NIFTY50 at 24,164, SENSEX down 162 pts in afternoon session; SBI, Britannia, Thermax among buzzing stocks

The equity benchmark indices continued to trade lower in the afternoon session on Friday, May 8, tracking their Asian peers following crude oil prices moving above $100 per barrel. 

At 1:08 PM, the S&P BSE SENSEX was down 162.1 points, or 0.69%, at the 77,305.49 level, while NSE’s NIFTY50 was trading at the 24,164.55 level, falling 162.10 points, or 0.67%.

Coal India was the biggest laggard, declining 2.13%, followed by HDFC Bank (-2.05%), Bajaj Finance (-1.98%), UltraTech Cement (-1.9%) and Axis Bank (-1.76%).

On the flip side, Apollo Hospitals (2.49%), Asian Paints (2.38%), Tata Consumer Products (2.37%), Adani Ports (1.54%) and HCL Technologies (1.11%) were the top gainers on the 50-share index.

Buzzing stocks on May 8: Check list

Shares of Britannia slipped as much as 5.2% to touch an intraday low of ₹5,511 apiece on Friday as the company reported a consolidated net profit of ₹678 crore in the fourth quarter of financial year 2025-26 (Q4 FY26), registering a growth of 21% from ₹560 crore during the same period last year.

Its revenue from operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, increased 6.5% to ₹4,719 crore as against ₹4,432 crore in the year-ago period. The company’s consolidated sales for the quarter stood at ₹4,686 crore, growing 7.1%.

The company posted a jump in operational performance in Q4 as its operating profit, also known as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), rising 6% to ₹853 crore from ₹805 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Its operating profit margin, also known as EBITDA margin, fell marginally to 18.08% from 18.16% in the corresponding period last year. 

Dabur India shares rose as much as 4.3% to touch an intraday high of ₹490.5 apiece on Friday despite the firm reporting a decline in its consolidated net profit of 15% to ₹369 crore for the quarter ending March 31, 2026. Its net profit for Q4 FY25 was at ₹320 crore.

The company’s revenue from operations stood at ₹3,038 crore during the quarter under review as compared to ₹2,830 crore in the same quarter last fiscal year, marking an increase of 7.3% year-on-year (YoY).

The homegrown FMCG firm’s operating profit, also known as EBITDA for Q4 FY26, grew 8.2% to ₹462 crore as against ₹427 crore seen in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Its margin also improved marginally to 15.21% from an earlier 15.09% YoY.

Along with its earnings, the Board of Directors of Dabur India Ltd has recommended a final dividend of ₹5.50 per equity share of face value ₹1 (550%) for FY26, subject to approval by shareholders at the upcoming annual general meeting.

Shares of Pidilite Industries rallied as much as 4.45% to ₹1,515 apiece on the NSE on Friday following the company's Q4 FY26 results. The manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, waterproofing solutions, and construction chemicals, and known for brands like Fevicol, Dr Fixit, Fevikwik, and M-Seal, reported a 36.63% rise in consolidated net profit to ₹584.15 crore for Q4, helped by volume growth and healthy operating margins.

The company had logged a profit of ₹427.52 crore in the January-March period a year ago, according to a regulatory filing by Pidilite Industries.

Its revenue rose 13.24% to ₹3,648.16 crore in the March quarter of FY26. It was ₹3,221.52 crore a year ago. Pidilite Industries' total expenses increased 9.23% to ₹2,861.51 crore in the March quarter.

For the entire FY26, Pidilite Industries' profit surged 17.86% to ₹2,470.72 crore. The total consolidated income rose 11% to ₹14,867 crore.

Biocon shares on Friday climbed as much as 3.6% to touch an intraday high of ₹396.40 apiece despite the pharmaceutical major reporting a decline in its net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026.

The company has posted a 57% fall in its consolidated net profit at ₹199 crore in Q4 FY26, hit by an exceptional item outgo of ₹80.4 crore on various heads, including the impact of the new labour code.

The company had posted a consolidated net profit of ₹459 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, Biocon said. Its revenue from operations in the reporting quarter was at ₹4,516.6 crore as against ₹4,417 crore in the year-ago period.

Total expenses in the fourth quarter were higher at ₹4,241.2 crore as compared to ₹3,987.5 crore in the same period a year ago.

Shares of heavy electrical equipment maker Thermax surged as much as 13% on Friday after it reported its March quarter earnings. Thermax said that it earned a net profit of ₹244 crore in the January-March quarter, marking an increase of 11% from ₹206 crore in the same period last year.

The company's revenue from operations advanced 12.5% to ₹3,428 crore compared with ₹3,046 crore in the year-ago period.

The Pune-based company reported stable operational performance as its operating profit, also known as EBITDA, rose 22% to ₹374 crore and operating profit margin improved by 110 basis points to 10.92%.

The board has recommended a final dividend of ₹14. Further, marking Thermax's 60th anniversary milestone, the board has declared a special dividend of ₹6 per share.

State Bank of India shares slipped 1% to an intraday low of ₹1,077.90 apiece as the country’s largest lender is expected to announce its March quarter earnings on Friday.

India’s largest public sector bank is likely to report stable quarterly earnings with single-digit growth in net profit despite a hit in treasury income.

According to experts, SBI’s standalone net profit could rise by 4 to 7% YoY to ₹19,450 and ₹20,050 crore, compared to a net profit of ₹18,643 crore in Q4 FY25. Meanwhile, net profit could remain flat on a sequential basis as SBI posted net profit of ₹21,028 crore in the previous quarter mainly because of lower treasury income.

Net interest income (NII) is expected to rise 7% to 9% YoY to a range of ₹46,150 to ₹46,950 crore on the back of healthy growth in the loan book. SBI reported an NII of ₹42,775 in Q4FY25 and ₹45,190 crore in the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, net interest margin (NIM) is likely to decline by 8 to 9 basis points to 2.7% because of an increase in the cost of funds and the recent repo rate cut by the RBI.

Shares of Lenskart Solutions, a technology-driven D2C eyewear company, were in focus on Friday following a large trade in the block deal window in the morning.

The proposed transaction initially involved the sale of up to 70.2 million shares worth nearly $350 million, but the deal size has now reportedly been increased to around $600 million (₹5,650 crore).

Citing sources, the report added that the transaction also includes an upsize option in case investor demand remains strong.

At 1:05 PM, shares of Lenskart Solutions were seen at ₹486.55 apiece on NSE, falling 0.25%.