Asian markets traded higher following an overnight rally on Wall Street. Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.61%, while the Topix rose 0.23%.US stock market ended higher on Wednesday, with all three major indexes registering their biggest daily percentage gains in more than two months.Here’s a table showing how US stocks performed on Wednesday:

Data Source: EquitymasterAt present, the BSE Sensex is trading 400 points higher and NSE Nifty is trading 127 points higher.SBI, Tech Mahindra, and Shriram Finance are among the top gainers today.HUL, Trent, and Cipla hand are among the top losers today.The BSE Midcap index is trading 1.3% higher and the BSE Smallcap index is trading 1.5% higher.Barring the FMCG sector all other Sectoral indices are trading positive today with stocks in the power sector, realty sector, and metal sector witnessing buying.The rupee is trading at Rs 86.43 against the US dollar.In commodity markets, gold prices are trading 0.2% higher at Rs 78,879 per 10 grams today.
 RVNL Bags New ContractState-owned Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) on Wednesday (15 January) announced receiving a Letter of Acceptance from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) for the development, upgradation, and maintenance of the middle-mile network of BharatNet.The project will follow a Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (DBOM) model and will be executed in partnership with consortium members HFCL and ATS, with RVNL serving as the lead member.The total contract value stands at Rs 36.2 bn, including operational expenses for a 10-year maintenance period.The project will involve a three-year construction phase followed by a maintenance period split into two five-year intervals.During the maintenance phase, payments will be made at 5.5% of capital expenditure for the first five years and 6.5% for the next five years. This project forms part of RVNL’s regular business activities.
 GAIL to Settle with SEFEState-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd on Wednesday (15 January) announced a settlement agreement with SEFE Marketing & Trading Singapore Pte Ltd in connection with pending arbitration proceedings.The settlement, finalised today, involves SEFE Marketing paying US$ 285 million to GAIL (India), marking a resolution to the dispute. The agreement also includes the withdrawal of the arbitration proceedings before the London Court of International Arbitration.Exide Industries to invest in EV Battery UnitBattery maker Exide Industries Limited (EIL) announced on 15 January 2025, that it has invested Rs 1.5 bn in its wholly owned subsidiary, Exide Energy Solutions Limited (EESL), through a rights issue.This brings Exide’s total investment in EESL to Rs 33 bn.The investment was made by subscribing to 4.17 million equity shares of EESL at Rs 10 per share, with a premium of Rs 26 per share.EESL, which was incorporated in March 2022, is focused on manufacturing and selling lithium-ion battery cells, modules, and packs for India’s electric vehicle market and stationary applications. The investment aims to support EESL’s greenfield plant project in Bengaluru, which is designed to produce advanced battery cells.The transaction, conducted on an arm’s length basis, does not change Exide’s 100% ownership in EESL. No related party transactions or regulatory approvals are required for the deal.

Swiggy Incorporates Sports Subsidiary
Foodtech firm Swiggy has received approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to incorporate a wholly-owned subsidiary, Swiggy Sports Pvt. Ltd, to enter the sports and recreational activities segment.The move signifies Swiggy’s effort to go beyond food and grocery delivery, attempting to solidify its out-of-home consumption business, which generated a gross revenue of Rs 458 m in the June quarter of 2024-25.Co-founded by former Indian Tennis Players Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar, the World Pickleball League (WPBL) is India’s first and only official global franchise-based pickleball league. Its inaugural season is set to take place from 24 January to 2 February.The move is aimed at amplifying brand recall especially as pickleball grows in popularity among diverse age groups. And it’s hardly new for Indian companies to engage with sports franchises.
 CEAT Q3 ResultsTyre maker and RPG Group company CEAT Ltd on Wednesday (15 January) reported a 46.5% year-on-year (YoY) decline in net profit at Rs 971 m for the third quarter that ended 31 December 2024.In the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, CEAT posted a net profit of Rs 1.8 bn.CEAT’s revenue from operations increased 11.4% to Rs 32.9 bn against Rs 29.6 bn in the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal.At the operating level, EBITDA dipped 18.3% YoY to Rs 3.4 bn over Rs 4.2 bn in Q3 FY24.More By This Author:Sensex Today Ends 224 Points Higher; Nifty Above 23,200Sensex Today Trades Higher; Nifty Above 23,150Sensex Today Ends 241 Points Lower; Nifty Below 23,450