Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: After a day of steep fall, Nifty50 and BSE Sensex opened in green on Wednesday on positive to mixed global cues. While Nifty50 went above 25,500, BSE Sensex was up over 400 points. At 9:17 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,538.70, up 114 points or 0.45%. BSE Sensex was at 82,629.13, up 403 points or 0.49%.Experts remain cautious as mixed global cues and range-bound movement in the Nifty keep investors on the sidelines. Analysts said the Nifty has been moving within a narrow band in recent sessions and may continue to do so in the near term.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “There are two significant trends in the market – one negative, other positive – which will have a bearing on how the market moves in the near-term. The negative factor is the continued weakness in IT stocks triggered by the Anthropic shock. Many leading IT names have crashed between 18 % to 26 % in the last one month alone. The positive factor is the FIIs turning buyers in February after a long time.”“The negative factor of sustained selling in IT stocks may be over and there is a possibility of some rebound in the segment. News of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot building partnership in software and services with IT firms indicates that there will be collaboration opportunities for Indian IT firms. If the weakness in IT stocks subsides and the segment recovers, the tailwind of FII buying can lift the markets. Importantly, FII buying has fundamental support from a strong economy and rising corporate earnings. Segments witnessing FII buying like financials, capital goods and pharmaceuticals are likely to remain resilient.” Wall Street ended higher on Tuesday, led by technology stocks as renewed optimism around artificial intelligence outweighed concerns about potential disruptions from the emerging technology. Asian markets also opened in positive territory after the rally in US technology stocks helped ease worries about artificial intelligence that had unsettled investors in recent weeks.In the commodities market, gold prices remained largely steady on Wednesday following a decline of more than 1 per cent in the previous session. The strength in the US dollar kept bullion prices under pressure by making dollar-denominated metals more expensive for overseas buyers.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Last week, the US Supreme Court dismantled Trump’s tariff playbook and now, his administration is responsible to refund $134 billion collected in tariff revenue over the past months. The key question, however, is whether US consumers, who bore the cost of the tariffs, will receive any refunds.Since assuming office for his second term, US President Donald Trump introduced a series of tariffs targeting multiple countries. These levies are generally paid by importers, including companies such as Costco, Walmart and Target, rather than directly by consumers. Even though US consumers had to pay for the tariffs, the payment was indirect as they were not the ones making actual payments to the government.

So will US consumers get any tariff refunds?

The short answer is no — and here’s why. Because consumers paid the tariffs only indirectly, any refunds issued by the US administration will be directed to the entities that originally paid them — the so-called importer of record — rather than to end consumers, CNN reported. How these refunds will be processed remains uncertain, and Trump told reporters that the process could take up to five years.Businesses bore most of the cost of tariffs, but some of the expense was passed on to shoppers. Research from the Harvard Business School’s Pricing Lab estimates that consumers indirectly covered about a quarter of tariff costs through higher prices. Overall, the Tax Foundation calculated that tariffs increased the average household’s tax burden by roughly $1,000 last year.To ease the financial impact, the Trump administration had proposed $2,000 rebate checks for consumers. These payments, however, would require Congressional approval and are intended as stimulus measures rather than true tariff refunds. It is unclear whether the Supreme Court ruling has affected these potential rebates.Some companies have sued the government to recover tariff payments. Costco, for example, sought a refund ahead of the Supreme Court ruling. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent had also flagged that customers are unlikely to see any share of the money refunded to companies. Following the ruling, FedEx became the first major corporation to file a lawsuit against the administration. Even if companies receive refunds, legal costs and the fact that businesses absorbed most of the tariff burden make passing money back to consumers improbable.

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In an emotional setback for the Indian cricket team, middle-order batter Rinku Singh has left the T20 World Cup camp in Chennai and returned to Aligarh to attend to a serious family health emergency, casting doubt over his availability for Thursday’s do-or-die Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The development has opened the door for Sanju Samson, who responded with an intense and extended net session at Chepauk that showcased his destructive power .

Rinku Singh rushes home as father’s health deteriorates

According to multiple reports, Rinku’s father, who is battling fourth-stage liver cancer, has been admitted to a hospital and is currently on ventilator support. The 28-year-old left-hander did not attend the team’s practice session in Chennai on Tuesday and has travelled to be with his family during this critical time.

