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macro economic factors that impact stock price and investing

by Jessyca Reilly Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Macroeconomic Factors

  1. Economic growth. If the economy is growing, companies are more likely to increase their profits with a rise in consumer spending, which also improves the stock market’s performance.
  2. Inflation. Inflation impacts stock prices because it affects how much consumers spend. ...
  3. Credit. ...
  4. Interest rate changes. ...

Let's look at some macroeconomic factors that influence stock markets in the US:
  • GDP or Gross Domestic Product. One of the biggest and all-encompassing macroeconomic factors is the gross domestic product or GDP of a country. ...
  • Inflation. ...
  • Unemployment Rate. ...
  • Retail Sales. ...
  • Industrial Output.
Aug 25, 2021

Full Answer

What are the macro factors that affect the stock market?

However, investors cannot ignore macro factors within the current economic environment. Some of these factors include economic growth, unemployment, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. All of these can affect the stock market.

What are the macroeconomic factors that affect the Indian stock market?

Macroeconomic factors refer to the factors that affect the entire economy and all its sectors. Investors must keep a keen eye on various economic factors like unemployment rate, exchange rate, inflation rate etc. in order to ascertain the impact of these factors on the Indian stock markets.

What are macroeconomic factors?

Macroeconomic factors are elements of the macroeconomic view that affect the process across industries and sectors of a country. Now, for example, any change in the GDP output of a country, affects the monetary and fiscal policies of that country.

How does the economy affect the stock market?

The Bottom Line There are far more influences on stock holdings than just sales, earnings and debt measures; various changes in the economy can affect portfolios, as well. The smart investor knows to keep an eye on all indicators, economic and otherwise, that can signal a change in the markets.

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What are macro factors in investing?

Macroeconomic factorsEconomic growth. Exposure to the business cycle.Real rates. The risk of interest-rate movements.Inflation. Exposure to changes in prices.

What economic factors can affect all stocks?

Economic factors that influence the stock market:Interest rates.Inflation (and deflation)GDP.Unemployment.Trade wars.

What are the important macroeconomic indicators that influence stock market?

Macroeconomic Indicators affecting Stock MarketsIntroduction.Factor 1- Crude Oil.Factor 2- Technological Shifts.Factor 3 - Gross Domestic Product (GDP)Factor 4 - Monetary Policy.Factor 5 – Inflation.Factor 6 - Exchange Rate Movement.Factor 7 - Fiscal Policy.More items...

What are the macro-economic factors would you consider before making investment?

ET Bureau explains five key macro-economic indicators that would affect your investments.GDP growth. GDP, the market value of all goods and services produced in the country, could pick up under the new government, say analysts. ... Industrial production. ... Current account deficit. ... Inflation. ... Interest rates.

How does economy affect stock price?

When inflation is at a low rate, the stock market responds with a surge in selling. High inflation causes investors to think that companies may hold back on spending; this causes an across the board decrease in revenue and the higher cost of goods coupled with the drop in revenue causes the stock market to drop.

What are the 3 main factors that affect stock?

Supply and demand, company financial performance and broad economic trends are three factors that affect the market value of stocks.

How macroeconomic factors affect stock returns?

The transmission from which macroeconomic variables may affect stock market returns depends on their respective effects on the economy as a whole; future consumption rates are often tied to unemployment levels, inflation, and GDP (Balvers et al., 1990; Fama, 1981) and monetary changes in money supply and interest rates ...

What are the 5 key economic indicators?

There are five leading indicators that are the most useful to follow. They are the yield curve, durable goods orders, the stock market, manufacturing orders, and building permits.

What are the six key macroeconomic factors?

Common measures of macroeconomic factors include gross domestic product, the rate of employment, the phases of the business cycle, the rate of inflation, the money supply, the level of government debt, and the short-term and long-term effects of trends and changes in these measures.

What are the 3 types of macroeconomics?

Macroeconomics focuses on three things: National output, unemployment, and inflation.

What economic factors play an important role in investment?

The following are some of the important economic factors which affect investment.Agriculture. ... Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ... Savings and Investment. ... Inflation. ... Rates of interest. ... Research and technological developments. ... Infrastructural facilities. ... Political stability.

