Published on: May 19, 2025
Shares of Data Patterns (India) Ltd. spiked as much as 9.5 % to ₹3,141.70—their strongest level since 2 Aug 2024—after the company reported a 60.5 % year‑on‑year jump in consolidated net profit to ₹114 crore for Q4 FY25. Revenue more than doubled to ₹396 crore, powered by accelerated deliveries across radar, avionics and electronic‑warfare programs.
Operating EBITDA climbed 60.7 % to ₹149.5 crore, though the margin compressed 1,340 basis points to 37.7 % as higher material costs and project‑mix shifts kicked in. The board recommended a final dividend of ₹7.9 per share.
Order momentum remains firm: FY25 intake totalled ₹355 crore, lifting the year‑end backlog to ₹730 crore. In the current quarter the company has already booked ₹40 crore of fresh orders and is L1 on another ₹92 crore.
After the early surge the stock pared gains, trading 2.8 % higher at ₹2,948.60 by 10:08 a.m., while the Nifty 50 inched up 0.07 %. Volumes were 5.2× the 30‑day average and the RSI stood at 62, just below overbought territory.
Bloomberg data show 11 of 12 analysts rate the stock ‘Buy’, one says ‘Hold’; however, the consensus 12‑month target still sits 24 % below Monday’s intraday high, hinting at stretched near‑term valuations unless fresh order wins accelerate.
Published on: May 19, 2025
Indian markets were abuzz on Monday as a wave of fourth‑quarter FY25 results from mid‑cap and sector‑specialist companies triggered sharp stock moves.
• Top Gainers
Precision Wires surged 10.1 % after revenue jumped 19 % and net profit rose 35 %, buoyed by stronger volumes and firmer spreads. Data Patterns (+9.5 %), KRBL (+7.4 %) and logistics player Delhivery (+7 %) followed on the back of margin expansion and profits swinging into the black. Defense focused Zen Technologies advanced 5 % as revenue more than doubled YoY.
• Notable Losers
Gujarat Ambuja Exports sank 5.4 % as margins halved and profit slumped 65 %. CreditAccess Grameen fell 5.7 %, hit by an 88 % profit decline linked to lower income and higher provisions.
• Margin Movers
Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals flipped to profit thanks to a six fold jump in EBITDA and higher other income, announcing a ₹15.8/share dividend. Conversely, Texmaco Rail reported a 12 % profit dip despite healthy revenue growth as other income fell and tax outgo rose.
• Sector Highlights
• Defence/Engineering: Kalpataru Projects and Ratnamani Metals delivered double digit revenue growth with stable margins.
• Pharma & Chemicals: Divi’s Labs posted 23 % profit growth and a ₹30 dividend, while Neogen Chemicals booked an exceptional loss from a plant fire, crushing bottom line.
• Consumer & Retail: Amber Enterprises rode strong AC demand to 34 % top line growth; Arvind Fashions swung to loss despite higher sales.
• Shipping & Infra: Shipping Corp. saw profits fall 40 % on softer freight rates; Nesco reported margin compression in its exhibition and real estate units.
Overall, earnings reflected a still uneven demand recovery: companies with pricing power, exports exposure, or defence and rail order books outperformed, while commodity cost pressures and one offs weighed on others. Investors reacted swiftly, rewarding clear profit visibility and penalizing margin slippage.
Published on: May 16, 2025
Bajaj Auto Ltd., through its Netherlands-based subsidiary Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV, has injected another €50 million (approx. ₹480 crore) into KTM AG, marking the fourth tranche of financial support since February 2025. The infusion, announced via an exchange filing on Thursday, comes in the form of convertible bonds issued by Pierer Bajaj AG, the joint venture that owns a majority stake in KTM’s parent, Pierer Mobility AG.
This latest capital will help fund KTM’s ongoing restructuring efforts and prevent potential bankruptcy, with the Austrian bike manufacturer needing to raise €548 million by May 23 as part of a court-approved plan. The investment consists of 500 bonds worth €100,000 each, convertible into shares of Pierer Bajaj AG between June 2025 and February 2028.
So far, Bajaj Auto has infused €200 million into KTM AG this year. The investments started with a €150 million capital injection into its Dutch arm in February, followed by three €50 million tranches—on Feb 21, March 31, April 3, and now May 15. KTM resumed operations at its Austria plant on March 17, but it still needs €800 million in total to fulfill its immediate cash obligations and boost production.
Pierer Bajaj AG is jointly owned by Stefan Pierer (50.1%) and Bajaj Auto International Holdings (49.9%), with Rajiv Bajaj serving on its board. This entity controls 74.9% of Pierer Mobility AG, which in turn fully owns KTM AG, the maker of brands like KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas, and CFMoto, and operator of the KTM MotoGP team.
