Top stocks to buy (AI image)

Stock market recommendations: According to Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, the top stock picks for the week (starting December 15, 2025) are SBI Life, and RBL Bank. Let’s take a look:

SBI LifeSBI Life is expected to sustain steady operating performance with strong growth in Annual Premium Equivalent (APE) and Value of New Business (VNB), supported by a favorable product mix shift toward protection and non-par offerings. VNB margin improved to 27.9% in Q2FY26, even after a 70–80bp drag from the GST-related input tax credit loss in 1HFY26. Momentum remains robust in high-margin categories, with individual protection rising 24% YoY and non-par savings and annuity segments growing 40–50%. Persistency has strengthened, and assets under management increased 10% YoY to ₹4.8tn, reinforcing long-term earnings potential. Management maintains confidence in achieving 13–14% individual APE growth for FY26 and reiterates its 26–28% VNB margin outlook, expecting product mix improvements, higher rider penetration, and cost efficiencies to offset GST-related pressures. Structural shifts toward protection, non-par products, and digital sourcing continue to support sustained value creation.RBL BankRBL Bank’s growth prospects improve meaningfully with Emirates NBD’s proposed USD3 billion investment, giving ENBD a 60% promoter stake that will rise to 62% once its India branches merge with the bank. The infusion strengthens RBK’s net worth and brings a highly profitable global partner with strong capabilities in funding, corporate banking, remittances, treasury, and risk management.Operational metrics are trending positively, with margins, asset quality, and profitability improving on the back of better liability management and a more balanced asset mix. Growth remains solid as the bank deliberately slows unsecured lending and scales secured products including MSME, gold loans, SME and mid-corporate, tractors, affordable housing, and secured business loans. With easing macro pressures, a more secure loan book, ENBD’s expertise, and rising operating leverage, RBL is positioned for stronger, more diversified, and more profitable expansion.(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)

Noah Lyles (Getty Images)

PUNE: Noah Lyles is all about fractions of a second. The finest of margins define his sport, and the man himself — the fastest in the world at the moment. In the city as brand ambassador for the Bajaj Pune Marathon, one glimpse of the Paris Olympic 100m champion is enough to feel the energy he carries within. In an extensive chat with TOI, the American sprinter tells us he never liked to go to school or college. But when he breaks down his races, he appears nothing short of a mathematician.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Excerpts:What are your first impressions of India?I’m pretty excited to be here. I have a very big Indian following on social media, and for about two years I kept telling my agent, “I’ve got to make it out”. This is the first time we’ve had the time, or forced time to finally come here.

What makes you technically so strong and the fastest in today’s era?From early on, I was always a student of what I do, how I run, what makes great athletes, what makes champions. I’m extremely ambitious. It’s also about training smarter, not harder. A lot of people think if they just give all their effort, they’ll get better. That’s true to a degree, but it’s much more efficient to know why you’re training.I learned why I need certain foods, which foods my body works best with, what kind of massages work best, when I need a chiropractor. These little details are what make me dangerous. I’m always looking for the weakest chink in the armour so I can patch it up, make it stronger. As that gets stronger, I get stronger.People talk about your speed, not as much about your ‘race IQ’. Do you make decisions mid-race?Oh yeah, absolutely, especially in the 200 metres. The 100m is different. In the 100, it’s about execution, and you might get one chance to adjust. In the 200m, you can make two or three adjustments. The most common one is how I come off the turn. I watch how much energy people use in the first 100 metres if they try to run away from me. Often, they don’t have enough left for the second half. I also analyse whether they transfer energy from the first 100 to the second.Very few athletes do that well — (Usain) Bolt, Justin (Gatlin), Johan (Blake), Tyson (Gay). I’ve seen a little of it in one up-and-coming athlete, but I won’t name him. I don’t want to put pressure on him. I want him to find his own path.With such fine margins between success and defeat, how do you handle pressure?There is pressure, for sure, but I try not to make a big deal out of it. I’m doing what I love. How many people can say they run for nine seconds and the whole world goes crazy? That’s a blessing.I don’t see pressure, I see opportunity. If it’s hard or challenging, good. I don’t want it to be easy. If I wanted easy, I’d get a factory job pushing a button every day, but I’d be bored. I want challenges, I want goals. I want to shoot for the stars.You’ve spoken about going after Bolt’s times. Which feels more realistic now — 100m or 200m?The 200m is the closest in sight. Running 19.31 secs and being the third-fastest human makes it easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I don’t see a reason not to keep pushing in both.

Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, the Indian equity benchmark indices, opened in red on Monday on weak global cues. While Nifty50 was near 26,000, BSE Sensex was down over 250 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,961.20, down 86 points or 0.33%. BSE Sensex was at 85,014.79, down 253 points or 0.30%.The week’s calendar includes important data releases such as India’s WPI inflation and trade balance numbers. Additionally, HSBC’s Flash Composite, Manufacturing, and Services PMI readings will be monitored for economic trends towards the year’s conclusion.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The general expectation in the market is that India’s underperformance in 2025 is likely to be compensated in 2026. India’s macros are in fine shape and policy support has been strong. The fiscal and monetary stimuli imparted to trigger consumption and investment has started yielding results. If the momentum sustains it can give the much needed boost to corporate earnings in FY27.”“A major drag on the market continues to be the elusive US-India trade deal which is impacting India’s exports to the US, widening of trade deficit and continuous depreciation in the rupee. On the global market front, a likely scenario is the weakening of the AI trade. Recent AI results in the US indicate earnings stress in some AI companies. If the AI trade weakens, that will be beneficial to India. In brief, the macro construct favours outperformance by India in the EM universe in 2026. But the high market valuations should temper expectations.”The S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped over 1% on Friday as investors moved away from technology shares. Concerns about AI valuation sparked by Broadcom and Oracle, coupled with rising US Treasury yields following policymakers’ resistance to monetary easing, affected market sentiment.Asian equities declined early Monday as investors showed caution ahead of central bank meetings and significant data releases this week.On Friday, foreign portfolio investors offloaded shares worth Rs 1,114 crore. Domestic institutional investors, conversely, purchased shares valued at Rs 3,869 crore.(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)

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BAREILLY: A day after a video of a bride in her mid-20s alleging dowry demands of Rs 20 lakh and a new car was widely circulated online, the 29-year-old groom, a fashion designer whose family runs a business of iron materials, alleged that the “bride did not want to marry him because he is plus-sized.“The wedding, scheduled on Friday, was called off by the girl over alleged dowry demands. She claimed that she waited for the baraat to arrive until late, and on arrival, the groom’s family made the demand, prompting her to cancel the marriage. The groom, however, alleged that he and his family were held hostage at the bride’s house and that their valuables were looted. He also claimed he was repeatedly body-shamed by the bride’s family.“Since the engagement, the family used to body-shame me. The bride would say she was fine with my appearance. We even went on outings together. But on the wedding day, she suddenly said I am fat and refused to marry me. Her family then staged this dowry drama to recover expenses. Now, they are demanding Rs 50 lakh for settlement,” the groom said.An FIR was registered based on the bride’s complaint under BNS sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) and relevant provisions of the Dowry Act, while the groom has filed a counter-complaint.SSP Bareilly Anurag Arya told TOI, “As of now, no dowry angle has emerged and the matter is still under investigation. Since the case involves a woman, an FIR was promptly registered. Further action will follow the recording of statements.”A senior police officer familiar with the case added, “The groom fell asleep during the wedding procession, which led the bride’s family to think he was drunk, triggering the entire episode.”