What are the 5 key economic indicators?

There are five leading indicators that are the most useful to follow. They are the yield curve, durable goods orders, the stock market, manufacturing orders, and building permits.

What factors influence market conditions?

The Bottom Line. As stated above, trends are generally created by four major factors: government, international transactions, speculation/expectation, and supply and demand.

What causes changes in the stock market?

Stock prices change everyday by market forces. By this we mean that share prices change because of supply and demand. If more people want to buy a stock (demand) than sell it (supply), then the price moves up.

How does the economy affect stock market?

When the economy looks like it is growing then companies have the potential to expand and increase profits which can increase share prices . Consumer spending increases when the economy is strong as individuals feel more confident about their financial position. When the economy is slowing then companies will find it harder to expand and increase earnings. If consumers are also not very confident of the future they will choose to save instead of spending money on non-essential item.

How do interest rates affect stock market?

High interest rates negatively influence the stock market. Stocks usually sell off when there is any talk of a rate hike in the future. High interest rates restrict borrow borrowing capacity for business so this impedes their ability to grow the business. This stagnation in business growth can affect earnings growth and then stock prices. Rising interest rates also affects consumers as they may experience an increase in mortgage interest payments which can then restrict their purchasing power. This could create less demand for non-essential goods and services which then affect company earnings and stock prices. We have written up previously an article on The effect of interest rates on the stock market.

What are the factors that affect fundamental analysis?

However, investors cannot ignore macro factors within the current economic environment. Some of these factors include economic growth, unemployment, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates.

What does a weak exchange rate mean?

A weak exchange rate means exports are cheaper internationally. This is good news for companies who export products and services overseas as demand increases and earnings rise. A high exchange rate may mean cheaper imports, so this is good news for companies who use imported goods such as electronic retailers or manufacturing companies. However, a strong exchange rate may also cause some companies to struggle as the price of the goods and services become uncompetitive compared to other countries. For more depth on this subject, we have written an article called “The positive and negative effects of a strong aussie dollar”.

What happens when the economy is weak?

When the economy is weak, investors look to protect their capital and move funds into safe haven such as bonds which do not generate returns as high but also do not produce losses as low as the equity market.

How do rising costs affect businesses?

Rising costs impact businesses and their profits as input prices are higher. They may pass this on to consumers or if they need to stay competitive then they need to absorb these costs which lowers corporate profits. Lower revenues and profits can then contribute to the falling share prices of the stock.

Why is it important to have a strong economy?

A strong economy also gives investors confidence in the equity market. When the economy is weak, investors look to protect their capital and move funds into safe haven such as bonds which do not generate returns as high but also do not produce losses as low as the equity market.

What Is Macroeconomics?

Macroeconomics is a branch of economics that studies how an overall economy—the market or other systems that operate on a large scale—behaves. Macroeconomics attempts to measure how well an economy is performing, to understand what forces drive it, and to project how performance can improve. (Investopedia)

What Are Macroeconomic Factors?

Macroeconomic factors are elements of the macroeconomic view that affect the process across industries and sectors of a country. Now, for example, any change in the GDP output of a country, affects the monetary and fiscal policies of that country.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period. (Investopedia)

Forex Reserves & FIIs

FILE PHOTO: Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Unemployment Rate

This one should be a no-brainer. If people are unemployed, will they be willing to spend on unnecessary items? Or even spend any money they must have left? No. Unemployment rate severely affects the economic health of a country.

Inflation

Inflation is a complex topic when we take into consideration the effect it has on economies. But in the most simple terms, Inflation is the rise in prices of goods and services.

Conclusion

This concludes our blog on How Macroeconomic Factors Affect The Stock Market? These factors were discussed on a microscopic or very basic scale. If you factor in 100s of different variables in the nation, it will pretty soon get really complicated.

What are the two most common macroeconomic factors that impact stock market?

GDP and Inflation are probably the two most common macroeconomic factors that are known to impact stock markets. Inflation, in simple terms, is an increase in the price levels of goods and/or services or an increase in the supply of money. Inflation means prices of goods and services increasing. If the supply of money in ...

