Street signs: Nifty faces resistance, cigarette stocks, and more

Tobacco manufacturer ITC, Godfrey Phillips India, and VST Industries have gained since the Union Budget on February 1, even as the benchmark Sensex declined close to 3%

‘Hello, Sebi here’: FPI reps on speed dial

Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has embarked upon a drive to improve the transparency standards of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) investing in domestic equities. Last week, it amended the Sebi (FPI) Regulations, imposing stricter timelines of just seven working days for furnishing vital information by overseas funds. Sebi also gained more power-specific documents from FPIs in the manner it wants. Sources say of late, officials at Sebi have also been directly calling custodians and other FPI representatives to fill information gaps. “Earlier, the regulator used to communicate