Sanjay Bangar believes a CSK star player could emerge as the biggest bargain of the IPL 2026 auction, branding him the “steal” of the Abu Dhabi event on December 15. Despite his release from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the 22-year-old’s death-overs pedigree and early IPL impact have kept him firmly in the spotlight ahead of the mini auction.​

Sanjay Bangar backs CSK star as auction’s hidden gem

In a rapid-fire segment on Star Sports, former India all-rounder and ex-Punjab Kings head coach Bangar singled out Matheesha Pathirana when asked to predict the biggest steal of the IPL 2026 auction. Bangar highlighted the Sri Lankan’s round-arm action, yorker accuracy and change-ups as rare skills that can tilt tight chases, stressing that such variety is difficult to find in a high-pressure, batter-dominated tournament.​

Pathirana’s IPL numbers underline why he is being viewed as a value pick even after an inconsistent 2025 season. He was central to CSK’s 2023 title run, taking 19 wickets in 12 games at an average a shade under 20, operating almost exclusively at the death and often closing out games alongside MS Dhoni. Across his CSK stint, he finished with more than 40 wickets in just over 30 matches, reinforcing his reputation as a specialist closer despite phases of expensive spells.​

CSK’s decision to release Pathirana ahead of the 2026 auction was influenced by fitness concerns and a dip in control, with the franchise management publicly acknowledging that injuries and technical tweaks in his release point had affected his rhythm. Yet several analysts believe this very release could depress his price just enough for a shrewd franchise to snap him up below marquee money, especially with teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants known to be in the market for a death-overs specialist. Bangar himself has hinted that LSG, who moved on from David Miller and are rebalancing their overseas mix, could treat Pathirana as a high-upside investment in the middle bracket.​

Who crosses the ₹15 Cr mark? Who becomes the biggest steal deal of the auction? Dale Steyn and Sanjay Bangar break down the boldest predictions ahead of the big day! 🔥👀#TATAIPLAuction 👉🏻 TUE, DEC 16, 2 PM on Star Sports & JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/HDzk4uTP8S

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 13, 2025

Also READ: Dale Steyn gives no-nonsense view on Steve Smith’s IPL 2026 Auction chances

Dale Steyn also names cut-price pace weapons to ponder over in IPL 2026 auctions

Bangar is not the only former quick reading a bargain market for fast bowlers at this auction, with Dale Steyn also weighing in on potential steals. In the same Star Sports interaction, the former South Africa spearhead pointed to compatriots Gerald Coetzee and Anrich Nortje as players who could deliver returns well above their likely price tags. Coetzee has already shown glimpses of his value in the IPL with Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, claiming 15 wickets in 14 appearances at a strike rate that reflects his ability to strike in short, hostile bursts even if his economy remains a work in progress.​

Nortje, meanwhile, brings a proven IPL body of work with 61 wickets from 48 outings for Delhi Capitals and KKR, built on high pace, hard lengths and powerplay breakthroughs. Injury interruptions and form dips have tempered his aura slightly, but franchises searching for an experienced enforcer who can bowl both with the new ball and at the death are expected to keep a close eye on his price band. With Bangar and Steyn both forecasting value in high-velocity quicks rather than just marquee all-rounders, the IPL 2026 auction narrative is rapidly tilting toward which franchise reads the fast-bowling market smartest rather than merely the loudest.

Also READ: Aakash Chopra predicts the 5 most expensive overseas players in the upcoming IPL 2026 Auction

China’s November economic data pointed to a continued strain as retail sales fell to a three-year low and both consumer spending and investment weakened. Figures released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that retail sales increased by only 1.3% from a year earlier, marking the slowest growth since the Covid period and falling well short of expectations. The figures missed Bloomberg’s estimate, that had projected sales growth to hold steady at 2.9%, similar to October.Factory output also softened, with industrial production expanding 4.8% in November, missing Reuter’s estimate of a 5% rise. A month earlier, the figures stood at 4.9%. Investment activity also remained under pressure, as fixed-asset investment declined 2.6% in the first 11 months of the year amid a continued collapse in property investment, according to Bloomberg. The urban unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.1%, indicating little improvement in labour market conditions. Annual car sales also plunged to 8.5% in November, marking the steepest decline in 10 months. The figures came as a disappointment to an industry that usually sees a strong sales in the last two months of a year, Reuters reported. It further added that even after the Singles’ Day Shopping festival stretched across five weeks this year, failed to woo customers. China’s difficulty in reviving domestic consumption is making the economy more exposed to external risks. In recent months, growth has relied largely on overseas demand, even as the tariff war launched by US President Donald Trump continues to reshape global trade. At home, weak demand from consumers and businesses has dragged on the world’s second-largest economy for years, leading to deflation that has hit profits and wages. Recent trends, according to Bloomberg, point towards further headwinds, with loan growth slowing and investment registering a sharp and unexplained drop in recent months. These concerns were reflected in last week’s high-level economic meetings, where China’s leadership placed the expansion of domestic demand at the top of the agenda for the year ahead, citing uncertainty in foreign trade. While officials reaffirmed their intention to keep growth-supportive policies in place, they stopped short of signalling any immediate, forceful intervention.

