Finance

India’s markets regulator is preparing a consultation paper on settlement for weekly-expiry options on the Nifty and Sensex, and may reinstate a volume-weighted average price (VWAP) method. It is also considering settling monthly-expiry stock futures and options using either the prior VWAP approach or a blend of VWAP and closing auction system (CAS) prices. Before CAS was introduced on Aug. 3, both stock and index derivatives were settled using the last 30 minutes’ VWAP.

PG&E said it plans to reduce its 2027 investments by about $2 billion, citing the rising financial burden of California’s wildfire liability rules. The decision follows California lawmakers ending their legislative session without an agreement to change how major investor-owned utilities cover wildfire costs. Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee Chair Cottie Petrie-Norris said utilities rely on borrowing to finance large construction projects, and higher borrowing costs can ultimately be passed on to customers, according to KCRA 3.

AMC CEO Adam Aron said he may take legal action against Robinhood after the brokerage launched a tokenized product tied to AMC’s stock without the company’s permission. Robinhood has recently rolled out a prediction-markets platform and expanded tokenized U.S. stock offerings to investors in more than 120 countries, while AMC said it had no involvement and does not endorse the product. The dispute has revived questions about the compliance of putting corporate equity exposure on-chain after SEC staff previously said third parties can tokenize securities.

A Xiaomi executive warned that smartphone prices will continue to rise in 2026 as the global chip shortage persists. Company data show the average replacement cycle has stretched from 9–12 months in 2017 to about four years, influencing development priorities for new devices such as the Redmi Note 17. The company said wider use of financing options is also reshaping how consumers buy phones as prices climb.

Broadcom said revenue rose 86% year over year in its latest quarter, while adjusted earnings per share jumped 96%. Quarterly AI semiconductor revenue tripled to $16.7 billion, driven by hyperscaler demand for custom AI chips and networking gear. CEO Hock Tan told analysts the company expects to ship $350 billion of AI semiconductors to six hyperscaler customers over the next two years.

Bitcoin fell below the $80,000 mark, down 3.5% on the day, as strong U.S. employment data reinforced expectations of a September rate hike by the Federal Reserve and pushed the dollar higher. The stronger dollar weighed on risk assets, dragging crypto-related stocks lower. Coinbase fell nearly 4%, while Strategy Inc. and Circle Internet Group each slipped about 2%. Fed Governor Christopher Waller suggested he could support keeping rates steady if inflation continues to cool down.

Novartis said its experimental cardiovascular drug pelacarsen failed in a large clinical trial. The treatment had been widely viewed as a potential breakthrough for preventing heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. The setback surprised cardiologists who had been expecting Lp(a)-targeting drugs to play a major role in prevention.

Campbell’s said it is cutting 13% of its salaried workforce and closing two snack plants as it seeks to improve operations and return to profitability. The company’s snacks volumes fell 6%, and it has implemented average price increases of 4% to 5% across about 60% of its portfolio, with benefits expected to begin flowing through in the second quarter. Campbell’s plans to generate about $500 million in cost savings by fiscal 2030. It forecast fiscal 2027 net sales to decline 2% to 4% and adjusted earnings per share of $1.65 to $1.80, below analysts’ estimates of $1.86.

Robinhood shares surged 16.6% on Thursday to $124.72 as Wall Street analysts highlighted growth in the firm’s prediction markets that could reduce its reliance on crypto trading. Second-quarter event-contract revenue reached $156 million, up more than tenfold year over year, topping $129 million from equity transactions and $100 million from crypto transactions. Piper Sandler lifted its price target to $145 from $135, saying the U.S. football season could drive another strong stretch for prediction-market activity.

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said public advocacy for Bitcoin is protected speech under U.S. law and argued the asset should be treated as a commodity rather than a security. U.S. lawmakers are set for a September 15 procedural vote on the CLARITY Act, a step that would advance consideration but not finalize passage. Strategy also bought 4,603 BTC for about $369.7 million at an average price of $80,318, lifting its total holdings to 845,050 BTC.