UBP Smart Gurukul : August 2020

Monday 31 August 2020

Stocks in the news: Maruti Suzuki, Bharti Airtel, L&T, RIL and Future Retail

Integrated Core Strategies (Asia) PTE bought 3,80,10,584 shares of telecom major Bharti Airtel at Rs 513.79 per share.

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How RIL discretly blocked rival Amazon out in Future retail biz

According to the contours of the deal between Future Group and RIL, the former will merge 19 retail and its related back-end infrastructure companies, including Future Retail, into Future Enterprises. This company will then transfer the retail and supply chain businesses to two separate arms of RIL.

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Margin rule takes effect today, Sebi rejects appeal for delay

So far, investors either had to transfer their shares to the brokers’ account or give power of attorney to the broker for availing leverage. In the new process, as the securities remain in investors’ own demat account, they will continue to enjoy all corporate benefits on their shares.

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Trade Spotlight: ICICI Bank, Sun Pharma, and Future Retail in focus

ICICI Bank fell more than 3 percent, Sun Pharma plunged more than 6 percent, and Future Retail was up 20 percent.

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DAILY VOICE | Multibagger Opportunity? Last 3 years of bear market in small and midcap over

The broader base is the initial phase and then subsequently it is narrowed down to high earning growth sustainability where multibaggers are created.

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/market-edge/daily-voice-|-multibagger-opportunity-last-3-yearsbear-marketsmallmidcap-over_14233741.html

Asian stocks edge lower after Wall Street dips in month-end trade

Australia#39;s SP/ASX 200 lost 0.89% in early trading, while Japan#39;s Nikkei 225 fell 0.22%, Hong Kong#39;s Hang Seng index futures lost 0.38%.

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International flights on September 1: Here are the flights operated by Air India under Vande Bharat Mission

International flights: Check flights leaving for and from India to bring back stranded Indians.

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COVID-19 impact | India#39;s GDP contraction worse than world#39;s top economies

In the April-June quarter, most of the world#39;s top economies were badly hit due to the pandemic, barring China

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/covid-19-impact-|-india39s-gdp-contraction-worse-than-world39s-top-economies_14233601.html

Image gallery: Hyundai Venue iMT Sport

Image gallery: Hyundai Venue iMT Sport

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US Indo-Pacific strategy can#39;t succeed without India: American diplomat

The new Indo-Pacific strategy, which reflects the realities of the modern world, is focused around democracies, free markets and the values that India and its people share with the US and its people, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said in his remarks at the US-India Strategic Forum during the third India US Leadership Summit.

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What changed for the market while you were sleeping? Top 10 things to know

Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a positive opening for the index in India with a 60 points gain.

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Apple and Tesla shares surge after stock splits kick in

Apple jumped over 4% and Tesla rallied 10%, elevating the electric car maker#39;s market capitalization to over $440 billion, making it more valuable than companies including Walmart and Johnson Johnson .

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Facebook partners with external researchers to study its impact during US election

The company said findings of the studies will not be published until the middle of next year, at the earliest.

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Stocks in the news | Bharti Airtel, LT, Biocon, MM, Aarey Drugs, Jindal Steel Power, India Grid Trust

Century Textiles, Bharat Dynamics, Jai Corp, Shree Renuka Sugars, Entertainment Network India, Company and TV Today Network, Zensar Technologies are also in focus today.

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/stocksnews/stocksthe-news-|-bharti-airtel-lt-biocon-mm-aarey-drugs-jindal-steelpower-india-grid-trust_14233461.html

Manish Sisodia discusses viable options over Centre#39;s proposal on meeting GST shortfall

A Delhi government statement said Sisodia, who is also Delhi#39;s finance minister, discussed viable options with the finance ministers regarding the shortfall in the economy due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the statement said.

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Must assume that effective COVID-19 vaccine would not be available in near future: Experts

In a a joint statement submitted to the prime minister, experts of Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) and Indian Association of Epidemiologists (IAE) have said while being optimistic, the prevention and control strategy should also prepare for the worst.

