NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96W. Michigan 26, Eastern Michigan 18
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Larson Financial Group LLC Purchases 580 Shares of Amkor Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMKR)The Fort Worth ISD school board approved just over $14 million in spending at its Nov. 12 meeting. The two largest purchases were related to campus operations. Trustees approved the district’s school resource officer program for the 2024-25 school year for $5.9 million and the purchase of audio-visual displays for up to $1.78 million. Trustee Kevin Lynch was absent. Here’s what else trustees approved: Financial advisory firms What is it? Trustees appointed two financial advisory firms, HilltopSecurities Inc. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., as co-financial advisers for the district. These firms were selected after an evaluation process that included a request for qualifications, committee scoring and in-person interviews. The co-advisory structure, with a 50/50 fee split, is designed to provide comprehensive guidance on managing the district’s large debt portfolio. Upon board approval, contracts will be negotiated with the selected firms. What’s the cost? Costs of issuance are typically 2%-5% of the cost of issuance. Who’s the vendor? HilltopSecurities Inc. ; Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Where’s the funding coming from? Debt service fund, general fund and capital projects fund. What was the vote? Unanimous, with trustee Kevin Lynch absent. School resource officer program Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. What is it? The district and the city of Fort Worth entered into an Interlocal Agreement for the school resource officer program. This partnership assigns Fort Worth Police Department officers to schools within the city’s limits to enhance safety and security. Under the agreement, effective Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, the district will cover 50% of the personnel and operating costs for the officers assigned to its schools. What’s the cost? $5,896,323.53 Who’s the vendor? City of Fort Worth Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous Audio-visual displays for classrooms What is it? Trustees approved a continuation of the project to replace outdated interactive whiteboards with new interactive flat panels in 13 elementary schools and at other campuses. Initially funded with $10.4 million approved in January 2022 and supplemented by additional funding in October 2023, the project faced delays and will require updated quotes to proceed. The replacements aim to modernize audio-visual equipment across the district’s schools. What’s the cost? Not to exceed $1.787 million Who’s the vendor? Delcom Group Where’s the funding coming from? TRE What was the vote? Unanimous West Side Transportation and Operations Center What is it? Trustees approved a proposal for a new transportation and operations center to replace the outdated facilities at 3626 Longvue Ave., Fort Worth. Originally planned in 2020, the project’s scope has since expanded to consolidate warehouse functions and staff from multiple sites, aiming to reduce leasing costs and improve operational efficiency. The project is also necessitated by the TxDOT RM 2871 Roadway Improvement Project, which requires the demolition and replacement of existing buildings due to planned roadway widening. What’s the cost? $1.38 million Who’s the vendor? Real Estate Sale Proceeds Fund Where’s the funding coming from? Corgan What was the vote? 5-3, with board President Roxanne Martinez, trustee Tobi Jackson and trustee Anael Luebanos dissenting. New printers and scanners What is it? Trustees funded the replacement and purchase of new printers and scanners as part of the district’s managed print services contract. The contract covers maintenance, repairs and toner for 347 copiers and supports the district’s upcoming digitization project to reduce paper usage. Phase I adds color copiers to 81 campuses, while Phase II replaces the entire fleet districtwide with new copiers from the awarded vendor. The contract previously lapsed, causing issues for campuses across the district. What’s the cost? Not to exceed $1.3 million Who’s the vendor? Novatech Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous Replacements for campus fire alarms What is it? Trustees approved a request to replace inoperable fire alarm control panels at nine district facilities where the systems have completely failed. The replacement is critical to restore fire detection capabilities, comply with building codes and maintain life safety standards for everyone using these facilities. The new panels will improve compatibility with other safety systems, enhancing overall building management. In the interim, fire-watch personnel have been assigned to ensure safety until the replacements are installed. What’s the cost? $1,154,153.49 Who’s the vendor? Firetrol Protection Systems Inc. ; Century Fire Protection ; Texas Fire & Sound Inc. Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous Rosemont Middle School renovations What is it? Trustees amended the contract with Huckabee architects for renovations at Rosemont Middle School under the 2021 capital improvement program. Following the February 2024 approval of Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) amendments for the project, the architect’s not-to-exceed (NTE) budget must be adjusted from $4.1 million to $5.13 million to align with the updated project costs. What’s the cost? $1,025,233.14 Who’s the vendor? Huckabee architects Where’s the funding coming from? 2021 bond program What was the vote? Unanimous Copier lease extension agreement What is it? Trustees approved an agreement ensuring continued support for the district’s current copier lease program while transitioning to a new vendor. The agreement is designed to prevent any disruptions to copier functionality across the district during the transition period. What’s the cost? Not to exceed $450,000 Who’s the vendor? Xerox Business Solutions Southwest Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda, a list of routine actions that can be approved in one vote. Forest Oak Sixth Grade relocation project What is it? Trustees approved a change order for the Forest Oak Sixth Grade relocation project under the 2021 capital improvement program. It provides additional funding for unexpected requirements from the city of Fort Worth, including constructing a large detention pond and associated storm drainage work. The change order also extends the project’s substantial completion date from Aug. 1, 2024, to Nov. 1, 2024. What’s the cost? $370,000 Who’s the vendor? F.H. Paschen Where’s the funding coming from? 2021 bond program What was the vote? Unanimous Payment of Teacher Incentive Allotment designation fee What is it? The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) is a state program created under Texas House Bill 3 in 2019 to reward and retain highly effective teachers, especially in schools that are hard to staff. It offers teachers a chance to earn higher salaries while staying in the classroom to positively impact students. To participate, districts must pay a $500 per teacher designation fee to the Texas Education Agency, which is reimbursed after final funding is settled in September 2025. What’s the cost? $225,430 Who’s the vendor? Texas Education Agency Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Dunbar High School betterment project What is it? Trustees finalized a contract for renovations at Dunbar High School under Phillips/May corporation. Initially approved in April 2023 with a budget of $5.2 million and a completion date of Dec. 31, 2023, the project underwent adjustments, including a $291,042 deduction and a 131-day extension. The final contract amount is $4.9 million with substantial completion achieved on May 10, 2024. After previous payments, a final balance of $205,777 remains due. What’s the cost? $205,777.04 Who’s the vendor? Phillips/May Where’s the funding coming from? 2017 bond program What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Energy and sustainability software What is it? Trustees approved an upgrade of the district’s energy and sustainability management software to improve utility management. Utilities are a major expenditure, and this advanced tool aims to reduce energy consumption and costs, freeing up more funds for classroom needs. The upgrade will transition from manual entry of utility bills to automated monthly imports, providing real-time data to enhance tracking, reporting and analysis. What’s the cost? $93,800.13 Who’s the vendor? EnergyCAP, LLC Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Clifford Davis Elementary School playground What is it? Clifford Davis Elementary School is getting a new playground this December, thanks to a partnership between the district and KABOOM! The project is partly funded through KABOOM! donations, and trustees approved to install a durable pour-in-place safety surface instead of traditional wood fibers. This surface, designed to last 10 to 15 years, will improve safety and durability, with installation timed to coincide with the playground construction for a seamless upgrade. What’s the cost? $86,266 Who’s the vendor? Whirlix Design Inc. Where’s the funding coming from? TRE What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Bidirectional amplifier system for Western Hills High School What is it? Trustees approved a safety improvement project at Western Hills High School to ensure public safety radios — like those used by police, fire and EMS — work as effectively inside the building as they do outside. Currently, parts of the building block radio signals, creating a critical safety hazard for first responders. The Benbrook fire marshal has mandated a solution and installing a bidirectional amplifier system is the recommended fix. What’s the cost? $77,958 Who’s the vendor? Aerowave Technologies Where’s the funding coming from? Special revenue What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Facility management software What is it? Trustees approved a contract with a facility management provider to streamline and manage nonschool use of district facilities. The agreement includes creating a public rental marketplace where the community can easily find, request and pay for facility rentals. The provider will handle inquiries, confirm availability and approve schedules, earning 10% of each processed transaction. While an optional work-order management module is available at 14% per transaction, the district is not adopting it at this time. The contract begins Nov. 15, 2024, and runs through Nov. 15, 2027, with options for two one-year renewals. What’s the cost? 10% of rental revenue Who’s the vendor? Facilitron Inc. Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Professional Systems Software and Technology to provide current and former employees tracking for Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act What is it? Contract renewal proposal for Professional Systems Software and Technology, a company that has been managing the district’s Affordable Care Act compliance since 2015. This includes notifying employees about their coverage and submitting required IRS reports. The district is considering a new contract through August 2025, with potential yearly extensions through 2030. What’s the cost? Not to exceed $62,000 annually Who’s the vendor? Professional Systems Software and Technology Where’s the funding coming from? Internal service fund What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Software maintenance and support for printing What is it? Trustees renewed the district’s Papercut solution, which secures printing by requiring users to verify their identity with district badges or log-ins before releasing print jobs. The renewal covers a one-year period to maintain this security measure. What’s the cost? $61,416.68 Who’s the vendor? Xerox Business Solutions Southwest Where’s the funding coming from? General fund What was the vote? Unanimous. Item was on the consent agenda. Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1 . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Your support makes TWICE the impact today. As November draws to a close , time is running out to double your impact. Thanks to the generosity of the Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation, every dollar you give will be matched—up to $15,000. Will you give today to help trusted, local reporting thrive in Fort Worth and Tarrant County? Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . 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If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Matthew Sgroi, Fort Worth Report November 26, 2024Reeves, 60, plays Shadow in the latest film adaption of the Sega video game, which will see Sonic, Knuckles and Tails battle him to protect the planet. Speaking at the movie’s London premiere on Tuesday, the Canadian star said: “I’m a big fan, I mean, I really enjoyed the first two films. “I really liked the character of Shadow, so I was really excited to try to be a part of it.” The Matrix actor went on to speak about the differences between voice acting and appearing on screen. He added: “It’s fun to play pretend, I love acting, so it’s fun to try and inhabit another character. “There’s an intensity to doing voice work and specificity, it’s kind of more like doing, it’s its own thing, because it’s kind of like theatre, but no audience. “So it’s like doing radio, and it’s just fun.” Canadian-American actor Jim Carrey co-stars as villain Doctor Eggman, a role he told the PA news agency it was “great” to be playing again. Carrey told PA: “I do like to play a character filled with disdain here and there, the Grinch was that. “But there were other characters like The Truman Show, he’s somebody who loves the world and believes in the world, and believes in the people in his life, and believes in his neighbours, and he’s just a good-hearted soul that finds out there’s something more in the world than what he knows and something beyond his own neighbourhood. “So it’s a lovely story, but they’re all different characters, they all have different desires, and you have to do something special with each one.” He added: “I just let it rip when they say action, it’s just a perfect excuse to be an obstreperous bloviating bag of ill will. “And then of course they say cut, and all of that horrible politeness and needing to be loved seeps back in.” Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will be released in UK cinemas on Friday December 20.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- Better Home & Finance Holding Company (NASDAQ: BETR, BETRW) (“Better”), a leading digital homeownership company, today announced that senior management will host meetings at the following investor conferences: UBS Global Technology and AI Conference Date: December 3 - 5, 2024 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Wolfe Research Small and Mid-Cap Conference Date: December 5, 2024 Location: Virtual Benchmark Discovery One-On-One Investor Conference Date: December 11, 2024 Location: New York, NY About Better Since 2017, Better Home & Finance Holding Company (NASDAQ: BETR; BETRW) has leveraged its industry-leading technology platform, TinmanTM, to fund more than $100 billion in mortgage volume. TinmanTM allows customers to see their rate options in seconds, get pre-approved in minutes, lock in rates and close their loan in as little as three weeks. Better’s mortgage offerings include GSE-conforming mortgage loans, FHA and VA loans, and jumbo mortgage loans. Better launched its “One Day Mortgage” program in January 2023, which allows eligible customers to go from click to Commitment Letter within 24 hours. Better was named Best Online Mortgage Lender by Forbes and Best Mortgage Lender for Affordability by WSJ in 2023, ranked #1 on LinkedIn’s Top Startups List for 2021 and 2020, #1 on Fortune’s Best Small and Medium Workplaces in New York, #15 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 2020 list, and was listed on Forbes FinTech 50 for 2020. Better serves customers in all 50 US states and the United Kingdom. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126685898/en/ For investor relations inquiries, please emailir@better.com KEYWORD: ARIZONA NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY FINANCE BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY FINTECH RESIDENTIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE SOURCE: Better Home & Finance Holding Company Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 05:30 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 05:28 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126685898/enCanada’s Trudeau says he had an ‘excellent conversation’ with Trump in Florida after tariffs threat