As Bajaj’s strategic investment deepens, industry watchers await clarity on whether it will seek a majority control of KTM or bring in a new investor to acquire Stefan Pierer’s stake. These questions are expected to be addressed in Bajaj Auto's Q4 results on May 29.
Published on: May 16, 2025
Mutual funds have scaled back their holdings in eight Adani Group companies during April 2025, reflecting growing caution amid ongoing legal scrutiny and market volatility. According to ETMutualFunds analysis, the reduced exposure spans key firms like Adani Green Energy, Adani Energy Solutions, Adani Enterprises, Adani Total Gas, Ambuja Cements, ACC, Adani Ports and SEZ, and Sanghi Industries.
The sharpest reduction was seen in Sanghi Industries (–26.47%) and Adani Green Energy (–16.34%), where mutual fund shareholding dropped to 1.37 crore shares valued at ₹1,234 crore. Adani Energy Solutions saw an 11.93% drop in exposure, while Adani Enterprises holdings fell by 5.38%.
Only Adani Power (+2.57%) and AWL Agri Business (+2.93%) saw marginal increases in mutual fund interest. Overall, fund managers appear to be realigning portfolios amid muted market sentiment and index rebalancing.
The pullback comes at a time when Adani Group is embroiled in a U.S. bribery investigation, with billionaire Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani accused by U.S. prosecutors of paying bribes to secure power contracts and misleading investors during a $750 million bond offering by Adani Green Energy. The SEC and Brooklyn federal prosecutors are actively pursuing the case, although recent reports suggest Adani representatives are in talks with the Trump administration to seek dismissal of charges.
Despite the legal cloud, Adani stocks saw a bounce earlier this month, buoyed by optimism that a settlement could be reached. However, mutual fund data suggests institutional investors are taking a wait-and-watch approach, especially in funds not constrained by index-tracking mandates.
Fund houses with significant exposures in April include SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential, HDFC Mutual Fund, Quant, and Mirae Asset, spread across multiple Adani entities. The latest portfolio disclosures reflect positions as of April 2025, per regulatory requirements.
Published on: May 16, 2025
Infosys has awarded its employees an average performance bonus of 65% for the fourth quarter of FY25, significantly lower than the 90% and 80% bonuses paid in the December and September quarters, respectively. The company attributed the reduction to ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty and muted client spending, according to an internal communication accessed by Business Standard.
The bonus applies to employees up to Band 6, which includes managers and senior managers, and will be disbursed along with May salaries. Infosys has not issued an official comment yet.
The conservative approach to bonuses reflects a broader trend in the IT services sector, where firms are grappling with lack of deal visibility and cost-conscious clients. Last month, Infosys forecast flat to 3% revenue growth in FY26, highlighting cautious client behavior and cutbacks in discretionary spending.
Infosys' larger rival TCS also reduced variable pay recently, with only 70% of its workforce receiving full payouts, while the remaining—primarily senior employees—faced cuts. Additionally, TCS has deferred annual appraisals, which typically begin in April, due to challenging market conditions.
With most IT firms projecting near-flat growth in FY26, employee compensation is increasingly being adjusted to align with subdued business outlooks.
Published on: May 16, 2025
As Indian equity markets rebound sharply from their March lows, Jefferies has raised caution, noting that valuations have turned “expensive again”. The benchmark Nifty50 and Sensex are up over 14% from their April lows, now just 5% shy of their record highs from September 2024.
According to Jefferies, the rally—driven by geopolitical de-escalation between India and Pakistan, optimism around a potential US-India trade deal, and central bank rate cuts—has pushed MSCI India’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio to 22.9x, which is 17% above the 10-year average. While financial stocks still trade below their historical averages, non-financial P/E valuations have reached 26.1x, up 27% over the average.
At 11 AM on Friday, the BSE Sensex was down 245.55 points (0.30%) at 82,285.19, and the NSE Nifty50 slipped 77.7 points (0.31%) to 24,984.4, pausing after a strong weekly performance that marked a seven-month high for both indices.
Jefferies noted that a potential tariff-free trade agreement with the US—hinted at by President Donald Trump—could provide further upside. While India hasn't officially commented, the brokerage believes such a deal could act as a near-term trigger, akin to the India-UK FTA.
Despite slowing domestic mutual fund inflows—down 50% from October 2024 highs—SIP contributions stabilized in April. Jefferies believes domestic flows may have bottomed, but warns any resurgence in inflows could also be met with increased equity supply, limiting further upside.
