Last Session Before the Long Weekend | Bajaj Finance !BAJFINANCE

$BAJAJFINSV The Nifty50 settled 29.85 points or 0.12 per cent lower at 24,366 and the Sensex fell 71 points or 0.09 per cent to 78,009 on Friday, as oil prices rose after the US threatened to continue the naval blockade at the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely — a signal that the crude overhang is not going away quickly. Markets saw another day of lacklustre trading as participants seemed less interested in taking directional positions ahead of the Independence Day long weekend. But within that flat session, one story stood out clearly. Bajaj Finance was among the top Nifty gainers today — a meaningful signal after the NBFC sector was battered last week by RBI's draft norms proposing restrictions on revolving credit products. The recovery in Bajaj Finance, even partial, tells you that the market is beginning to separate the regulatory uncertainty from the underlying fundamental story — and that story remains strong. Q1 FY27 net profit was Rs 6,081 crore, up 28 per cent year on year, AUM grew 24 per cent to Rs 5.46 lakh crore, and the customer franchise expanded 17 per cent to 124 million. The key date now is August 28 — the last day for industry feedback on the RBI draft norms. Between today and then, every bounce in Bajaj Finance and every dip in the sector will be driven by headlines about what RBI is likely to do next. The stock's 52-week range of Rs 788.40 to Rs 1,177.60 frames the scale of the opportunity and the risk in equal measure. Markets reopen Tuesday, August 18 after the Independence Day holiday on Monday. Have a great long weekend.