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GAZA, — An Israeli airstrike on a car in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed five people, a senior Palestinian health official said. Three of them were said to be employees of the charity World Central Kitchen , whose aid delivery efforts in the war-ravaged territory were temporarily suspended earlier this year after an Israeli strike killed seven of its workers, most of them foreigners. World Central Kitchen could not immediately be reached for comment, and it did not mention the deaths on social media. The Israeli military said it struck a wanted militant who had been involved in the Hamas attack that sparked the war. In a later statement, it said that the alleged attacker had worked with WCK and it asked “senior officials from the international community and the WCK administration to clarify" how that had come about. The violence in Gaza rages on even as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be holding, despite sporadic episodes that have tested its fragility. Israel on Saturday struck what it said were Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites along Syria's border with Lebanon. The strike on the vehicle in Gaza was the latest in what aid agencies have described as the dangerous work of delivering aid in Gaza , where the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis that has displaced much of the territory's 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger. World Central Kitchen provides freshly prepared meals to people in need following natural disasters or to those enduring conflict. Its teams have fanned out in Gaza and across Israel and Lebanon since the war began and have often served as a lifeline for people in Gaza who have struggled to feed themselves and their families. Palestinian health official Muneer Alboursh confirmed the strike, and an aid worker in Gaza confirmed that three killed were workers with the WCK. The aid worker spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak with the media. At Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, a woman held up an employee badge bearing the WCK logo, the word “contractor” and the name of a man said to have been killed in the strike. A heap of belongings — burned phones, a watch and stickers with the WCK logo — lay splayed on the hospital floor. Nazmi Ahmed said his nephew worked for WCK for the past year. He said he was driving to the charity's kitchens and warehouses. “Today, he went out as usual to work ... and was targeted without prior warning and without any reason,” Ahmed said. In April, a strike on a WCK aid convoy killed seven workers — three British citizens, Polish and Australian nationals, a Canadian-American dual national and a Palestinian. The Israeli military said the strike was a mistake. The strike prompted an international outcry and the suspension of aid to Gaza for a a brief period by several aid groups, including WCK. Another Palestinian WCK worker was killed in August by shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike, the group said. The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’ October 2023 attack, when militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their count but say more than half the dead were women and children. Efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have faltered repeatedly. But the U.S.- and France-brokered deal for Lebanon appears to holding after it took effect on Wednesday. Still, Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and Lebanon has accused Israel of the same. On Saturday, Israel's military said it struck sites that had been used to smuggle weapons from Syria to Lebanon after the ceasefire took effect, which the military called a violation of its terms. There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities or activists monitoring the conflict in that country. Hezbollah did not immediately comment. Israeli aircraft have struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, citing ceasefire violations, several times since the truce began. The Israeli strike in Syria came as insurgents there breached the country's largest city, Aleppo, in a shock offensive that added fresh uncertainty to a region reeling from multiple wars. The truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah calls for an initial two-month ceasefire in which the militants are to withdraw north of Lebanon's Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. Many Lebanese, some of the 1.2 million displaced in the conflict, were streaming south to their homes , despite warnings by the Israeli and Lebanese militaries to stay away from certain areas. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone attacked a car in the southern village of Majdal Zoun. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said three people were wounded, including a 7-year-old child. Majdal Zoun, near the Mediterranean Sea, is close to where Israeli troops still have a presence. Israel's military said earlier Saturday that its forces, who remain in southern Lebanon until they withdraw gradually over the 60-day ceasefire period, had been operating to distance “suspects” in the region, without elaborating, and said troops had located and seized weapons found hidden in a mosque. Israel says it reserves the right under the ceasefire to strike against any perceived violations. Israel has made returning the tens of thousands of displaced Israelis home the goal of the war with Hezbollah but Israelis, concerned that Hezbollah has not been deterred and could still attack northern communities, have been apprehensive about returning home . Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and its assault on southern Israel the day before. Israel and Hezbollah kept up a low-level conflict of cross-border fire for nearly a year, until Israel escalated its fight with a sophisticated attack that detonated hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah fighters. It followed that up with an intense aerial bombardment campaign against Hezbollah assets, killing many of its top leaders including longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah , and it launched a ground invasion in early October. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon. ___ Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Mroue reported from Beirut. Mohammad Jahjouh in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, contributed.
