Asian stocks declined and the dollar rose as investors awaited the release of the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge for fresh clues about its policy outlook.A key gauge of regional shares fell 0.2% early Friday, with losses in Australia and South Korea. Japan was an outlier after the yen weakenedUS stock futures fell on Thursday evening as traders anticipated the latest reading of the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation gauge.Here’s a table showing how US stocks performed on Thursday:

Source: EquitymasterAt present, the BSE Sensex is trading 13 points lower and NSE Nifty is trading 16 points lower.NTPC, TCS, and Hero MotoCorp are among the top gainers today.Axis Bank, Cipla, and L&T hand are among the top losers today.The BSE Midcap index and the BSE Smallcap index are trading flat.Sectoral indices are trading mixed today with stocks in the power sector, telecom sector, and IT sector witnessing buying. Meanwhile, the stocks in the metal sector and FMCG sector witnessing selling pressure.The rupee is trading at Rs 85.1 against the US dollar.In commodity markets, gold prices are trading marginally higher at Rs 75,742 per 10 grams today.
 KPI Green Energy’s Bonus IssueKPI Green Energy Ltd. has announced 3 January as the record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders for its proposed bonus issue of equity shares. As per an exchange filing on Thursday, the bonus shares will be issued in the ratio of one equity share of Rs 5 face value for every two existing shares held.The issuance of bonus shares remains subject to shareholder approval, which the company is securing through a postal ballot.KPI Green’s board had initially recommended the bonus issue on 14 November, and the shares are expected to be dispatched within two months from that date, no later than 14 January 2025.The bonus shares will be drawn from the company’s securities premium account as of 31 March 2024.In addition to this, KPI Green has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Rajasthan government to develop hybrid solar and wind power projects in Jaisalmer.
 Hyundai’s Local Battery RevolutionHyundai Motor is set to become the first automaker in the country to incorporate locally manufactured battery cells in its electric vehicles. This development follows the company’s signing of a binding term sheet with Exide Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of Exide Industries.The agreement focuses on the production and supply of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells tailored for Hyundai’s EVs in the Indian market.This initiative not only enhances Hyundai’s cost competitiveness but also aligns with India’s carbon-neutrality objectives by fostering localised battery sourcing.
 JK Cement Wins Bid for Coal MineJK Cement Ltd. has emerged as the successful bidder for the Mahan coal mine in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday.The mine has a geological coal reserve of approximately 107.4 million tonnes and a peak-rated capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum.This marks the company’s second commercial coal block win, following its acquisition of the West of Shahdol (South) coal block.The vesting order was handed over to JK Cement during a ceremony at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi, a critical milestone for commencing mining operations within the stipulated timeline.Bharti Airtel Prepays spectrum DuesBharti Airtel on Thursday announced that it has cleared all dues owed to the government for spectrum acquired in 2016, prepaying Rs 3,626 crore to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).With this payment, Airtel has now prepaid all its spectrum liabilities with interest costs higher than 8.6%.In 2024, Airtel prepaid a total of Rs 283.2 bn in spectrum liabilities. In June, the company cleared all dues from the 2012 and 2015 auctions by prepaying Rs 79 bn to the DoT.On 30 September Airtel paid Rs 84.7 bn in dues for the 2016 auction.Rival Reliance Jio had cleared its outstanding dues of Rs 107 bn for the spectrum acquired in the 2016 auction back in October 2021. Subsequently, Jio paid the accrued interest for the spectrum purchased between 2014 and 2016 as part of a Rs 302.9 bn payment in January 2022.The government had auctioned 2,354.55 MHz of spectrum across seven bands in 2016, with participation from Bharti Airtel, Jio, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices, and Aircel.However, only 40% of the spectrum put up for auction was sold due to high base prices.The telecom reforms package of 2021 allowed telcos to convert the interest on moratorium principals into equity.In November, the Cabinet waived the requirement for spectrum usage charges on spectrum acquired by telcos in six auctions held between 2012 and 2022.The spectrum auction rules of 2022 and 2024 had already removed this requirement.More By This Author:Sensex Today Tanks 964 Points; Nifty Ends Below 24,000Sensex Today Tanks 900 Points; Nifty Below 24,000Sensex Today Tanks 502 Points; Nifty Ends Below 23,200