On the earnings front, Jefferies said EPS growth forecasts for FY26 have been trimmed by 1.1%, with projected growth now at 11%, citing pressure from net interest margin (NIM) compression in banks and a muted IT services outlook. Despite a better beat ratio in Q4, the upgrade-to-downgrade ratio for FY26 earnings has deteriorated.
Strategically, Jefferies has reduced its overweight on financials and reallocated exposure to defence and cement sectors, citing stronger relative fundamentals and potential policy tailwinds.
Published on: May 16, 2025
Shares of Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals rallied over 7.45% on Friday, reaching ₹351.8 per share—their highest intraday gain since February 1, 2025—after the company reported a solid 22.49% year-on-year jump in net profit for Q4FY25. As of 12:45 PM, the stock was trading 6.8% higher at ₹349 apiece, outperforming the Nifty 50, which was down 0.25%.
For the March 2025 quarter, the company posted a net profit of ₹169.48 crore, compared to ₹138.36 crore a year ago. Revenue grew 5.08% YoY to ₹2,060.64 crore. For the full financial year, net profit rose 26.38% to ₹555.95 crore, and revenue increased 7.53% to ₹7,863.55 crore.
Crompton’s board recommended a dividend of ₹3 per share, subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming AGM. The record date for dividend entitlement is July 24, 2025.
CEO Promeet Ghosh attributed Q4 growth to strong demand for solar pumps, air coolers, and mixer grinders. Under its “Crompton 2.0” strategy, the company is focusing on innovation, consumer centricity, and next-gen technologies. It is also expanding into the high-growth solar rooftop segment, part of a broader plan to tap into a ₹20,000 crore total addressable market.
Despite the strong quarterly performance, Crompton shares are down 7% YTD, and up just 3% over the past year, trailing the Nifty 50’s 5.25% gain. The stock has a 52-week range of ₹484–301 on the NSE.
Crompton Greaves is a key player in the Electrical Consumer Durables (ECD) and Lighting segments, offering a wide range of household appliances and electrical products across India.
Published on: May 16, 2025
JSW Energy Ltd. saw its stock price rise as much as 3.95% to ₹506 apiece on Friday after posting better-than-expected net profit figures for the fourth quarter of FY25. As of 10:40 a.m., the stock was trading 2.94% higher at ₹501.75, outperforming the broader NSE Nifty 50 Index, which was down 0.24%.
The company's Q4 net profit rose 16% year-on-year to ₹408 crore, surpassing Bloomberg's estimate of ₹295 crore. Revenue for the quarter increased 16% to ₹3,189 crore, slightly below expectations of ₹3,459 crore. The growth was attributed to increased power generation and capacity addition through a recent acquisition.
Ebitda rose 3% year-on-year to ₹1,204.5 crore, missing the forecasted ₹1,315 crore. Ebitda margin declined to 37.8% from 42.4% a year ago, also slightly below estimates.
Despite the strong earnings reaction, the stock has fallen 15.55% over the past 12 months. Trading activity was elevated, with volume reaching 5.2 times the 30-day average. The relative strength index (RSI) stood at 55, indicating neutral momentum.
Analyst sentiment remains mixed: out of 16 analysts tracked by Bloomberg, 9 rate the stock a ‘Buy’, 2 suggest ‘Hold’, and 5 recommend ‘Sell’. The average 12-month price target implies a 15% upside from current levels.
Published on: May 16, 2025
Indian stock markets are poised for a robust session on Friday, May 16, following Thursday’s sharp rally. GIFT Nifty futures were trading 104 points higher at 25,183 as of 8:05 AM, buoyed by reports suggesting India has proposed zero tariffs on select US goods. On Thursday, the BSE Sensex jumped 1,200 points to close at 82,530.74, while the Nifty 50 surged 395.20 points to end at 25,062.10.
Despite a positive domestic setup, Asian markets were largely in the red, while US indices closed mixed overnight.
Key Stocks in Focus:
• IndusInd Bank: Under scrutiny after fresh disclosures of ₹674 crore in wrongly booked interest income and ₹595 crore in unsubstantiated asset balances. These were corrected by January and linked to discrepancies in the MFI business.
• Bharti Airtel: Singtel subsidiary Pastel may sell a 0.8% stake in a block deal worth ₹8,568 crore at a floor price of ₹1,800 per share, a 3.6% discount to the last close.
• Bajaj Auto: Approves additional investment of €125 million (₹1,199.92 crore) into its Netherlands subsidiary.
