The latest stock market news brings a packed set of developments across regulation, banking, energy, technology, and digital payments. In today’s market update from Jarvis Invest, SEBI’s scrutiny of Closing Auction Session trades, rising ARC purchases of stressed loans, Bharti Airtel’s cloud expansion, and developments around the FCNR(B) window take centre stage. Meanwhile, record Russian crude imports, rising Brent prices amid Strait of Hormuz tensions, Zee Entertainment’s SAT appeal, and fresh clarity on MDR for UPI give investors several key developments to track.
Stock Market News: SEBI Examines Closing Auction Session Trades After Sharp Nifty Swings
SEBI is closely examining the trades executed during the Closing Auction Session (CAS) on 03-Aug and 04-Aug for signals of price manipulation. The markets had seen extreme volatility in the CAS period in the first 2 days after it was introduced. CAS was introduced to have a more credible closing price for the index. SEBI wants to examine whether the gap between the pre-CAS and post-CAS index levels were normal or otherwise. On both days, the Nifty had moved 150-200 points in a matter of minutes during the CAS. Weak liquidity could be a risk for CAS.
Stock Market News: ARC Bad Loan Purchases Surge Over 50% to ₹26,304 Crore
In Q1FY27, asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) purchased non-performing loans worth ₹26,304 crore from Indian banks, a spike of over 50% yoy. This included purchase of corporate loans worth ₹17,942 crore and retail loans worth ₹8,362 crore, with corporate loan NPL purchases rising sharply in Q1FY27. This is despite headline gross NPAs of Indian banks coming down from 2.8% in FY24 to 1.8% in FY26. Not all sales to ARCs were of NPLs as some technically written-off accounts also got sold. ARCIL was the most active player in the bad loan purchase market in Q1FY27.
Stock Market News: Bharti Airtel Scales Up Cloud Business With 33 Customers
Bharti Airtel is scaling up its cloud business in a big way by leveraging sovereign-by-design architecture, MEITY certification, and focused offerings for regulated sectors. In Q1FY27, Bharti Airtel added 11 cloud customers taking total cloud customers to 33. Airtel is offering infrastructure as a service (IAAS) and Platform as a service (PAAS). Its current infrastructure is engineered to support up to 140 crore transactions per minute. Cloud is part of the Airtel Business Digital Service franchise and accounts for around 15% of the total revenues of Bharti Airtel as of Q1FY27.
Stock Market News: RBI May Shut FCNR(B) Window Early as Inflows Surge
A week after the RBI affirmed it had no intentions to pre-close or extend the FCNR(B) window; reports suggest RBI may shut the window early due to the deluge of FCNR(B) deposits. FCNR(B) flows are estimated to cross $50 billion by end of this week, which will take the extrapolated flows to over $100 billion by end-September 2026. Banks are offering high tax-free returns with currency risk taken care, so there is a huge cost the government is indirectly footing. As of last week, FCNR(B) flows stood at $42.8 billion with overall flows including OFCBs and ECBs at $47 billion.
Stock Market News: Zee Entertainment and Punit Goenka Challenge SEBI Order at SAT
Zee Entertainment and Punit Goenka have moved the SAT against the SEBI order banning the Zee promoters from capital markets for 1 year. The SEBI order came immediately after shareholders of Zee approved promoters infusing ₹3,143 crore to increase their stake in Zee from 3.99% to 24%. SAT has listed the matter for hearing on Wednesday. The funding structure entails an upfront payment of 25%, with remaining warrants to be exercised within 18 months. SEBI order pertains to the unauthorized pledge of Zee land to secure loans for promoter group entities.
India’s Russian Oil Imports Hit Another Record Despite US Tariff Risk
Despite risk of 100% tariffs being imposed on India by the US, its import of Russian oil touched a record for second month in a row. In July 2026, India imported 2.80 million bpd of Russian crude worth €5.50 billion, 2.1% higher than the volumes imported in June 2026. For July, Russian crude accounted for 55.5% of overall Indian crude imports. Prior to the Ukraine War, share of Russia in India’s crude basket was under 3%. There was a surge of Russian oil flows from various ports including Mundra, Vadinar, and Mumbai. India’s monthly crude imports are 5 million bpd.
Brent Crude Jumps to $84 as Iran Sets Conditions for Reopening Hormuz
The price of Brent Crude spiked to $84/bbl after Iran refused to open the Straits of Hormuz unless the US acceded to its demands. Iran’s demands include full relief from sanctions, assurance of no further attacks on Iranian infrastructure, and compensation for damages caused by the US and Israel. The Straits of Hormuz moves nearly 20% of the world cargo. Once the US role is agreed upon, the bilateral agreement will be signed between Oman and Iran, the two countries adjoining the Straits of Hormuz. Iran wants to impose levies on trade through the Straits.
Parliament Clears Taxation Amendment Bill as UPI Remains Free of MDR
Parliament cleared the Taxation Amendment Bill, with Nirmala Sitharaman clarifying that the UPI will continue to remain free of MDR. However, the amendments also have an enabling provision to modify the zero-MDR framework for digital transactions. For now, the debate on MDR on UPI has been set to rest. She also affirmed that UPI will continue to be free of charges for the consumer. Now, the government can notify which digital services should remain free and which can be charged. UPI had been one of the big digital success stories of the NDA government.
Conclusion
Today’s stock market news highlights how regulatory developments, global energy risks, banking flows, and corporate developments continue to shape the investment landscape. From SEBI’s examination of Closing Auction Session trades and Zee Entertainment’s SAT appeal to record Russian crude imports and developments around UPI, investors have multiple triggers to monitor. Jarvis Invest continues to track these developments to help investors stay informed as market conditions evolve.