The news comes as a significant blow to India’s plans for the must-win encounter. Rinku has featured in all five matches India have played in the tournament, primarily in the critical finisher’s role. While he has managed only 24 runs across those innings, often arriving with very few deliveries remaining, his presence at No. 7 provides crucial balance to the lower order.

The team management is unlikely to rush Rinku back for Thursday’s game, with reports indicating that his participation remains uncertain.

Sanju Samson’s extended net session turns heads

With Rinku’s absence looming large, focus has sharply shifted to Sanju Samson, who responded to the opportunity with an extraordinary display of power-hitting during Tuesday’s practice session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium .

The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter, who last played against Namibia on February 12, arrived at the nets around 6:35 pm IST and embarked on a marathon session that lasted well over two hours. Initially struggling to time the ball against pacers Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube and Mohammed Siraj, Samson gradually found his rhythm.

“By the time he swapped with Ishan Kishan for the third time, Samson had hit his strides,” reported The New Indian Express. “He continued with the usual big back and across trigger movement and picked up everything that was on the back of length or shorter, swatting and pulling Siraj and Arshdeep into the stands.” 

What followed was particularly telling. After his intense session against pace, Samson moved to the other end of the ground to face spinners for another half-hour. He then completed keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip before heading to the outdoor nets for an additional 30 minutes of throwdowns, many delivered by assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate himself .

The selection equation: Who makes into the playing XI?

Samson’s surge comes at a time when India’s top-order batting has been under intense scrutiny following the 76-run hammering by South Africa. The defending champions slumped to 111 all out while chasing 188, with their left-hand heavy top order exposed yet again .

Sunil Gavaskar has already advocated for Axar Patel’s return in place of Washington Sundar, citing the lack of left-handed batters in Zimbabwe’s line-up. But Rinku’s absence creates an additional vacancy, and multiple combinations are being considered .

There is a high possibility of Samson opening the batting and pushing either of the two left-handers – Abhishek Sharma or Ishan Kishan – down the order.

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026 – Ravi Shastri proposes tactical shake-up in India’s playing XI for Super 8 game against Zimbabwe

Beyond the batting reshuffle, India are almost certain to bring Axar Patel back into the playing XI after his controversial omission against South Africa. Washington Sundar, preferred for match-ups against left-handers, contributed little with either bat or ball and is expected to make way .

The Chepauk surface, traditionally spin-friendly, could also see Kuldeep Yadav return to the XI after his solitary appearance against Pakistan. If India opt for three spinners, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep would join Axar, with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube providing pace options alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

India currently languish third in Group 1 with zero points and a disastrous net run rate of -3.800 after their South Africa defeat. Thursday’s clash against Zimbabwe is effectively a knockout – another loss would end their semifinal hopes and extinguish their title defence.

For Samson, who has watched from the sidelines throughout most of the tournament, this could be the moment he has been waiting for. His extended net session in Chennai was not merely about timing the ball – it was a statement of intent.

The Kerala batter now stands on the cusp of a opportunity to script redemption on a ground where he will soon represent Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026.

Also READ: 3 reasons why MS Dhoni won’t play every match of IPL 2026

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) reiterated his “drill, baby, drill” push for the country, as he highlighted rising energy outputs. Addressing the 2026 State of the Union, he went on to describe Venezuela as America’s new “friend and partner.” Trump said, “American natural gas production is at an all-time high because I kept my promise to drill, baby, drill,” adding, “American oil production is up by more than 600,000 barrels a day.”

Highlighting imports from Venezuela, he added, “We just received from our new friend and partner, Venezuela, more than 80 million barrels of oil.” During the address, Trump also claimed petrol prices had fallen to below $2.30 per gallon in most states. However, according to AAA, the national average stood at $2.95 per gallon as of Tuesday — down from $3.14 a year earlier but still higher than the president’s figure.

