Street Signs: F&O seismic shift, IPO fervour going strong, and more

With new eligibility criteria for futures and options (F&O) coming into effect, Jio Financial Services and Zomato are strong contenders for inclusion in the derivatives segment, according to an analysis by Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research. The report suggests that these new F&O inclusions could also propel these two companies into the benchmark National Stock Exchange Nifty 50 during the March rebalancing. To be included in the benchmark Nifty 50, stocks must be eligible for derivatives trading. Besides these two, nearly 80 companies also meet the revised F&O criteria, the brokerage said. However, the final list of inclusions and deletions is expected to be released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the exchanges soon. Meanwhile, the new norm is likely to result in the removal of 18 companies from the current list of 182 stocks. While new inclusions will occur immediately, existing stocks may be given three months to exit.

Stock surge: IPO frenzy hits warp speed

The excitement in the initial public offering (IPO) market is set to continue this week. Market sources indicate that non-banking financial firms Bajaj Housing Finance and Northern Arc will launch their IPOs. Meanwhile, Gala Precision Engineering, whose issue opens on Monday, is already commanding a grey market premium (GMP) of 40 per cent. The Rs 168 crore issue is priced between Rs 503 and Rs 529 per share. The company raised Rs 50 crore from anchor investors last week. Premier Energies and ECO Mobility, whose issues concluded last week, saw robust subscriptions of 75 and 64.3 times, respectively. Based on GMPs, Premier could list at a 90 per cent premium, while ECO Mobility could gain 50 per cent on debut. Baazar Style Retail, whose IPO closes on Tuesday, is commanding a GMP of over 30 per cent.

Sebi’s AI polyglot: Chatbot bridging language gaps in financial literacy

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is working to expand its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered investor awareness chatbot, Seva, to include multiple Indian languages, according to an official. The beta version of the chatbot, launched in July, is designed to help investors seek general information about the securities market and details of the grievance redress process. Sebi aims to provide easy access to information and enhance awareness of the securities market in the user’s preferred language. Another official noted that the regulator is engaging AI in various projects, including several related to enforcement and compliance.