Nifty50: 14,923 ▲ +245 (+1.6%)
Sensex: 49,580 ▲ +848 (+1.7%)
Buying interest in the markets was strong from the opening, and the benchmark indices climbed upward throughout the day. Of the Nifty50, 39 stocks closed in the green, which suggests broad-based buying. Today’s rise was particularly supported by banking stocks, wherein the Nifty Bank (+4.0%) and Nifty PSU Bank (+3.8%) sectoral indices were the top gainers today. Meanwhile, only the Nifty Media (-0.5%) and Nifty Pharma (-0.1%) closed in the red.
| Top gainers | Today's change |
| IndusInd Bank | ▲ 7.5% |
| SBI | ▲ 6.6% |
| ICICI Bank | ▲ 4.4% |
| Top losers | Today's change |
| Cipla | ▼ 2.2% |
| Bharti Airtel | ▼ 2.2% |
| L&T | ▼ 1.9% |
Here are the top stories of the day.
Balkrishna Industries posts strong growth
- In Q4, the agricultural and industrial tyre maker reported a 29% YoY growth in revenues to ₹1,745 crore. Its profits grew faster at 45% to ₹372 crore. The growth was supported by 17% growth in volumes, the highest ever for any quarter.
- For FY22, it has guided for volume growth of 10-16% YoY. It continues to see strong demand from the agricultural segment, which makes up 64% of total revenues. Its stock hit a new lifetime high of ₹2,127.4 today and closed 10.4% up. It has gained about 27% so far in 2021.
Indigo Paints Q4 profits decline
- The recently listed paints company reported Q4 revenue from operations at ₹254 crore, bettering the last Q4 by 41%. However, net profit at ₹24.8 crore was down about 9% YoY.
- Its margins were affected due to a spike in the cost of raw materials. Indigo’s subdued profits are in contrast to that of the market leader Asian Paints, which registered an 81% YoY rise. The stock fell 4.8% today but has risen 58.7% since listing in February.
Hester Biosciences in talks to make vaccine
- The Ahmedabad-based pharma company has tied up with the Gujarat government to explore the production of a Covid-19 vaccine through a technology transfer from the Covaxin maker, Bharat Biotech.
- After the announcement, the shares surged 20% and closed at its all-time high of ₹2,968. It has gained over 34% in the last two trading sessions.
QuickHeal surges on strong quarter
- The Pune-based cybersecurity company’s stock hit its 19% upper circuit and 52-week high as its revenue from operations rose nearly 64% to ₹105 crore. Its profit quintupled to nearly ₹40 crore.
- Revenue from its retail segment grew 75% , while its Enterprise and Government vertical reported a 42.3% growth. The company mentioned that it has zero debt and holds cash and cash equivalents of about ₹480 crore. The stock closed nearly 20% higher today, and has gained nearly 32% so far in 2021.
Closing bell
The Indian markets posted strong gains even as the major international indices traded in the red today. The markets brushed aside the 10.5% jump in wholesale price index (from 7.4% in March), which stood at its 11-year high. The rally was driven by banks, which saw renewed buying interest, despite fears of slower credit growth and rising NPAs in FY22. The market seems to be deriving optimism from the sharp decline in the number of daily new cases, which have fallen below 3 lakh after nearly a month.
Good to know
How are stocks categorised into small, mid and large caps?
The size of a company is measured by its market capitalisation, which is the product of the stock’s market price and total outstanding shares of the company. As per SEBI, the top 100 companies in terms of their market capitalisation comprise large-cap stocks. The next 150 companies (101-250) are categorised as mid-cap stocks, while those beyond 250 are small-caps.
We'd love your thoughts on this market recap.
Haven't tried out Upstox yet? Click here to open your account now!
To catch our latest educational videos, join our Telegram channel here.
Disclosures and Disclaimer
Investment in securities markets is subject to market risks; please read all the related documents carefully before investing. The securities quoted are exemplary and are not recommendatory. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Details provided in the above newsletter are for educational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice by RKSV group. Investors should consult their investment advisor before making any investment decision.