Business Advisory Services

  Export Shock & Currency Pressure The U.S. has recently escalated tariffs on Indian exports to a staggering 50% , targeting roughly two-thirds of the country’s exported goods. Sectors like textiles, gems, jewelry, shrimps, and furniture are bearing the brunt of this punitive measure. It threatens to shrink India’s exports to the U.S. by nearly $37 billion, jeopardizing jobs and disrupting supply chains. The financial stress is palpable. The Indian rupee slid past ₹88 to the dollar , its lowest level ever, prompting central bank intervention. The depreciation could shave off 60–80 basis points from India’s GDP and poses mounting pressure on export-intensive sectors. Resilient Growth & Sectoral Shifts Despite these headwinds, India’s economy remains robust. GDP growth clocked in at an impressive 7.8% in Q2 FY2025, driven by strength in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and consumer demand. Sector-wise, analysts suggest looking beyond impacted industries. Domestic ph...

  UAE Gold Reserves Surge 26% in 2025 Amid Robust Banking Sector Growth Abu Dhabi/Dubai — August 23, 2025: The United Arab Emirates has witnessed a remarkable 26% increase in gold reserves so far this year, underscoring the resilience of its financial system and the strong performance of its banking sector. According to recent data, the surge comes despite softening global gold prices , highlighting the UAE’s proactive financial management and growing investor confidence in the country’s monetary policies. Banking Sector Resilience The UAE’s banks have reported healthy growth in deposits and assets , providing the Central Bank with greater liquidity buffers. Analysts note that this has enabled the country to increase gold holdings as part of its broader diversification strategy, ensuring long-term financial security and hedging against global market volatility. “Gold has always been a trusted store of value. The UAE’s decision to expand reserves even during a period of subdu...

  Leading U.S. hedge fund managers—including Bridgewater Associates , Tiger Global , and Discovery Capital —have significantly increased their holdings in Big Tech stocks over Q2 2025, driven by a renewed burst of enthusiasm for AI. Simply Wall St +2 MoneyWeek +2 Reuters What’s Happening: Bridgewater more than doubled its stake in Nvidia , investing $1.14 billion , and raised positions in Alphabet, Microsoft, Broadcom, and Palo Alto Networks. Discovery Capital doubled its Meta holdings, initiated a position in CoreWeave (supported by Nvidia), and elevated its exposure to UnitedHealth Group and Latin American equities. Tiger Global expanded its investments in Amazon, Alphabet, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta, and entered a position in Lam Research. Coatue Management added AI-related names like Arm Holdings and Oracle, raising its investment in CoreWeave to $2.9 billion . Reuters Why It’s a Positive Signal for Investors: Indicator Implication for Investors Major pla...

Emirates NBD has achieved a landmark milestone in the UAE’s financial sector, with its zero-fee equities trading initiative crossing AED 5 billion in trades within just one year of launch. Rolled out in August 2024 on the bank’s award-winning digital wealth platform ENBD X , the initiative has recorded over 300,000 trades across the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), and Nasdaq Dubai. Customers now enjoy commission-free access to more than 150 UAE-listed equities , a move that has significantly boosted retail investor participation. Making Investing More Accessible The zero-fee model has lowered barriers to entry for both seasoned and first-time investors. By eliminating commission charges, Emirates NBD has positioned equity investing as a mainstream wealth-building tool , rather than a service limited to high-net-worth individuals. This aligns closely with the UAE’s long-term “We the UAE 2031” vision , which emphasizes financial inclusion and strong...

Regional Markets Dip Amid Tariff Worries Gulf stock markets ended the week lower as fresh U.S. tariff announcements and uncertainty over potential Federal Reserve policy moves weighed on investor sentiment. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s main index fell 0.8%, driven by losses in major stocks such as Emirates NBD, which declined 2.4%, and Salik Company, down 1.1%. This drop came despite the index reaching a 17.5-year high earlier in the week. Abu Dhabi’s index slipped 0.5%, with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank losing 3.4% and Commercial Bank International plunging 7.8% after reporting a 5% fall in quarterly profit. Some companies managed to buck the downward trend. Gulf Navigation gained 5.8% after raising its foreign ownership limit to 100%, while Multiply Group advanced 5.1%. National Bank of Fujairah surged 9.6% following a 67% increase in second-quarter earnings. Global market sentiment was similarly cautious. According to industry data, global equity funds recorded $7.82 billio...

New Foreign Transaction Card Fees Coming: What Travelers and Expats Should Know Global travelers and international shoppers may soon see a rise in costs, as several major banks and financial institutions are introducing new foreign transaction fees on credit and debit card usage abroad. These updated fee structures, expected to roll out in Q4 2025 , are designed to offset rising cross-border payment processing costs and currency conversion risks. The changes will particularly affect cardholders making purchases outside their home country or transacting with international merchants online. What’s Changing? While many cards have traditionally imposed a 1–3% foreign transaction fee , new policies could introduce: Flat-rate international usage charges Higher fees for emerging market currencies Separate surcharges for online cross-border transactions Fees applied even if the transaction is processed in local currency Implications for Consumers: Frequent travelers, digit...