Jimmy Neesham has signed up for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20. (ILT20)

NEW DELHI: Since the introduction of the “Impact Player” rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023, it has received mixed reactions. Former India head coach Rahul Dravid and captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli see it as disrupting the game’s balance and harming the development of all-rounders. Legends like Ricky Ponting and Jonty Rhodes have also raised concerns.In the ongoing ILT20, New Zealand and Dubai Capitals all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has joined the bandwagon by making a scathing remark on the rule, calling it “stupid,” and wished for it to be removed from T20 leagues to give players time to prepare. The all-rounder admitted he was caught off-guard when the opportunity to feature in the contest against Gulf Giants presented itself earlier this season. The reason for that, he believes, is in the Impact Player rule which doesn’t help a player in being ready in advance.

“It’s a stupid rule. It doesn’t work in the IPL. I don’t know why we still have it, to be honest. It stops players from being able to prepare properly for the game. You obviously can’t ever get a proper training day before the game if you think you’re not playing because there’s a chance that you could have to be roped into the XI at the last minute. So, you can’t really develop your game,” Neesham told TimesofIndia.com in an interaction organised by the Dubai Capitals.“It disincentivises players from working on parts of the game that they’re not strong at. It means you can be a terrible fielder and it doesn’t matter. So, I think overall, it’s a crap rule. Hopefully, it’s gone soon.“Example, if you’re a young cricketer coming through, why would you work on your fielding? Because if you’re a crap fielder, you just don’t field. You just go off the field. It’s stupid,” he continued.

The latest outing in the ILT20 took Neesham’s tally of playing in sanctioned T20 leagues to 10. On the whole, he’s represented over 30 teams in his career. Having declined a central contract with New Zealand Cricket in September 2022, Neesham has become a “T20 freelancer.”Since September 2022, he’s played for 10 teams in seven leagues, including most recently in Nepal, as well as 45 T20Is for New Zealand. The focus now is on the ILT20, five T20Is against India in January followed by the T20I World Cup in February-March.“Well, I’m 35 now, so sort of getting towards the back end of my career. We’ve got a T20 World Cup coming up in February, which is potentially going to be my last international assignment. And then from then on, it’s just about managing the schedule, managing my body, trying to eke out as many games as possible towards the back end and try and contribute to as many teams as possible,” said the Kiwi who is inching towards 100 T20Is, a list that includes only five of his compatriots.

Jimmy Neesham, not part of New Zealand Cricket’s central contract’s list, played in Nepal Premier League recently. (Instagram)

“Nepal was great. It’s obviously great to see a young cricket nation sort of developing and creating its own T20 league. And then also we’re going to have our own franchise T20 competition in New Zealand from next season as well. So there’s still plenty on the diet for the next few years. And I’m excited to sort of see how it all ends up,” he continued.Neesham stressed that “no one is forcing anyone to play” amid suggestions that the life of a T20 freelancer could lead to burnout. He made clear that this is the period to push with T20 World Cup on the horizon before getting the chance to put the feet up during the New Zealand off-season.Away from the field, Neesham is one of the few athletes who are known to give it back to the numerous social media trolls. With vitriol aplenty, Neesham’s sarcastic responses have shut down anonymous provocateurs.“It’s a shame that people behave the way they do on social media. I think it’s a powerful tool for athletes to connect with fans and share another side of themselves. And I think it’s always a pity when you see the abuse and the trolling and all that kind of things that happen on social media as sort of just the nature of how the world works currently. But you’ve got to have a thick skin and be able to shrug those things off,” he clarified while acknowledging that he does block plenty of people for their harsh comments.