US Jobs Data Tempers Rate-Hike Hopes; Adani Energy at Key Breakout Point

The June U.S. payrolls report came in softer than expected, with job growth slowing sharply and payrolls for the prior two months revised lower. The data pointed to a cooling labor market, pouring cold water on bets that the Federal Reserve would deliver an imminent rate hike, Reuters reported. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.2% from 4.3% in May, driven partly by workers leaving the labor force, which pushed the participation rate to its lowest in more than five years.

Asian equities reacted in mixed fashion. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan swung between gains and losses before edging up 0.1%, reversing two consecutive days of declines. South Korea's Kospi fell, weighed by sharp drops in chipmakers following their U.S. counterparts. S&P 500 e-mini futures and Nasdaq e-mini futures each rose 0.1%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 1%. For Indian markets, the session opened with a gap-up before institutional selling emerged, a pattern seen in recent sessions.

Among individual stocks, Infosys (INFY) carries a Moderate Alpha Score of 57/100, reflecting a neutral near-term signal against the broader mixed macro backdrop.

Adani Energy: Base Building Above ₹1,460

Adani Energy Solutions has rallied since April but entered a sideways phase in June, oscillating between ₹1,460 and ₹1,600. The stock closed near ₹1,556.50 on Thursday. The technical setup shows a base forming at ₹1,460, with the last two sessions rising on stronger volume, indicating buying pressure is building. A breakout above ₹1,600 would open the path to ₹1,720 in the near term, according to the analysis. The ₹1,460 level acts as primary support; any dip back toward that level would be an opportunity to add positions, the analysis noted.

Bank of Baroda: Q1 Growth Across Deposits and Advances

Bank of Baroda reported a 15.46% year-on-year increase in global business, which combines deposits and advances from domestic and overseas operations, to ₹30,51,218 crore as at June-end FY27. Domestic deposits rose 14.74% to ₹13,81,822 crore, while domestic advances increased 16.14% to ₹11,51,383 crore. The provisional business numbers reflect continued credit expansion in the banking sector, though broader market reaction will depend on asset quality details, which are due with the full earnings report.

Ramco Systems, the SaaS provider from the Ramco group, appointed Sandesh Bilagi as its new CEO. Bilagi was previously President and COO. In his new role, he will lead the company's global growth push and accelerate its shift to an AI-native enterprise software model.

Bank of Baroda's deposit and loan growth rates, both above 14%, underscore the momentum in domestic credit demand. The bank's quarterly update provides a benchmark for peers reporting later in the season.