Street Signs: Fundraising opens up; anchor row twist; F&O stretches

A packed fundraising calendar, an anchor-allocation flashpoint, and a major shift in derivatives trading set the stage for one of the busiest - and most closely watched - weeks in markets

Fundraising floodgates swing wide open 

This week promises to be a blockbuster for equity fundraising. Adani Enterprises’ ₹24,930 crore rights issue closes on Wednesday, Swiggy is expected to complete its ₹10,000 crore qualified institutional placement, and ICICI Prudential Asset Management’s ₹10,000 crore initial public offering will hit the market on Friday. “This is another endorsement of India’s deepening capital markets. A few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine multiple mega issues landing in the same week without straining secondary-market performance,” observed an investment banker. 

Anchor row throws a wild card into the mix 

Meesho’s anchor allocation dispute could prompt issuers and investment bankers to rethink how shares are distributed to cornerstone investors in oversubscribed initial public offerings (IPOs), industry executives say. Reports last week suggested that several major Indian and global asset managers withdrew from the company’s “anchor” tranche, protesting what they viewed as an excessively generous allocation to SBI Funds Management. Sources say that when anchor demand far outstrips supply, issuers may resort to a “lucky dip” to decide which investors receive shares. “Bankers are cautious about upsetting anyone at a time when IPO activity is expected to remain strong. Ensuring equitable treatment across investors is vital,” said one banker. 

F&O markets take a pre-bell stretch 

The National Stock Exchange will roll out a 15-minute pre-open session in the futures and options (F&O) segment starting Monday, marking a major structural change in derivatives trading. Modelled on the cash segment framework, the move aims to sharpen price discovery, bolster liquidity, and reduce opening-hour volatility. The reform is expected to bring the F&O market closer to global benchmarks by supporting “cleaner, data-driven openings”. Risk controls such as margin validation, self-trade prevention, and dynamic price protection will remain active during the pre-open phase.