What are the factors that influence stock market?

Let’s look at some macroeconomic factors that influence stock markets in the US: 1. GDP or Gross Domestic Product. One of the biggest and all-encompassing macroeconomic factors is the gross domestic product or GDP of a country. Theoretically, GDP is the value of all the finished goods and services in a country during a specific period.

How does GDP affect inflation?

The first step is to understand each one of them. Once you are clear about what these factors are, then you need to start understanding the correlation between them. Here are some pointers to help: 1 An increasing GDP boosts the market but can also cause a rise in inflation rates. An increasing rate of inflation pulls the markets down. So, what really happens when the GDP increases? The answer lies in a controlled increase in GDP. 2 Most economists believe that a GDP growth of around 2.5%-3.5% per year is healthy for the economy as its impact on inflation is minimal and the stock markets respond favourably. 3 An increase in GDP also leads to a drop in unemployment rates. 4 While this sounds ideal for any economy (growth coupled with decreasing unemployment rates), the problem starts arising when the unemployment rates fall too low. 5 If an economy is operating at near-full employment, then the price of goods and services tends to increase since the demand increases. Also, the unavailability of labor leads to an increase in wages and a subsequent rise in prices. All this has a negative impact on the inflation rates and usually leads to hyperinflation. Eventually, as people accept the fact that the value of money will deteriorate over time (due to hyperinflation), they tend to start spending more. This causes a rise in GDP and a negative feedback loop that harms the economy and the stock markets.

How does inflation affect stock market?

One thing is certain though – rising inflation rates increase volatility in the stock markets.

How much GDP growth is healthy?

The answer lies in a controlled increase in GDP. Most economists believe that a GDP growth of around 2.5%-3.5% per year is healthy for the economy as its impact on inflation is minimal and the stock markets respond favourably. An increase in GDP also leads to a drop in unemployment rates.

What is macroeconomics?

Today, we are going to talk about macroeconomics – a branch of economics that studies the behavior of the economy as a whole and list some macroeconomic factors that influence stock markets in the US.

What drives the stock market?

The stock markets are driven by investor sentiment. But, what impacts the sentiments of investors? If most investors are feeling optimistic about the markets (in general) or a stock (in particular), then they would try to purchase it.

Interest rates

The interest rates or Fed rates majorly impact the stock market in the US. A rate hike would mean borrowing has become costlier, which would eat in the companies’ profits. Lower profit margins lead to a drop in stock prices of companies and ultimately drag the market down.

Inflation

Inflation, in simple terms, is a rise in the price of goods and services. In the US, inflation is measured using the Core Consumer Price Index (CPI). Core CPI excludes food and energy-related products. When inflation rises, stock markets fall. Inflation and stock markets have an inverse relationship.

Unemployment

The US government tracks and reports the unemployment rate regularly. The unemployment rate indicates the strength of any economy. Also, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the hiring rate in the country. These two indicators help investors interpret the expected state of the economy and stock market.

Trade wars

With trade wars, imports become very expensive due to high taxes, depending on the country of import. For example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 300 points when tariffs in China took effect. The index lost further (more than 750 points) due to the tariffs.

Industrial output

Industrial output is one of the major indicators of the strength of the US economy. The Federal Reserve, on a monthly basis, releases the Industrial Production Index (IPI), which indicates the monthly outputs in the manufacturing, electric, mining and gas industries.

Other factors affecting the US stock market

Many other factors may have an impact on the stock market. For example, a company earning many impacts the individual stocks and trends in general. Other man-made or natural disasters too may have an adverse impact on the economy and stock market. For example, COVID 19 has adversely impacted the economy and stock markets around the globe.

Why is falling interest rates good?

Falling interest rates usually indicates that the economy would be getting stronger since borrowings would increase thereby boosting demand and consumption. On the other hand, a tightening monetary policy (one where the central banks raise interest rates) is usually used to slow down an economy which has been rising too fast or the inflation has been climbing too quickly. Under the current market scenario, US may be under pressure to curb the interest rates due to the slowdown of the trade wars. This will be a good sign for the economy and the RBI (which has already cut the rates twice this year already) may further lower the interest rates. This could be positive for the domestic markets in general.

