to 1.0) is critical to avoid higher electricity charges.

This change is applicable to all relevant Low Tension (LT) consumers across the state.

Domestic equity benchmark indices went through a volatile session on Tuesday, with stock-specific activity taking the spotlight, amid geo-political tensions.

Sensex opened on a positive note of almost 180 points at 80,396 and surged to an intra-day high of 80,661. However, the index quickly erased its gains, dipping into the negative zone and reaching a low of 80,122, which was 539 points down from its highest point of the day.

Despite this, Sensex made a recovery and closed 70 points or 0.1 per cent higher at 80,288.

Similarly, Nifty opened on a positive note at 24,370 and touched an intra-day high of 24,457 during the early hours of trade.

India's gold demand surged past 800 tonnes in 2024, driven by a rise in jewellery consumption and increased investments in gold exchange traded funds (ETFs), according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The report by Zerodha Fund House revealed that India was the world’s largest consumer of gold jewellery in 2024, with total consumption reaching 563 tonnes.

The value of this consumption was estimated at around Rs 3.6 lakh crore. Gold continues to hold a significant place in Indian culture, particularly during weddings and other auspicious occasions, where its use is widespread.

Apart from jewellery, Indians are also investing heavily in gold in the form of bars and coins. In 2024, the country purchased 239 tonnes of gold in bar and coin form, valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

The Central government on Tuesday blocked the X account of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif following the barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, most of them tourists.

The action came as Pakistan's role as a "rogue state fuelling global terrorism" was laid bare by the public admission made by Asif.

A Sky News interviewer last week asked Asif if Pakistan had a long history of "backing and supporting and training and funding" terrorist organisations. He candidly admitted that it had.

In the interview, Asif had said, "We have been doing this dirty work for the United States (US) for about three decades... and West, including Britain," when questioned about Pakistan's ties with terror outfits.

Gold has continued to shine bright for investors, delivering a return of over 30 per cent since last year's Akshaya Tritiya, according to brokerage firm Ventura.

As the festival approaches this Wednesday, the price of 24-carat gold has surged from Rs 73,240 per 10 grams in 2024 to nearly Rs 94,000-Rs 95,000 per 10 grams this year.

Akshaya Tritiya is considered one of the most auspicious days to buy gold. It is believed that purchases made on this day invite prosperity and good fortune.

With this belief deeply rooted in tradition, millions across the country turn to gold not just for adornment but also as a time-tested investment -- especially during uncertain times.

Over a longer horizon, gold has delivered even more impressive returns. In the past six years, gold prices have more than tripled. On Akshaya Tritiya in 2019, 24-carat gold was priced at Rs 31,729 per 10 grams, the firm said.