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EU lending institution to invest 650 million euros in Kanpur metro rail construction

The EIB, in a statement, said the new metro rail system will reduce commuting hours and unlock new employment and education opportunities in Kanpur, the industrial capital of Uttar Pradesh.

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Take loan to pay GST compensation to states: Bhupesh Baghel to Centre

In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Baghel sought Rs 2,828 crore for the state as GST compensation due for the financial year 2020-21, an official statement here said

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Yearn.finance Enters Price Discovery Following Binance Futures Listing

Yearn.finance (YFI) has been making headlines throughout the past few weeks, with the DeFi protocol going from being relatively unknown just a couple of months ago to now having the fourth-highest total value locked (TVL) in the entire ecosystem.

This growth has had major implications for the YFI governance token’s price, which has been rocketing higher in recent weeks.

The token just set fresh all-time highs earlier today, with it currently being worth well-over 3 BTC per YFI.

Analysts are now noting that the crypto may soon enter price discovery, as Yearn.finance futures were just added to Binance. Naturally, demand for short positions may be incredibly high due to investors thinking the crypto is overvalued.

As such, this may act as fuel for a massive short squeeze that sends the token rallying significantly higher in the days and weeks ahead.

Yearn.finance Governance Token Price Reaches New Highs as Investors Flood in

At the time of writing, the Yearn.finance governance token is trading up over 25% at its current price of $39,500. This marks a massive upswing from recent lows of $29,000 that were set earlier today when bears attempted to spark a selloff.

It also marks a notable climb from lows of $26,000 that were set just a couple of days ago when bears gained control over it following its rejection at $38,000.

YFI has since shrugged off this selling pressure and exploded higher, with a combination of massive publicity, a strong community, and incredibly strong fundamentals, all providing a boost to its underlying strength.

It is important to bear in mind that some investors are now deeming Yearn.finance an “index bet on DeFi” due to the magnitude and diversity of the pools it offers.

YFI May Enter Full-Blown Price Discovery Following Binance Futures Listing

Yesterday, Binance Futures announced that they are adding support for YFI with a maximum margin capability of 50x. Currently, the vast majority of traders are short on the token, which may provide fuel for an extension of its uptrend.

One analyst spoke about this in a recent tweet, saying:

“You already know everyone and their mom will want to short this. And it’s one of the most fundamentally bullish defi shitcoins. With the risk of putting my rep on the line: I bet this goes so…hard in price discovery.”

Unless the entire DeFi sector sees a massive influx of selling pressure, there is a strong possibility that Yearn.finance (YFI) will continue plowing higher, driven by liquidations of short positions.

Featured image from Unsplash.
Pricing data via TradingView.

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Coronavirus India News LIVE Updates | With 2,602 new COVID-19 cases, Odisha#39;s COVID-19 tally rises to 1,03,536

Coronavirus India News LIVE Updates: Total confirmed cases have risen to 36.2 lakh. Indiaâ€™s COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 76.6 percent.

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/coronavirus-india-news-live-updates-|-with-2602-new-covid-19-cases-odisha39s-covid-19-tally-rises-to-103536_14233421.html

Ethereum Wrapped Bitcoin Supply Doubles In August Alone, But Why?

The decentralized finance movement has helped drive up the value of Ethereum and other ERC-20 based projects compared to Bitcoin and other assets. It has prompted even Bitcoin holders to “wrap” their BTC in Ethereum.

The amount of BTC supply wrapped in Ethereum has doubled in August alone, but why exactly is this happening, and what does it mean for Bitcoin?

Explosive DeFi Trend Teaches Old Dogs New Tricks As Crypto Adapts

The buzz surrounding DeFi has breathed new life into the crypto market, but no assets more than Ethereum any related projects. Ethereum is up over 200% year to date as a result.