What does it mean when the GDP is high?

GDP. Markets usually love high GDP (Gross Domestic Product) since a high GDP indicates that the income levels in the economy are generally higher. This could translate into higher demand and consumption would increase, thereby boosting industrial production.

Why is GDP important?

GDP as an indicator is used widely to gauge the overall economic outlook of the country. If there is uncertainty around economic outlook, the risk averse investors would usually stay away from the markets to avoid volatility.

How does monsoon affect Indian markets?

Talking specifically about Indian markets, monsoon plays a huge role in uplifting investor sentiments as a good monsoon indicates good amount of rural demand and overall demand. That said, the work done in improving the irrigation systems over the past decade has left the country in a better place to deal with low monsoon. At the same time, if rainfall is not spatial, i.e. it is concentrated in a few areas and distributed across the country, it can do more harm than good. Hence the investors must look beyond the overall monsoon figures before making any decisions based on that.

What is a tightening monetary policy?

On the other hand, a tightening monetary policy (one where the central banks raise interest rates) is usually used to slow down an economy which has been rising too fast or the inflation has been climbing too quickly.

How to analyze macroeconomic factors?

To further analyze the relationship between macroeconomic factors (GDP growth and inflation) and other asset returns, we conduct a linear regression analysis by setting the asset monthly returns as the dependent variables. For every asset, we build linear regression models using GDP, GDP surprise, Inflation and Inflation surprise as the independent variables respectively. Table 2 shows the results of the regression.

What are the determinant macroeconomic factors?

This research article analyzes the influences of determinant macroeconomic factors – GDP, GDP Surprise, Inflation, and Inflation Surprise – on asset returns and asset correlations. In particular, we analyze how the previous factors impact the performance of different investment portfolios during various phases of the economic cycle. We found that portfolios that show the highest risk-adjusted and most robust returns with respect to different economic conditions are the ones that are invested across multiple asset classes that have offsetting responses with respect to the macro factors analyzed.

What are the factors that affect asset returns?

Macroeconomic factors — GDP, GDP Surprise, Inflation and Inflation Surprise — have high impact on asset returns: the variation of asset returns could be explained by macroeconomic factors mentioned above. The explanatory ability is different across assets. While equities are sensitive to economic growth, bonds have a high exposure to inflation and inflation surprise compared to economic growth.

Why is diversification important for investors?

Portfolio diversification is of great importance for investors in achieving investment goals while managing risks . However, a diversified portfolio across asset classes doesn’t guarantee diversified risk exposures. Macroeconomic factors, such as GDP growth and inflation, have impacts on financial markets. Therefore, how to diversify and minimize risk exposures of a portfolio to macroeconomic factors would be a worthwhile research to do for investors and portfolio managers. In the following sections we will discuss the relationship between financial assets and macroeconomic factors. Our analysis will mainly focus on GDP and inflation, as these macroeconomic factors are usually considered the most important with respect to the performance of different asset classes. Table 1 shows indices and data used in our analysis. Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows the assets prices and scaled assets prices from January 1970 to January 2019.

Which portfolio has the lowest drawdown?

Table 4 shows the drawdown statistics for the 3 investment portfolios. The min-variance portfolio has the lowest and fastest to recover drawdowns, followed by the risk parity portfolio. The min-variance portfolio also has the lowest max drawdown 7.79%, which is almost half of the max drawdown of risk parity portfolio and one quarter of 60/40 portfolio. In reference to our analysis in section 1 and section 2, where we found that macroeconomic factors have different levels of impact on financial assets, a multi-asset portfolio would have mitigated the risk exposures to different economic cycles.

What are the advantages of a well-diversified portfolio?

The advantages of a well-diversified portfolio would be easier to detect during financial crisis period. Figure 6 shows the cumulative returns of the three portfolios from January 2007 to December 2010. The maximum monthly loss of 60/40 portfolio would have happened in February 2009 with 28.04% loss in that month; meanwhile the return of min-variance portfolio and risk parity portfolio would be 5.15% and -6.57% respectively. The lowest monthly return of min-variance portfolio was 0.347% in February 2007 and the lowest monthly return of risk parity portfolio was -6.57% in February 2009. The min-variance portfolio, which targets at minimizing the portfolio volatility, has a better performance during the financial crisis among the three portfolios.