• JSW Energy: Reports 16% YoY jump in Q4 net profit at ₹408 crore; revenue also up 16%. Approves fundraise of up to ₹10,000 crore.
• Biocon: Gains USFDA approval for Rivaroxaban tablets via its subsidiary, Biocon Pharma.
• RVNL: Secures LoA for upgrading electric traction systems in Central Railway worth an undisclosed sum.
• Allied Blenders: Plans to raise ₹1,000 crore through various equity-linked instruments.
• Signature Global: Q4 net profit jumps 48% YoY to ₹61.12 crore, though total income declines YoY.
• PB Fintech (Policybazaar): Reports stellar 185% YoY rise in Q4 net profit to ₹171 crore; revenue up 38% YoY.
• LIC Housing Finance: Q4 net profit climbs 25% YoY to ₹1,368 crore; announces ₹10/share dividend.
• Abbott India: Strong Q4 performance with 28% YoY profit growth and Ebitda margin improvement to 26.7%.
• Crompton Greaves: Posts 22.5% YoY net profit rise in Q4FY25 with revenue and Ebitda up 5.1% and 29.4%, respectively.
Q4 Results to Watch Today:
BHEL, CreditAccess Grameen, Delhivery, Emami, Hyundai Motor India, Jubilant Pharmova, Reliance Infrastructure, Shipping Corp, and Sterlite Technologies, among others, are set to announce their March quarter earnings.
Other active counters include Medi Assist Healthcare, Patanjali Foods, Balrampur Chini Mills, Allcargo Gati, PN Gadgil Jewellers, and IFCI, which may see stock-specific action.
Published on: May 16, 2025
IndusInd Bank has disclosed two more significant accounting irregularities, intensifying scrutiny of its financial oversight practices. According to a regulatory filing on Thursday, an internal audit revealed that ₹674 crore was incorrectly recorded as interest income across three quarters of FY25. The discrepancy, flagged during a microfinance business review, was fully reversed by January 10.
Additionally, a whistleblower complaint led to a separate probe uncovering ₹595 crore in unsupported "other assets," which had been offset against corresponding liabilities earlier this year. These issues follow a previously reported ₹1,960 crore loss linked to derivatives trading errors in March.
The private sector lender emphasized that while these latest lapses won’t materially impact its financial statements, they have prompted an internal audit of employee involvement and a commitment by the board to tighten internal controls.
The revelations come amid a spate of senior exits, including CFO Gobind Jain in January and the abrupt resignations of CEO Sumant Kathpalia and Deputy CEO Arun Khurana in April, following internal investigations.
Published on: May 16, 2025
Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) has divested a 1.2% direct stake in Bharti Airtel for $1.54 billion (approx. ₹13,182 crore), realizing a gain of $1.08 billion. The sale, executed through private placement, involved the offloading of 71 million shares by Singtel’s affiliate Pastel Ltd at ₹1,814 per share, representing a 2.83% discount to Airtel’s previous closing price.
The offering drew strong interest and was oversubscribed, with most demand coming from domestic mutual funds and international long-only investors, according to Singtel. Following the transaction, Singtel’s effective holding in Airtel will drop to 28.3% from 29.5%. The Mittal family’s stake remains steady at 22.93%, while Bharti Telecom Ltd (BTL) continues to hold 40.47% of Airtel.
The stake sale is part of Singtel’s active capital management strategy to unlock value and boost shareholder returns, in line with its Singtel28 growth plan. Group CFO Arthur Lang said the deal reflects the company’s focus on disciplined capital allocation, financial flexibility, and commitment to Airtel’s long-term growth in India's $1 trillion digital economy vision.
Singtel retains a 49.44% stake in BTL, while the Mittal family holds 50.56%. The deal marks Singtel’s latest monetisation move, following prior Airtel stake sales in September 2022 and 2023. Shares of Bharti Airtel were down 2.71% to ₹1,816.30 in mid-morning trade on Friday following the announcement.
Published on: May 15, 2025
Shares of IndusInd Bank fell over 3% on Thursday to ₹757.8 amid reports that the lender’s internal audit team is investigating additional accounting irregularities. The stock later pared some losses to trade 0.88% lower at ₹774 as of 10:15 a.m., underperforming the Nifty 50, which was down 0.36%.
The decline follows a report by the Economic Times stating that the internal audit is probing accounting reversals related to ‘other assets’ and ‘other liabilities’ — separate from the ₹2,000 crore derivatives-related discrepancies previously disclosed. These concerns reportedly stemmed from a whistleblower complaint submitted to the Reserve Bank of India and the bank’s board. It remains unclear which fiscal periods are under scrutiny.