The DeFi bandwagon has created a thriving sub-industry, where crypto insiders speculate on assets they know full well are potentially “worthless” yet are willing to risk capital anyway.

So far, these insiders have been making a fortune. Several DeFi projects have risen the ranks of the crypto market top 100, while one such token has now more than tripled the price per BTC currently.

The amount of ETH tokens locked up in DeFi has soared throughout the year. Now, Bitcoin is following a similar path, with the amount of the BTC supply wrapped in Ethereum doubling in August alone according to glassnode data.

But what is the reason for crypto investors moving their Bitcoin to Ethereum, and how does this benefit the holder over traditional BTC?

etheruem wrapped bitcoin wbtc

Why Ethereum Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) Supply Has Doubled Over The Last Month

As the first-ever cryptocurrency, it was designed to be a peer-to-peer electronic replacement for cash. The altcoins that came after its creation, have a lot more tricks up their sleeve. Ethereum’s smart contracts allow it to do a lot more than Bitcoin can.

Ethereum can also lend some of its abilities to Bitcoin, by “wrapping” each BTC.

Each WBTC is an ERC-20 smart contract tied 1:1 to a corresponding BTC asset. As for why anyone would do such a thing, wrapping BTC this way bestows it some of the attributes of an ERC-20 token.

For example, it allows Bitcoin to be lent out in DeFi apps or to be traded on decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges.

Bitcoin is arguably the biggest and therefore the best cryptocurrency. But by wrapping it in Ethereum, it makes a good thing even better and teaches this old dog a few new tricks.

The ability to wrap BTC has been around for some time, but the recent DeFi lending buzz and explosion of Uniswap has made wrapping BTC far more attractive. It also has the side effect of making the leading cryptocurrency by market cap far more versatile.

Could the ultimate cryptocurrency be WBTC? Rapidly rising supply at least says it has growing merit and could become even more attractive in the future.

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Bitcoin’s Monthly Close Just Took Place: Here’s What Comes Next

A minute ago, Bitcoin’s monthly candle close for the month of August took place. The cryptocurrency did what many thought would be difficult; it closed the month of August above $11,500, a pivotal resistance level. This means that Bitcoin just printed its second-highest monthly close ever.

Due to the importance of the monthly chart to BTC’s macro trend, analysts say that the cryptocurrency is prepared to see further upside from here.

Why Bitcoin Will Surve Even Higher

Blockroots founder and crypto analyst Josh Rager thinks that Bitcoin closing its monthly candle at these levels will trigger a strong move to the upside.

In an analysis published prior to the close, Rager noted that the close should allow BTC to extend its gains towards $13,880.

$13,880 is 19% above current prices. That price is also the highest monthly close ever. Bitcoin managing to close above that level next month is likely to trigger a move to new all-time highs, other analysts have stated.

Regarding the latest close, Rager remarked:

“Monthly close soon – and the chart looks good as support held and next target on monthly is $13,880+. The high time frames say bullish.”

Chart of BTC's macro price action with analysis by crypto trader Josh Rager (@Josh_rager on Twitter). Chart from TradingView.com

Rager isn’t the only investor expecting a move towards $14,000 in the near future. As reported by NewsBTC, Vinny Lingham, CEO of Civic and partner at Multicoin Capital, said that BTC is likely to hit $15,000 in the near future due to $10,000 acting as strong support:

“It looks to me that #Bitcoin is poised for another leg up, with an overshoot above $15k, but then a retrace and heavy consolidation around $14k for a few weeks at least. I doubt this sub-$12k price holds for much longer and $10k represents strong support right now.”

Fundamentals Favoring Growth

Fundamental trends also suggest that Bitcoin is primed for growth.

Fidelity Investments, the $2 trillion asset manager giant, was just revealed to have begun a new Bitcoin-only fund for institutional investors.

The company’s new fund is expected to draw in a vast amount of investment, which will boost BTC in the longer run.