Does GDP affect gold price?

GDP and GDP Surprise have much higher R^2 than inflation does. Inflation and inflation surprise, on the other side, have higher impact on Gold price, with R^2 at 13.51% and 17.07% respectively. In general, regression models that include both GDP and inflation have higher R^2 than simple linear regression models with only one factor as we would expect. In summary, GDP and inflation do have influence on asset returns, while the degree of impact is different across assets. Equities are more sensitive to GDP growth. Assets such as Fixed Income (AGG), Currency (DX), and Gold are more sensitive to the inflation rate, in line with macroeconomic intuition. Specifically, commodities (GSCI_TR) have sensitivity to both GDP and inflation surprise. Inflation protected bonds (TIPS) have lower sensitivity to GDP, GDP surprise and inflation, but higher sensitivity to inflation surprise.

Why is low inflation bad for stocks?

2  Deflation, on the other hand, is generally bad for stocks because it signifies a loss in pricing power for companies.

How are stock prices determined?

Stock prices are determined in the marketplace, where seller supply meets buyer demand. But have you ever wondered about what drives the stock market—that is, what factors affect a stock's price? Unfortunately, there is no clean equation that tells us exactly how the price of a stock will behave. That said, we do know a few things about the forces that move a stock up or down. These forces fall into three categories: fundamental factors, technical factors, and market sentiment .

What is earnings base?

An earnings base, such as earnings per share (EPS) A valuation multiple, such as a P/E ratio. An owner of common stock has a claim on earnings, and earnings per share (EPS) is the owner's return on their investment. When you buy a stock, you are purchasing a proportional share of an entire future stream of earnings.

How does news affect stock market?

The political situation, negotiations between countries or companies, product breakthroughs , mergers and acquisitions , and other unforeseen events can impact stocks and the stock market. Since securities trading happens across the world and markets and economies are interconnected, news in one country can impact investors in another, almost instantly.

What drives stock prices?

Stock prices are driven by a variety of factors, but ultimately the price at any given moment is due to the supply and demand at that point in time in the market. Fundamental factors drive stock prices based on a company's earnings and profitability from producing and selling goods and services. Technical factors relate to a stock's price history ...

Why do you buy stock with a valuation multiple?

That's the reason for the valuation multiple: It is the price you are willing to pay for the future stream of earnings. 1:26.

Why do small cap stocks have a liquidity discount?

Many small-cap stocks suffer from an almost permanent "liquidity discount" because they simply are not on investors' radar screens.

What are the macroeconomic factors that affect the Indian stock market?

Other macroeconomic factors like Monetary policy of RBI, Investment by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) & Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), Dollar Index, US-10 year yield and US market indices also have an influence on the Indian stock markets. Thus, traders who regularly trade in stock markets must analyze how the macroeconomic factors play an important role in the price movements of the Indian stock markets.

What are macroeconomic factors?

Macroeconomic factors refer to the factors that affect the entire economy and all its sectors. Investors must keep a keen eye on various economic factors like unemployment rate, exchange rate, inflation rate etc. in order to ascertain the impact of these factors on the Indian stock markets. While analyzing the Indian stock markets, an investor must look at all the indices like Sensex, Nifty50, Pharma, Nifty Smallcap, Nifty Metals, Nifty Midcap etc.

How does economics affect stock market?

Various economic indicators affect the overall economy, ultimately creating an impact on the stock markets. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) looks at the aspect of total economic production of the country and its overall economic health. If the economy is going to expand, stock prices may rise. Investors may buy more stocks thinking they will see future profits and higher stock prices. If the economic outlook is uncertain, investors may reduce their buying or start selling.

What is the difference between a high exchange rate and a weak exchange rate?