The Indian stock market has recently demonstrated remarkable resilience, exhibiting a bounce back from periods of consolidation led by uncertainty by economic slowdown and premium valuations. This recovery is a testament to the market's inherent strength. One of the catalysts for the recent market relief has been the easing of geopolitical tensions. The reduction in conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, has led to a significant decline in Brent crude prices to the year’s threshold level of $70. This decrease in oil prices is a boon for Indian fiscal and companies, as it helps improve their operating metrics by reducing input costs. Tactically, a small recovery in the trend of FII net inflow from heavy sellers in the months of October & November to a small buyer in December has become a blessing for the domestic market . The MSCI rebalancing has played a pivotal role in attracting foreign investments, providing a much-needed boost to the domestic market. Expectations of stable government spending in the second half of FY25 and stronger central govt have further bolstered market confidence. Investors are optimistic that continued government expenditure will support economic growth and infrastructure development. Henceforth, earnings are expected to foresee a QoQ growth compared to the fall in Q1 & Q2, FY25. With optimism the Investors are closely monitoring US inflation indicators, which will influence central bank’s policy rates in December. Global economic trends and policy decisions will continue to influence the Indian market. FED Chair speech and recent minutes, which show confidence in the easing of inflation, could sway market sentiments positively. Although the effects of US policies under the new administration remain uncertain, the minutes suggest a probable continuation of the rate easing cycle. The stability of the market will largely depend on the steadiness of incoming economic data, which expect a cut in December this month followed by 100 to 150 bps cut in 2025. The domestic rally has been broad-based, but growth and capex-linked sectors such as reality, consumer durables, metals, infrastructure, capital goods, and manufacturing are outperforming. These sectors have benefited from the anticipation of a surge in new order inflows, driven by increased GoI spending and private sector investments. The positive performance of these sectors underscores the market's confidence in the long-term growth prospects of the Indian economy. In India, the Monetary Policy Committee ( MPC ) has maintained its current stance and revised the GDP growth forecast downward, as expected acknowledging the recent slowdown. The market well accepted the cut which was not below the 6.5%. Inflation is expected to persist in Q3FY25 but should ease in Q4FY25 due to seasonal corrections and agricultural outputs. Despite these challenges, the Indian economy remains strong, capable of achieving sustainable growth and stable inflation in the medium term. The RBI has committed to policy support if the slowdown continues and has reduced the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 50bps to 4%, injecting ₹ 1.16 lakh cr into the banking system to enhance liquidity and support credit growth, which is positive for banks and rate sensitives like reality & durables. To sum up, the Indian market's recent performance highlights its resilience and potential for growth. The easing of geopolitical tensions, positive earnings prospects, and supportive policy expectations have collectively bolstered investor confidence. As the market navigates through economic challenges and anticipates key domestic and global policy decisions, the outlook remains cautiously optimistic. Investors are advised to stay informed and adopt a diversified approach to capitalize on the evolving market dynamics with a multi cap approach and sectors like IT, Pharma, Textiles, renewables, FMCG and manufacturing.
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