Also supporting growth in the Bitcoin price is the devaluation of the U.S. dollar against assets. The Dollar Index has continued to slip for the umpteenth week in a row, reaching notable lows just today.

Featured Image from Shutterstock
Price tags: xbtusd, btcusd, btcusdt
Charts from TradingView.com
Bitcoin's Monthly Close Just Took Place: Here's What Comes Next

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Ethereum DeFi’s Sushi Rips 100% Higher After FTX Listing

Ethereum is undergoing its latest craze: SushiSwap, whose native governance token is Sushi (SUSHI). The coin took a strong drop after it was launched this past weekend, but has since bounced back.

Since bottoming around $0.70 just two days ago, the asset has exploded higher by 1,000%. The coin now trades for $6.60 and is up 120% in the past 24 hours alone.

A good portion of this move higher comes after the coin was listed on FTX, a leading centralized exchange known for listing DeFi coins earlier, then sparking price rallies in those coins.

FTX was the first major centralized exchange Sushi was listed at, hence the influx of investment the asset saw in the wake of the listing.

What Is Sushi and SushiSwap?

SushiSwap is a clone of the Uniswap exchange with bells and whistles attached. The Ethereum-based protocol is focused on adding community and governance incentives to Unsiwap, which has rapidly become the most prominent Ethereum application and decentralized exchange. In the project’s words:

“With that, we have designed SushiSwap as the next step forward in the Uniswap protocol design: an evolution. Taking Uniswap’s elegant core design, we’ve added community-oriented features that we believe help improve the design of the protocol, as well as provide further benefits to the actors involved,” the SushiSwap team wrote in regards to the purpose of this fork.

Photo by Kelvin Zyteng on Unsplash
Price tags: sushiusd, sushibtc
Charts from TradingView.com
Ethereum DeFi's Sushi Rips 100% Higher After FTX Listing

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Sunday 30 August 2020

YES Bank tightens noose around Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal

The private sector lender has initiated the process to categorise Goyal and his wife Anitia as `wilful defaulters’. A ‘wilful defaulter’ tag by banks may stain the reputation of persons and restrict their ability to borrow and hold board positions in companies.

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GDP| Four things to watch out for Q1 numbers today

The Central Statistics Office will release gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimates for the first quarter (April-June) on August 31 at 5.30 pm.

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/gdp|-four-things-to-watch-out-for-q1-numbers-today_14229221.html

International flights on August 31: Here are the flights operated by Air India under Vande Bharat Mission

International flights: Check flights leaving for and from India to bring back stranded Indians.

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Stocks in the news: RIL, RBL Bank, Ramkrishna Forgings, Indian Energy Exchange, ICICI Pru Life

RITES, Paramount Communications, National Plastic Tech, Sheela Foam, Patel Integrated are also among the stocks in focus today.

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Asian stocks reach 29-month top, China services surprisingly strong

MSCI#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.5% to reach its highest since March 2018, extending a 2.8% gain last week.

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What changed for the market while you were sleeping? Top 10 things to know

Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a positive opening for the index in India with a 52 points gain.

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Growth in China#39;s factory activity slows in August, floods disrupt production

The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager#39;s Index (PMI) fell slightly to 51 in August from 51.1 in July, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. It remained above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis.

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Japan industrial output rises for second month but retail sales fall again

But retail sales fell for a fifth straight month and at a somewhat faster pace, a worrying sign for private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the world#39;s third-largest economy.

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Gold hits near two-week high on weaker dollar, dovish Fed signals

Spot gold was up 0.4% at $1,971.68 per ounce by 0043 GMT, after hitting its highest since Aug. 19 at $1,976 in early Asian trade. However, gold is down nearly 0.2% so far this month.

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Big Oil is in trouble. Its plan: flood Africa with plastic

Faced with plunging profits and a climate crisis that threatens fossil fuels, the industry is demanding a trade deal that weakens Kenyaâ€™s rules on plastics and on imports of American trash.