The latest development adds to the turmoil at the Hinduja Group-controlled bank. In recent weeks, CEO Sumant Kathpalia resigned, taking “moral responsibility” for the derivatives mishandling, which external auditor PwC estimated would cause a ₹1,979 crore hit — equivalent to a 2.27% reduction in the bank’s December 2024 net worth of ₹65,102 crore.
Shares of IndusInd Bank have now declined 19% year-to-date, sharply underperforming the 3.5% rise in the Nifty 50. The stock has dropped more than 10% from its recent high of ₹863 earlier this month, as investor sentiment remains cautious amid ongoing leadership exits and unresolved financial discrepancies.
Published on: May 15, 2025
Cochin Shipyard Ltd.'s shares surged as much as 6.80% on Thursday to ₹1,815, before settling 5.88% higher at ₹1,803 by 3:00 p.m., outperforming the NSE Nifty 50’s 1.55% gain. The rally followed the company’s Q4 FY25 earnings, which showed strong revenue and profit growth despite pressure on margins.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, consolidated revenue rose 36.6% year-on-year to ₹1,757.65 crore, while net profit grew 11% to ₹287.19 crore. However, Ebitda fell 8% to ₹265.78 crore, with margins contracting sharply to 15.1% from 22.5% a year earlier, reflecting cost pressures despite higher sales.
The company also declared a final dividend of ₹2.25 per share. Trading volumes spiked to 6.1 times the 30-day average, with a relative strength index of 63, signaling strong buying interest.
Cochin Shipyard’s stock has gained 35.43% over the past 12 months. Among five analysts tracked by Bloomberg, three recommend a ‘buy’, one suggests ‘hold’, and one rates it a ‘sell’. Interestingly, the average 12-month consensus price target implies an 11% downside from current levels, indicating potential valuation concerns despite recent momentum.
Published on: May 15, 2025
In April, mutual funds significantly increased their exposure to information technology and financial services stocks, despite foreign institutional investors (FIIs) pulling out of IT amid global headwinds. According to Prime Database and NSDL, domestic mutual funds invested ₹9,599 crore into IT stocks, while FIIs sold over ₹15,000 crore from the sector.
Infosys emerged as the top pick for MFs with ₹3,011 crore in fresh investments, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (₹2,375 crore) and Coforge (₹1,432 crore). Other notable beneficiaries included HCL Technologies, Persistent Systems, Mphasis, LTIMindtree, and Cyient. However, MFs trimmed holdings in Tech Mahindra (₹270 crore), as well as smaller positions in Birlasoft, Zaggle Prepaid, and others.
In the financial services sector, both MFs and FIIs were bullish, with ₹4,450 crore and ₹18,409 crore of inflows, respectively. Kotak Mahindra Bank led the MF buying spree with ₹1,586 crore in inflows, followed by IDFC First Bank and HDFC Bank.
Conversely, mutual funds turned net sellers in the telecom and FMCG sectors. The telecom space saw MF outflows of ₹2,787 crore, led by Bharti Airtel (₹2,499 crore). FMCG saw outflows of ₹2,211 crore, driven by a sharp ₹2,779 crore sell-off in ITC. Other notable reductions were in Hindustan Unilever, Marico, Nestlé India, and Tata Consumer Products.
Interestingly, FIIs showed opposing sentiment in these sectors, investing ₹4,648 crore in telecom and ₹2,917 crore in FMCG, indicating a clear divergence in outlook between domestic and foreign institutional investors.
Published on: May 15, 2025
Tata Power’s share price surged nearly 2% on Thursday, touching a four-month high of ₹404 after the company reported a solid performance in its Q4 FY25 earnings. The stock later pared gains to trade 1.08% lower at ₹392.65, against a 0.12% dip in the NSE Nifty 50 Index.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2025, Tata Power posted a 17% year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit, aligned with analyst expectations. Revenue climbed 7.9% to ₹17,096 crore, while Ebitda soared 39.2% to ₹3,245.6 crore, exceeding Bloomberg’s estimate of ₹3,094 crore. Margins improved significantly, expanding to 19% from 14.7% a year earlier.
The Tata Group company also announced a final dividend of ₹2.25 per share for FY24–25, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM on July 4. The record date for eligibility is June 20, and the payout is scheduled for July 7.
Despite the day’s volatility, Tata Power has gained 1.22% year-to-date but remains down 7.89% over the past year. Trading volume was 4.2 times the 30-day average, with a relative strength index of 51.35. Of 23 analysts tracking the stock, 13 recommend ‘buy’, three ‘hold’, and seven ‘sell’. The consensus 12-month price target implies a potential upside of 7.4%.