Asian share markets held near seven-month highs on Thursday though traded mostly sideways as investors awaited fresh catalysts that would provide further clarity on the global interest rate easing cycle.MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last little changed and strayed not too far from a seven-month peak hit in the previous session, as traders shrugged off higher-than-expected US inflation rate data.US markets fell on 13 March, giving up yesterday’s gains as growth stocks pulled the indices lower.Here’s a table showing how US stocks performed on Wednesday:

Source: EquitymasterAt present, the BSE Sensex is trading 38 points lower and NSE Nifty is trading 7 points higher.Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports and L&T are among the top gainers today.TCS, Tata Steel, and Bajaj Finance on the other hand are among the top losers today.Broader markets are trading mixed. The BSE Midcap index is trading 0.7% higher and the BSE Small Cap index is trading 1.3% higher.Sectoral indices are trading mixed, with socks in the telecom sector, oil & gas sector, and banking sector witnessing buying. Meanwhile, stocks in the realty sector and banking sector are witnessing selling pressure.The rupee is trading at Rs 82.87 against the US dollar.In commodity markets, gold prices are trading marginally higher at Rs 65,825 per 10 grams today.Meanwhile, silver prices are trading 0.2% higher at Rs 75,333 per 1 kg.
 Tata Motors to Set Up Vehicle Manufacturing UnitTata Motors on Wednesday signed a pact with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a vehicle manufacturing plant in Ranipet near Vellore with an investment of Rs 90 bn.The investment over five years, is expected to create over 5,000 jobs.This comes at a time when the company is planning to split its passenger and commercial vehicle businesses into two listed companies. Trucks, and buses with related investments will be housed in one entity, while the second company will include passenger cars, electric vehicles (EVs), and Jaguar Land Rover.This is the second major automobile-related investment in the state in almost two months.Vietnam-based EV player VinFast, a rival of Tesla in the global market, started work on building its Rs 160 bn EV manufacturing facility at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.The company’s move is seen as an attempt to expand its manufacturing footprint in South India. The company has manufacturing plants at Dharwad (Karnataka), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), and Sanand (Gujarat).Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), teams from Guidance, Tamil Nadu’s nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation, and Tata Motors will work together to take this opportunity forward.Tata Motors shocked investors with a post-market demerger announcement. 
 Zydus Launches Anti-cancer DrugZydus Lifesciences on Wednesday said it has launched olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, under the brand name IBYRA in India, making advanced cancer treatment accessible to all.PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase) is a protein that helps damaged cells to repair themselves. As a cancer treatment, PARP inhibitors block the PARP from doing its repair work in cancer cells, and the cell dies.The drug will target specific genetic mutations prevalent in certain types of cancers, paving the way for a more tailored and effective treatment approach.To help identify the right patients and facilitate access, Zydus has collaborated with MedGenome for comprehensive HRD testing. This along with a year-long treatment of IBYRA has been capped at Rs 3 lakhs, as compared to the cost of around Rs 7.2 million (m) by the innovator.Out of 1.4 m newly diagnosed cancer patients in India, nearly 0.3 m patients are diagnosed with breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers as per Globocan 2022 data.Amongst these patients, those who are diagnosed as HRD positive or with BRACA mutation need to be administered this PARP inhibitor, which can delay the progression of the disease. IBYRA is the next-gen targeted therapy for HRD-positive and BRACA-positive cancer patients.
 Federal Bank Stops Issuance of New Co-Branded Credit CardsFederal Bank has stopped issuing new co-branded credit cards, citing regulatory guidance from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The move comes as part of the bank’s commitment to rectify areas of deficiency outlined in a letter from the RBI and to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.The Federal Bank, in its notice, assured customers that it is actively working to address the identified issues and will seek regulatory clearance before resuming the issuance of new co-branded credit cards.Despite the temporary suspension of new co-branded credit card issuance, the Federal Bank said it remains committed to serving its existing customers who currently hold co-branded credit cards.Customers with these cards can expect continued support and service from the bank.In addition, the Federal Bank emphasised that it will continue to offer credit cards in the non-co-branded segment.In another development, South Indian Bank also announced a temporary suspension of onboarding new customers for its co-branded credit cards in compliance with RBI’s directives.More By This Author:Sensex Today Tanks 906 Points; BSE Smallcap Index Slides 5% Sensex Today Trades Flat; ITC Soars 6%, BSE 3%Sensex Today Ends 165 Points Higher; Realty Index sinks 4%