Domestic equity benchmark BSE Sensex advanced 150 points in early session on Thursday, driven by by gains in banking, metal and energy stocks, ahead of key macroeconomic data releases.

After touching a high of 37,421.13, the 30-share index was trading 129.68 points, or 0.35 %, higher at 37,400.50 at 0940 hours, while the broader Nifty rose 34.65 points, or 0.31 %, to 11,070.35.

The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), on Wednesday approved to divest at least 3.5% stake in SBI Life Insurance through the offer for sale (OFS) route. SBI Life in the notice to exchange said that SBI proposes to sell 3.5 crore shares in aggregate representing 3.50% of the total issued and paid-up equity share capital of the company. The floor price for the offer shall be Rs 770 per equity share and offers open on September 12. With this, the bank will raise around Rs 2,695 crore.

A team of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigators has begun interviewing small businesses that sell products on Amazon.com to determine whether the e-commerce giant is using its market power to hurt competition.

Several attorneys and at least one economist have been conducting interviews that typically last about 90 minutes and cover a range of topics, according to three merchants.

Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM) has clarified that it has not given consent for any transaction relating to Yes Bank’s pledged shares. Several media reports suggested that Rana Kapoor of Yes Bank was looking to exit by selling his and his family’s stake to Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm. Rana Kapoor and his family have around 9.65% stake in the bank, and according to the reports, they have pledged 7.34% with RNAM.

Indian intelligence agencies have intercepted and cracked the code words used by the Pakistan Army and different terrorist groups to communicate in order to escape the dragnet of defence and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The call signs used for communication are -- JeM (66/88), LeT (A3) and Al Badr (D9). From August 12 onwards terrorists have been using these Quami Taranas very actively.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will invest over Rs 13,000 crore for exploration work across Assam in the next five years.

The company said it has signed an agreement with the Assam government for this.

The promoter group family of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (AHEL) will be issuing five million shares through secondary placement to raise around $101 million (Rs 720 crore).

The aim is to reduce the promoters' pledged shares in the company. The deal, for which Citi Group is acting as placement agent and building the book (the term for getting enough investors to buy into a new share issue), is expected to happen in a day or two.

State-run power giant NTPC has been allocated Badam coal block in Jharkhand by Ministry of Coal following the acquisition of Barauni thermal plant, an official said.

"The Ministry of Coal has transferred the Badam coal block, located in Jharkhand, to the NTPC Ltd, on September 2, 2019," a senior company official said. The Badam coal block was earlier allocated to Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd (BSPGCL).

Markets regulator Sebi has levied a fine of Rs 6 lakh on sub-broker SRU Securities for indulging in manipulative trading in the shares of Cerebra Integrated Technologies.

The order follows an investigation conducted by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) between December 2014 and January 2016.

Passengers travelling by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) operated Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express trains can now enjoy facilities including hotel bookings, taxi services and baggage pick-and-drop among others. Apart from this, IRCTC would also provide wheelchair facility to the sick and needy people, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said. "The IRCTC has come up with so many things.

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