Global cotton prices have weakened, with New York ICE December cotton futures falling from a late-August peak of 93 cents per pound to about 80.13 cents per pound. India’s domestic cotton prices have eased to ₹64,500–65,500 per candy, while Cotton Corporation of India auction rates have been cut by about ₹1,200 over the past two days. Cottonseed prices have also declined by ₹300–400, as arrivals rise and demand remains subdued.

Meta shares have surged 36% in September after the company released its Muse personal AI assistant, which quickly rose to the top of app charts and eased concerns about whether heavy AI spending will pay off. The stock is on track for its best monthly performance since July 2013. The rally follows a period when the shares were down 18% for the year after a late-July revenue forecast disappointed. Capital spending is expected to be nearly $140 billion this year, double the roughly $70 billion Meta spent in 2025.

India’s Sensex and Nifty fell more than 0.8% in early trade, with the Nifty 50 down 214 points to 23,232.80. Brent crude climbing above $102 a barrel and the US 10-year Treasury yield rising to 5.11% weighed on risk appetite. Financial stocks led the decline, and only three Nifty 50 constituents were trading higher. US stocks closed lower overnight after strong US business-activity data revived expectations of another Federal Reserve rate increase.

Anthropic expects annualised revenue to surpass $100 billion in 2026 and is preparing for a stock-market debut as soon as November, the New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Its revenue run rate reached $65 billion by the end of July, up from $9 billion at the end of 2025. The increase reflects growing adoption of Anthropic’s Claude AI software by business customers to streamline coding and other workplace tasks.

Cotton arrivals from India’s 2026 kharif crop have started improving, with daily inflows estimated at around 30,000 bales across several key producing states. Prices in Maharashtra are hovering around ₹8,600 per quintal due to high moisture levels. Buyers are staying cautious as global prices soften, weighing on domestic spot and auction rates. Arrivals are expected to rise further from the first week of October.

India’s 2025-26 oil-year soyabean imports are expected to reach a record 1 million tonnes as domestic supplies fall short. Imports in October-August have already reached 9.34 lakh tonnes, according to the Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA). The group also cut its harvested-area estimate to 10.5 million hectares, down 6% from its earlier forecast.

The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield hovered near 5%, pressuring Wall Street to close lower overnight. Tensions in the Middle East escalated again, including an attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. WTI held firm in the $104–105 a barrel range, while Brent hovered near $108, curbing global risk appetite.

India has set a 13.5 lt sugar sales quota for September 16–30, lifting the total allocation for September to a record 26.5 lt to steady domestic prices. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka received 4.25 lt, 4.13 lt and 2.02 lt, respectively. The government has also allowed duty-free imports of 1 million tonnes of raw sugar, and retail prices have fallen below ₹60/kg. In global trade, ICE raw sugar futures slipped below 18 cents a pound, while London white sugar futures were quoted at $529.1 a tonne.

The Indian government has asked sugar mills to ensure adequate supplies during the festival season and keep prices stable. Sugar prices in the world’s biggest consumer hit a record high last month on supply concerns, after which New Delhi allowed dutyfree imports of 1 million metric tons. The government has so far received applications to import 800,000 metric tons, while prices have eased recently but remain nearly 20% higher than two months ago.