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What is a Stock Market?

Stock Market

About Stock Market

What is a Stock Market?

Basic explanation of stock market:

It is a place where regular activities of buying, selling, and issuance of shares of publicly-held companies take place. In the stock market, one can also trade in financial instruments such as derivatives, bonds, mutual funds, along with shares of a listed company.
 
A stock exchange is the meeting place for buyers and sellers for trade. In India, the prime stock exchanges are the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

Types of markets:

One can trade in either one of the two market segments: the primary market and secondary market.
 
Primary market:
 
The primary market is where a company
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Latest Updates on Stock Market

Asian shares get tech lift as Iran, rate uncertainty loom over markets

Trading was ​thinned in Asia with markets in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, but MSCI's broadest ‌index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.5 per cent

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Updated On : 19 Feb 2026 | 8:27 AM IST

Santam Re opens GIFT City branch to scale Indian and Asian reinsurance play

Santam Re has launched its GIFT City branch as an IFSC office, focusing initially on India's reinsurance market before expanding into broader Asian and Middle Eastern regions

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Updated On : 19 Feb 2026 | 12:17 AM IST

Gold, silver ETFs and FoFs drive MF investor additions to 18-month high

A rally in gold and silver pushed MF investor additions to an 18-month high in January, with 1.2 million new investors joining and precious metal ETFs driving most folio growth

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Updated On : 18 Feb 2026 | 10:51 PM IST

Only 65% IPOs in FY26 have opened higher than issue price, a seven-year low

Share of IPOs opening above issue price drops to 64.6%, median gains shrink sharply amid market volatility

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Updated On : 18 Feb 2026 | 10:49 PM IST

Sebi forms working group to review ESG rating norms, enhance transparency

Sebi has constituted a working group comprising issuers, investors, rating providers and legal experts to review the ESG rating framework and recommend policy measures

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Updated On : 18 Feb 2026 | 7:12 PM IST

Higher capex likely to increase debt burden for Hindalco Industries

Hindalco's Q3 met expectations but analysts flagged risks from rising capex, Novelis disruptions and higher working capital needs, which could pressure leverage over the next four years

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Updated On : 17 Feb 2026 | 10:42 PM IST

Valuations reflect growth prospects as Siemens Energy expands capacity

Siemens Energy's December-quarter results show strong revenue and profit growth, a rising order book, and major capex plans across transmission and generation as demand momentum builds

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Updated On : 16 Feb 2026 | 11:07 PM IST

Ola Electric hit by volume slump, market share loss as Q3 revenue plunges

Ola Electric's Q3FY26 revenue fell 55% amid a steep drop in scooter volumes, triggering a 7% slide in its stock as brokerages flagged prolonged turnaround risks and ongoing market share erosion

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Updated On : 16 Feb 2026 | 9:43 PM IST

Brokers body may approach RBI on funding norms, flags market concerns

Brokerages are planning to approach the RBI to review revised capital market exposure norms, which they say could hurt proprietary trading, raise MTF funding costs and weigh on market liquidity

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Updated On : 16 Feb 2026 | 8:16 PM IST

Strong Q3 show, trade deals drive gains for auto-component stocks

Segment has outperformed the Nifty Auto index so far this year

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Updated On : 15 Feb 2026 | 10:03 PM IST

BSE shares hit fresh record high on strong Q3 earnings performance

BSE shares rose more than 6 per cent to a fresh all-time high after the exchange posted strong Q3 earnings, aided by higher transaction income and gains in the derivatives segment

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Updated On : 10 Feb 2026 | 10:57 PM IST

A first: Gold ETFs knocked equity funds off the flow podium in January

Gold, silver ETF inflows hit ₹33,5O0 crore as investors looked to join the precious metal rally

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Updated On : 10 Feb 2026 | 10:54 PM IST

Smallcaps, midcaps could see more pain: Ambit Capital's Nitin Bhasin

Bhasin says valuations of SMIDs relative to largecaps are still expensive and need to converge

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Updated On : 09 Feb 2026 | 11:18 PM IST

Retail holdings in NSE-listed companies at 4-year low in Q3 FY26

Decline can be attributed to the spike in volatility and poor trailing returns

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Updated On : 09 Feb 2026 | 10:20 PM IST

NSE 'hopeful' of some review on STT hike, cites limited impact on volumes

The exchange said industry representations have flagged concerns over the Budget-announced STT hike, though past increases have not had a significant negative impact on trading volumes

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Updated On : 09 Feb 2026 | 8:00 PM IST

Dream Money integrates with ONDC to roll out mutual fund distribution

Dream Money, the fintech arm of Dream Sports, has integrated with the ONDC network to enable nationwide mutual fund distribution, signalling a sharper focus on investment products

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Updated On : 09 Feb 2026 | 7:34 PM IST

Nykaa's revival rests on more than just growth, focus shifts to margins

Sustained margin expansion will shape the durability of its comeback

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Updated On : 08 Feb 2026 | 10:27 PM IST

Technical issues at depositories delays settlement of stock trades

Brokerages face continued trade settlement issues even as NSDL says systems are back to normal, leaving some investors unable to sell stocks

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Updated On : 06 Feb 2026 | 6:02 PM IST

PB Fintech shares jump over 9% after company cancels board meet for QIP

PB Fintech's stock rallied sharply after it scrapped a board meeting to consider a QIP, easing worries over fresh dilution and capital allocation amid plans for overseas and healthcare expansion

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Updated On : 05 Feb 2026 | 5:45 PM IST

IPO pipeline stirs as markets rebound, but deal sizes continue to shrink

A rebound in equities after the India-US trade deal has lifted primary market sentiment, though companies are launching IPOs at materially reduced sizes amid valuation caution

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Updated On : 04 Feb 2026 | 11:25 PM IST