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Tamil Nadu ranks 3rd among best states for all exports: CM Palaniswami

The state#39;s share in automobile exports stood at 46 percent and 19 percent in terms of garments and electronics exports, he said.

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No urgency to have an elected Congress president: Salman Khurshid

Salman Khurshid, a former Union minister and among the leaders considered close to the Gandhi family, told PTI in an interview that he would not have signed the letter even if he was approached by the group that wrote to Gandhi seeking urgent organisational overhaul, including an active and full-time leadership.

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Finished steel exports jump over two-fold in April-July, imports shrink 42%: JPC

During April-June, the country#39;s total exports of finished steel stood at 4.641 million tonnes (MT) as against 1.933 MT in the year ago period, the Joint Plant Committee (JPC) said.

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Congress demands discussion in Parliament over Chinese activities on border

Addressing a joint virtual press conference, Congress leaders Rajiv Shukla and Gaurav Gogoi said the government should discuss the issue during the Monsoon session of Parliament and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should respond to the concerns of all.

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Refund charges collected since January 1 on UPI, RuPay transactions: Tax department to banks

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), in a circular on #39;imposition of charge on the prescribed electronic modes under section 269SU of I-T Act#39;, also advised banks not to impose any charges on any future transactions carried out through these modes.

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Oil prices edge up on stimulus support despite ample supplies

Brent crude futures for November climbed 27 cents, or 0.6%, to $46.08 a barrel by 0038 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $43.11 a barrel, up 14 cents, or 0.3%.

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Unlock 4: UP govt issues guidelines; schools, colleges to remain closed till September 30

Metro trains will be allowed to resume from September 7 in a phased manner, an official order said. For this, the standard operating procedure will be issued separately.

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SBM Bank India wants to be an Amazon of banking

The state-owned Mauritian lender got the licence to operate full-banking services from the Reserve Bank in December 2018 and began operations the next year. Singaporean DBS Bank is the only other foreign bank to operate a fully-owned subsidiary here after operating on a branch model for long, while lenders from Oman and Korea are awaiting licences from the regulator.

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NEP 2020 lacks clarity, cannot be applicable to entire country: Bengal govt panel

In a vast country like India, which has a diversified socio-economic condition, a common yardstick cannot be applied to all states especially at the primary and secondary levels of education and this has been enunciated in the report, the member said.

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Hot Stocks | Canara Bank, Info Edge and JSW Steel, three trading ideas for this week

As far as levels are concerned, 11,700-11,750 remains an immediate hurdle which coincides with a multi-month upward sloping trendline.

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/stocks-views/hot-stocks-|-canara-bank-info-edgejsw-steel-three-trading-ideas-for-this-week_14228881.html

Coronavirus India News LIVE Updates: Bengalâ€™s COVID-19 tally rises to 1.59 lakh

Coronavirus India LIVE Updates: Total confirmed cases have risen to 35.4 lakh. Indiaâ€™s COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 76.6 percent

from Moneycontrol Latest News https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/health/coronavirus-india-news-live-updates-bengalâ€™s-covid-19-tally-rises-to-159-lakh_14228861.html

Chainlink Bulls May Target $19.00 as Long as They Hold One Key Level

Chainlink has been flashing some signs of strength throughout the past few days and weeks, with the cryptocurrency’s securing a relatively strong foothold above the $17.00 region following its latest surge.

It has established the upper-$17.00 region as resistance, as a rally up to this area earlier today was followed by a strong rejection that sent the crypto plunging to lows of $16.50.

Bulls are now ardently defending against a dip below the $17.00 region, as a confirmation of this level as support may provide it with enough momentum to rally higher in the coming few days.

While speaking about the importance of this level, one analyst explained that as long as bulls guard against a dip below this level in the coming few hours, LINK could be well-positioned to rally as high as $19.00.

That being said, the same analyst also notes that a dip below this level could lead it to slide down towards $15.00 in the near-term.