He further said that the country was set for a “turnaround for the ages,” as he sought to counter weak poll numbers and growing challenges ahead of key midterm elections. Earlier in January, Trump suggested that Washington’s ties were improving with Caracas. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he said that US was working “along really well” with Venezuela’s leadership after Maduro’s capture. “Venezuela is really working out well. We’re working along really well with the leadership, and we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump said. He added that Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, had asked the United States if it could “take 50 million barrels of oil.” “I said, ‘yes, we can’ — that’s $4.2 billion, and it’s on its way right now to the United States,” Trump said.Last month, Trump had ordered the seizure of socialist leader Maduro on allegations of drug trafficking and other crimes. Following that move, Washington eased oil sanctions on Venezuela in a bid to boost output.

MUMBAI: As many as 93,940 women went missing across Maharashtra in 2024 and 2025. Of these, 67,458, or 72%, were found. In the same period, 23,429 minor girls were reported missing, of which 18,769, or 80.1%, were found. These figures were provided by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who controls the home portfolio, in a written reply in the state assembly on Tuesday.The data shows that the number of women reported missing rose by 2,616 from 45,662 in 2024 to 48,278 in 2025. The number of minor girls reported missing rose by 797 during the same period, with the figure rising from 11,316 to 12,113.Fadnavis responded to written questions in the assembly regarding missing women, children and adolescents in the state.Providing figures on missing boys and girls within the police headquarters of Mumbai city, Fadnavis stated that 4,515 children were reported missing in 2024-25, of which 4,455, or 98.6%, were found. Significantly, the number of girls reported missing was almost twice as high as boys. In 2024-25, 1,435 boys and 3,080 girls were reported missing. Of these, 1,409 boys and 3,046 girls were found.In the Navi Mumbai police headquarters area, 323 boys were reported missing in 2024 and 2025. Of these, 313 were found, the data showed. Also, 651 girls were reported missing in these two years, of which 627 were found, the data showed.It also showed that 4,989 adolescents, aged 15 to 18, were reported missing in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Raigad, Nagpur city and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2024 and 2025. Of these, 4,813, or more than 96%, were found.Fadnavis said the state has been running Operation Muskaan to search for missing children since July 2015. Until Dec 2024, as many as 41,193 minor boys and girls were traced.Currently, the 14th phase of this initiative is underway. From Jan 20 to Feb 16, as many as 1,409 children were found, including 454 boys and 947 girls.

England skipper Harry Brook produced a breathtaking rescue act with a 100 off just 51 balls to steer his side to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in their Super 8 Group 2 clash at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Promoted to No. 3 for the first time in his T20I career, Brook smashed 10 fours and four sixes, scoring 41 of England’s 53 Powerplay runs and almost single-handedly keeping his side in the hunt. His innings also made him the first England captain to score a T20 World Cup century.“Whenever we lose, it feels like he’s the one making the difference. But credit where it’s due – he batted brilliantly today. Hopefully, he saves some runs for the game against New Zealand. Especially in that kind of form, he plays all around the ground – 360 degrees – which makes it very challenging to set fields and execute plans. They were smart. They didn’t attack too hard, they just rotated the strike well,” said Salman Agha, reflecting on Brook’s dominance.

The chase began with drama as Shaheen Afridi removed Phil Salt for a golden duck and Jos Buttler under-edged the next delivery for just 2. Shaheen accounted for Bethell as well, finishing with 3 wickets in the Powerplay. But Brook weathered the storm, punishing spin and pace alike. He launched Mohammad Nawaz for 4, 4, and 6 in a single over and smashed Shadab Khan for a 96-metre straight six, effectively turning the contest on its head.“Started well with the bat, but we couldn’t finish the way we wanted. At the end of the day, you have to give credit to the opposition. The way Harry Brook batted was outstanding – he completely took the game away from us,” Agha said after the match, underlining the impact of Brook’s innings.Brook’s century helped England reach 166-8 in 19.1 overs, with Will Jacks adding 28 crucial runs. Pakistan’s Usman Tariq fought valiantly with two key wickets, but Brook remained unflappable, guiding his side to victory with just five balls to spare and securing England’s fifth consecutive men’s T20 World Cup semifinal berth.“It was a mixed surface, but I thought we bowled really well up front. Then Harry came in and played an outstanding innings. We threw everything at him, but he was simply too good for us today,” added Agha, summing up England’s performance and Brook’s match-winning display.Pakistan now need to beat Sri Lanka and hope for favourable results.