Business

Warren Buffett-owned Berkshire Hathaway is set to acquire Occidental Petroleum’s chemical division, OxyChem, for $9.7 billion, marking possibly the last major deal under the billionaire investor who owns the firm, set to retire by year-end.Notably, Buffett’s name was absent from Thursday’s announcement materials, as reported by Associated Press, suggesting a transition of leadership to Vice…

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices reached unprecedented levels when markets opened on Thursday, driven by fresh optimism regarding potential interest rate reductions, whilst investors prepare for minimal economic data releases as the week concludes.At market opening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 20.0 points, representing a 0.04% increase, reaching 46,461.11. The S&P 500 advanced…

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has announced a revised fee structure for Aadhaar-related services, effective October 1, 2025, and applicable until September 30, 2028. Subsequent adjustments are scheduled from October 1, 2028, to September 30, 2031.Under the new rates, standard service fees will rise: services previously costing Rs 50 will increase to Rs…

As if cyber frauds were not enough, you will now have to deal with another evil of the AI era, vibe hacking!Cybersecurity experts are warning that AI is increasingly being misused by criminals to launch sophisticated cyberattacks. What started as “vibe coding,” a way to harness AI for productive tasks, now has a darker side:…

ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s valuation has surged to $500 billion after employees and former staff cashed out $6.6 billion worth of shares in a secondary sale, a source familiar with the deal told Reuters. With this valuation, the AI giant has left behind SpaceX and ByteDance.The transaction lifts the artificial intelligence company’s value from $300 billion…

Asian stocks jumped on Thursday, lifted by US job data reports that hinted at possible interest rate cuts, even as parts of the US government partially shut down.Japan’s Nikkei was up 359 points or 0.8%, trading at 44,910. Kospi gained 3% to each 3,562 while HSI surged 390 points reaching 27,245, at 10:00 AM IST….

Inflation in FY26 and FY27 is expected to remain far below the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) estimates, according to a new report by the State Bank of India (SBI).The report cited several factors that will help to soothe price pressures, including a strong monsoon, higher kharif crop sowing, healthy reservoir levels, ample foodgrain stocks,…

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is nearing a deal to acquire Occidental Petroleum’s petrochemical business for about $10 billion, a person familiar with the matter said. It would be Berkshire’s largest deal since its acquisition of Alleghany in 2022 for $13.7 billion. Representatives for Occidental and Berkshire didn’t reply to messages seeking comment. Wall Street Journal…

MUMBAI: Reserve Bank of India unveiled on Wednesday its most comprehensive reforms in over a decade, aimed at countering US-driven headwinds and expanding credit to companies, while deepening capital market activity. Banks can now finance mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs more freely, while limits on loans against shares and listed debt securities have been raised.Central…

The US private sector lost 32,000 jobs in September, according to payroll processor ADP, defying analysts’ expectations of employment growth. The biggest losses came in leisure and hospitality, professional services, and financial activities, AFP reported.Hiring also contracted in trade, transportation and utilities, along with manufacturing, the report showed.“Despite the strong economic growth we saw in…