Asian markets showed a mixed performance on Friday as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of China's inflation data later in the day.

Overnight in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished higher on Thursday, while the Nasdaq Composite faced selling pressure as investors rotated out of technology stocks

Here's a table showing how US stocks performed on Thursday:

Source: Equitymaster

At present, the BSE Sensex is trading 51 points higher, and the NSE Nifty is trading 21 points higher.

Eternal, Tech Mahindra, and HCL Tech are among the top gainers today.

Adani Ports, NTPC, and Sun Pharma, on the other hand, are among the top losers today.

The BSE Midcap index is trading 0.1% lower, and the BSE Smallcap index is trading 0.3% lower.

Sectoral indices are trading mixed today, with stocks in the oil & gas sector and the IT sector witnessing buying. Meanwhile, stocks in realty sector and the service sector witnessed selling pressure.

The rupee is trading at Rs 90 against the US dollar.
 

Bajaj Finserv Acquires Allianz Insurance Stakes

Bajaj Finserv, one of India's leading financial services companies, has successfully completed the purchase of a 23% stake in its insurance businesses, Bajaj General Insurance and Bajaj Life Insurance from Allianz SE. The acquisition was made along with Bajaj Holdings & Investment Limited and Jamnalal Sons Private Limited, for Rs 121.9 billion (bn) and Rs 92 bn respectively.

With this deal, the Bajaj Group's ownership of both insurance companies has increased from 74% to 97%. Bajaj Finserv now has full control of the insurance businesses, holding a 75.01% stake. This acquisition also ends the long-standing 24-year partnership between Bajaj Finserv and Allianz SE.

The remaining 3% stake held by Allianz is expected to be transferred in the coming months through planned share buyback, subject to regulatory approvals. After this process, Bajaj Finserv's stake is likely to rise to about 77.3%, while Bajaj Holdings & Investment Limited will hold around 18.1%. The rest will be owned by Jamnalal Sons Private Limited.

This deal is the largest transaction ever in India's insurance sector and is also one of the biggest cases of an Indian business group buying out its global joint venture partner.
 

Bharat Forge Partners Agile Robots

Bharat Forge has entered into an agreement with Germany-based Agile Robots S.E. to explore a strategic partnership in the field of AI-powered robotics and smart industrial automation.

The collaboration aims to bring advanced robotic and automation solutions to industries such as automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics.

By combining Bharat Forge's deep industry experience with Agile Robots' expertise in intelligent robotics and automation, the partnership plans to develop and deploy modern manufacturing solutions in India and Southeast Asia.

The focus will be entirely on civilian manufacturing and industrial applications.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two companies will work together to create customized automation solutions for manufacturing, consumer goods, and logistics.

They also plan to develop advanced vision- and AI-based robotic systems to support fully automated, or dark, factories where production can run with minimal human involvement.
 

Astra Strengthens Defence Avionics Portfolio

Astra Microwave Products has announced that its joint venture, Astra Rafael Comsys Private Limited, has received a major order worth Rs 2.75 bn from the Indian Air Force. The joint venture is a partnership between Astra Microwave Products and Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The order is for integrating and installing software systems in Indian Air Force aircraft as part of its modernization program. The work includes installing software-defined radios (SDRs) and network-centric operating applications on MiG-29 fighter jets, as well as supplying 24 SDRs for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A.

The project has been awarded by a domestic defence organization and is expected to be completed within 12 months.

Astra will earn its share of revenue through the joint venture.

This order is an important milestone for Astra Rafael Comsys and reflects the increasing role of Indian defence partnerships in advanced communication and software systems. It is expected to strengthen the company's presence in the aerospace and defence sector, especially in avionics integration and mission-critical communication technologies.

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