In this week’s wrapup, we discuss why food prices are rising despite record harvests in some regions, the crisis chipping away at Nike’s dominance, whether a new CEO can restore HDFC Bank to its former glory, why SEBI’s Investor Protection Fund is underutilised, and what’s behind the recent volatility in ESDS Software Solution’s stock price.
What’s behind the looming global food crisis
You’ve probably noticed that grocery bills keep creeping up, even when there’s no obvious food shortage. Sugar, wheat, and rice have all gotten more expensive lately, and that’s happening even though several regions are producing plenty of grain. For context, the FAO now projects global cereal output of 2.9 billion tonnes this year, only 2.1% below last year’s record harvest.
But the problem seems to lie less in how much food is grown and more in the raw material that makes growing it possible. Fertiliser production is concentrated among a handful of war-torn countries, like Ukraine and the Persian Gulf. On top of that, export restrictions made things worse, while a strong dollar left poorer countries struggling to afford what was still available. And because farming runs on rigid timelines, a fertiliser shortage today can quietly shrink harvests well into next year, just as a historically strong El Niño looms.
So if the world isn’t short of food, can countries like India keep it affordable when a shock in one corner of the globe can disrupt the supply chain feeding the rest?
Read our full story to find out.
What ails Nike?
Nike was once the sportswear brand everyone wanted. From turning Michael Jordan’s shoes into a $126 million hit to overtaking Adidas, it seemed to know exactly what customers wanted.
But fast-forward to today, and things look very different. Its sales are slipping. The company has lost nearly 80% of its market value. And newer rivals are grabbing its shelf space.
So, what went wrong and can Nike reclaim the magic that made it iconic?
Find out in Tuesday’s newsletter here.
Can a new CEO solve HDFC Bank’s problems?
HDFC Bank once had good loan growth, high-quality assets, a powerful retail franchise, and a large pool of deposits that helped it become India’s largest private-sector bank and a favourite among shareholders.
But since its 2023 merger with HDFC Ltd, the bank has started to become rather pale by comparison. On paper, the merger made it far bigger. But in practice, that scale hasn’t translated into the kind of economics that once made the bank special.
Add the resignation of its chairman, and the confidence that once justified the bank’s premium valuation has taken a hit. More recently, incumbent MD & CEO Shashidar Jagdishan did not seek reappointment when his term ends later this month.
That’s where Anup Bagchi comes in. He will be the first outsider to lead HDFC Bank, bringing experience across retail banking, insurance, broking, and wealth management.
But can a new CEO help HDFC Bank finally turn the scale it gained from the merger into a real advantage?
Read our full story to find out.
Why is SEBI’s investor protection fund barely being used?
Whenever there’s a case of market manipulation or a scam, market regulator SEBI can order those involved to pay fines and penalties, along with other punishments such as barring them from trading in the stock markets. But have you ever wondered where all that money goes?
Well, it goes into a fund called the Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF). The money can be used to educate investors, promote financial literacy and, in some cases, compensate investors who have suffered losses.
But there’s a problem — the fund’s huge balance. Yup, it had nearly ₹970 crore by FY26, yet spending from it remains a tiny fraction of that amount. Basically, the money keeps piling up, but spending isn’t keeping pace. And SEBI is facing criticism for this.
But it’s not necessarily that SEBI doesn’t want to help investors. The problem also lies in the laws governing how the fund can be used.
Curious about how the IPEF works and why its spending isn’t keeping up with its growing balance? Read Thursday’s newsletter to find out.
What’s really going on with ESDS?
Few industries have excited Indian investors lately as much as the combination of cloud computing, data centres, and AI. And ESDS Software Solution sits right at the intersection of all three.
Its stock showed just how much the market loved that story. After listing last month with a 76% gain on day 1, it went on to surge roughly 310% above its IPO price, pushing its market capitalisation close to ₹16,000 crore.
But then things turned. After peaking on September 24, the stock hit the lower circuit for six consecutive sessions, right after the company reported a 20% sequential fall in revenue and a 56% drop in net profit.
So was ESDS’s fall a sign that the AI infrastructure story is losing steam, or simply a reminder of what happens when a stock is priced for perfect execution?
Read our full story to find out.
Finshots Weekly Quiz v2.0 🧠
Hey folks! As you probably already know, the Finshots Weekly Quiz has a new avatar. If you missed out on it in the last couple of months, don’t worry. Click here to check out the rules and set a reminder to participate consistently starting next month!
But for now, it’s time to announce the top scorers of our previous weekly quiz. There were a whole bunch of you who participated, and many of you ended up with the same scores. So we’re calling you Bulls, Bears, Unicorns, Blue Chips, and Rising Stars. Here’s how the leaderboard looks right now:
Check out the annexure below 👇🏽 to see the names of the top scorers
If your name has been featured on the leaderboard, then congratulations! If not, don’t lose hope. If you attempted last week’s quiz, keep at it and answer all the weekly quizzes this month. You never know when the turntables! Click on this link to take this week’s quiz, which is open till 12 noon, Friday, 16th of October, 2026. The more answers you get right, the better your chances of appearing on the Finshots Weekly Quiz leaderboard. We’ll publish it every Saturday in the Weekly Wrapup. And the winner will be announced in the first week of November.
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