Chainlink Struggles to Hold Above $17.00 Following Rejection at $18.00

At the time of writing, Chainlink is trading up just over 4% at its current price of $17.10. This is around where it has been trading for the past few days, as buyers have been ardently attempting to flip it into support.

In the near-term, whether or not this level can be flipped into support will likely be the sole factor that determines where it trends in the days and weeks ahead.

A failure for it to continue trading above this level could lead it significantly lower in the near-term.

It is important to note that LINK is still trading well-above where it was at just three days ago when it was trading at $14.00.

Analyst: LINK Could Soon Surge to $19.00 if Bulls Can Guard Against Further Downside

While speaking about the importance of $17.00, one trader explained that Chainlink’s reaction to this level should have significant implications for where it trends next.

He notes that while a defense of this level could catalyze a movement up towards $19.00, a sustained decline beneath it could lead the crypto down toward $15.00.

“This one doesn’t care and tries to break further up. As long as $17 holds, I think we’ll be able to reach $19. Losing $17 and I’ll aim $15.”

Chainlink LINK

Image Courtesy of Crypto Michael. Chart via TradingView.

Where Chainlink trends in the coming few hours and days will likely depend largely on whether or not the aggregated crypto market maintains its strength.

Featured image from Unsplash.
Charts from TradingView.

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Hackers Nab $16 Million In BTC Through Bitcoin Wallet Exploit

A long-time holder was unfortunately taken for their 1,400 BTC – over $16 million worth of Bitcoin – in a wallet exploit. But how were hackers able to make off with this user’s cryptocurrency? And what can others do to avoid the same situation from happening to them?

Crypto Crime Takes A Bow But Is Just As Active Behind The Curtain

Due to the lowered frequency and severity of big crypto exchange hacks compared to the past, Bitcoin-related hacks have since cooled off in the media.

Phishing attempts, ransomware, and SIM-card hacks are just three examples of crypto-related crime that isn’t widely covered.

It wasn’t until recently when several high profile Twitter accounts of celebrities, politicians, and company CEOs were hacked as part of a phony Bitcoin giveaway scam.

Hacks are commonplace in crypto, but it is only when there’s something of significance attached does it make the news. And a new hack uncovered involving over $16 million in stolen BTC could be the next headlining story to make it to publishing.

bitcoin btcusd

BTCUSD 1400 BTC = Roughly $16,000,000 USD | Source: TradingView

How Hackers Were Able To Steal 1400 Bitcoin, Over $16 Million In USD Value

According to the appropriately named GitHub user ‘1400BitcoinStolen,’ the enormous sum of BTC matching his username is now gone in part of a hack involving the Bitcoin wallet Electrum.

The fault is not of Electrum’s nor really the user’s, but it does put a spotlight on the importance of two key issues.

pic.twitter.com/G4gPwa7pxw

— Ben Verret⚡ (@verretor) August 30, 2020

The user utilized Electrum software from the last time they accessed their BTC in 2017. Electrum has since issued security updates that this user hasn’t yet installed.

Before they could move their Bitcoin, they were prompted to update and patch potentially critical issues. But when they did, the software contacted the hacker’s server using an exploit that the real security update would have likely prevented. 1400 BTC was immediately emptied from the wallet and into the hacker’s – a somber reminder to always keep software up to date.

Related Reading | The Most Common Bitcoin Scams And How To Avoid Them

Because Electrum is a “light client” software engineer Ben Kaufman explains in a deeper Twitter thread on the subject that this means the software must connect to a public server before it is then be connected to the blockchain.

It’s this trusted third-party acting as a middle man where hackers were able to exploit the process – the other key reminder to never trust third-parties with your private keys.

This unfortunate user likely can’t get their funds back, but others have been luckier. For those that experience this issue and act fast enough can potentially “double-spend” over the transaction if the hacker used a low enough fee.

For everyone else, let this be a reminder to keep your software up to date and to rely on cold storage methods whenever possible.

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