Fluctuation in exchange rates is one of the significant factors that affect stock prices, which subsequently influences a firm’s market value. A high exchange rate means cheaper imports while a weak exchange rate means exports are cheaper all over the world. Companies which are highly affected are the ones which are involved in overseas operations. Accordingly, when the exchange rate is high globally, companies can import goods like electronic items and other manufactured items while a weak exchange rate signifies that the demand for export products increases and so does the earnings.

What affects consumer spending?

If there’s anything that directly affects consumer spending, it is the wages of a person. Thus, when the unemployment rate is high, the consumer spends less. People only wish to spend on necessary items and essential goods. In such cases, companies which belong to consumer staples and defensive sectors can earn more as compared to other sectors and industries.

What is foreign exchange reserve?

Foreign Exchange Reserves refer to the assets held by the Reserve Bank of India in foreign currencies as a reserve. The RBI holds these reserves in US Dollars, Pounds, Yen, Euros and other currencies. If a country has a strong backup of these reserves, the country is ready to manage unexpected crisis. This reposes the faith of the investor in the nation and its economy. And thus, leads to an increase in the confidence of the investor.

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Economic Growth

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The economy’s overall health has an impact on the stock market. When the economy looks like it is growing then companies have the potential to expand and increase profits which can increase share prices. Consumer spending increases when the economy is strong as individuals feel more confident about their financi…
See more on fairmontequities.com

Unemployment

  • Wages are the biggest indicator of consumer spending. When unemployment is high then consumer spending drops. Funds may be limited so consumers will spend less on discretionary items and allocate spending only to essential items. This may restrict the earning capacity of companies which then affects stock prices. Consumer staples and defensive sectors are usuall…
See more on fairmontequities.com

Inflation

  • Inflation affects the stock market as it impacts the level of consumer spending. When the cost of goods and services continue to rise then this means consumers have less money to spend on non-essential items. Rising costs impact businesses and their profits as input prices are higher. They may pass this on to consumers or if they need to stay compe...
See more on fairmontequities.com

Interest Rates

  • High interest rates negatively influence the stock market. Stocks usually sell off when there is any talk of a rate hike in the future. High interest rates restrict borrow borrowing capacity for business so this impedes their ability to grow the business. This stagnation in business growth can affect earnings growth and then stock prices. Rising interest rates also affects consumers as they ma…
See more on fairmontequities.com

Exchange Rates

  • A weak exchange rate means exports are cheaper internationally. This is good news for companies who export products and services overseas as demand increases and earnings rise. A high exchange rate may mean cheaper imports, so this is good news for companies who use imported goods such as electronic retailers or manufacturing companies. However, a strong exc…
See more on fairmontequities.com

GDP Or Gross Domestic Product

Image
One of the biggest and all-encompassing macroeconomic factors is the gross domestic product or GDP of a country. Theoretically, GDPis the value of all the finished goods and services in a country during a specific period. It offers a quick view of the economic health of the country. Usually, GDP is calculated annually in …
See more on groww.in

Inflation

  • GDP and Inflation are probably the two most common macroeconomic factors that are known to impact stock markets. Inflation, in simple terms, is an increase in the price levels of goods and/or services or an increase in the supply of money. Inflation means prices of goods and services increasing. If the supply of money in the economy increases, peop...
See more on groww.in

Unemployment Rate

  • In the US, the government regularly tracks and reports the unemployment rate in the country. It is an indicator of the strength of the economy. Further, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a monthly job report that highlights the hiring rate in the country. Both these measures – the unemployment rate and hiring rate can help an investor understand the expected state of the ec…
See more on groww.in

Retail Sales

  • We live in a consumer-driven world. In the US, the economy relies heavily on retail sales. In the US, the Bureau of Census compiles data pertaining to the sales of durable and non-durable goods and services every month and tracks consumer demand. This is vital in an economy like the US where nearly two-thirds of the GDP comes from consumer spending. Healthy retail sales usually elicit …
See more on groww.in

Industrial Output

  • While most of us would like to believe that we don’t live in an industry-driven world, industrial output is still a major indicator of the strength of an economy in the US. The Federal Reserve releases a monthly economic indicator of the outputs in the manufacturing, mining, electric, and gas industries, called the Industrial Production Index or IPI. It also provides insights about the ca…
See more on groww.in

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