Nykaa, JBM Auto, HFCL among buzzing stocks as SENSEX gains over 140 pts, NIFTY above 24,100 in noon deals

The Indian benchmark indices, SENSEX and NIFTY50, were trading in the green zone during the afternoon session on Thursday, June 18, amid buying in realty stocks.

While the SENSEX had opened in the positive territory, the NIFTY50 snapped its four-day winning streak to open in the red. However, by the afternoon session, both indices were bullish.

The SENSEX advanced by as much 0.22% to hit an intraday high of 77,323.75, while the NIFTY50 touched the session’s peak of 24,139.65.

At 12:55 PM, the S&P BSE SENSEX gained by 143.98 points, or 0.19%, to trade at 77,299.60. Meanwhile, NSE’s NIFTY50 stood at 24,128.65, marking a 42.95 points, or 0.18% increase.

Buzzing stocks on June 18: Check list

Shares of textile, alcohol, and other companies rallied on Thursday, June 18, as India and the United Kingdom's landmark Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is set to come into force on July 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday.

The CETA, aimed at boosting bilateral trade and reducing tariffs across sectors, was signed on July 24 last year.

Banking stocks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, among others, are expected to be on investors’ radar on Thursday, June 18, as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday temporarily withdrew interest rate ceiling on fresh Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposits of 3-5 years’ maturity till September 30, 2026, a move aimed at attracting foreign capital.

The apex bank has also temporarily withdrawn restrictions on interest rates on Non-Resident External (NRE) deposits of 3 years and above tenors, including deposits that are renewed upon maturity, till September 30, 2026.

“The interest rate ceiling applicable to fresh FCNR(B) deposits mobilised by banks, including the deposits that are renewed upon maturity, for three years and above – up to and including five-year tenors, is temporarily withdrawn with effect from June 17, 2026, for the period until September 30, 2026,” the central bank said in a circular.

The stock of Redington, the official re-seller of Apple products in India, gained as much as 6.6% to hit an intraday high of ₹264.80 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday, June 18, after various media reports suggested that Apple is planning to raise prices of its products amid rising cost of memory chips.

Cook, however, did not mention when the prices will be raised or on which products the price hike will be undertaken.

Shares of Nykaa parent firm FSN E-Commerce Ventures rallied as much as 8.11% to touch their 52-week high of ₹303.75 apiece on Thursday, June 18, after the company announced its outlook till FY30.

In its annual report, the company outlined its ambition to build a beauty and lifestyle business exceeding $5 billion. Looking ahead to FY30, Nykaa expects a significant growth runway and targets 2–3x revenue growth, translating into 4–5x EBITDA growth, with EBITDA margins in the low- to mid-teens range.

The growth is expected to be driven by disciplined execution, operating leverage, and capital-efficient investments, Nykaa said, enabling sustained margin expansion and a ROCE of over 40% while continuing to create long-term value for shareholders.

Hexaware Technologies' stock was trading lower during the market session on Thursday, June 18, after the company announced its plans to invest £25 million to expand its operations in the United Kingdom, according to an exchange filing.

As per the NSE filing, Hexaware’s move to expand its UK operations is estimated to create 1,200 employment opportunities across Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham over the next three to five years.

This mega expansion plan was announced by the UK government at the G7 Summit on June 16, 2026, as part of the international commitments to its artificial intelligence (AI) and clean energy agenda.

Shares of Man Industries jumped as much as 5.25% to hit an intraday high of ₹623.70 per unit on the NSE, after the iron and steel products maker announced that the company has secured orders worth ₹1,000 crore, according to an exchange filing.

As per the NSE filing, Man Industries disclosed that the company and its step-down subsidiary, National Pipe Co. Ltd, based out of Saudi Arabia, both have received new orders worth approx ₹300 crore and ₹700 crore, respectively.

Both the fresh orders are estimated to be delivered within the upcoming six to nine-month period from the date of the contract. Man Industries also said that the orders will comprise supplying various types of pipes to its domestic and international customers.

HFCL stock hit its 5% upper circuit on Thursday, June 18, a day after the company said it had secured a contract from Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

Worth ₹2,666.09 crore, the contract pertains to the BharatNet Phase-III project in the Uttar Pradesh (West) Telecom Circle. The total contract value is approximately ₹2,666.09 crore, comprising capex of about ₹1,192.82 crore and opex of around ₹1,473.27 crore.

HFCL, in a regulatory filing, said the contract scope includes the supply of telecom equipment and related accessories along with installation and commissioning, the creation of an optical fiber cable telecom network, and maintenance of the project for a period of 10 years, including a one-year warranty period.

New India Assurance Company Limited shares skyrocketed nearly 14% on Thursday, June 18, as the company is offloading over one crore shares in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) IPO.

On Wednesday, NSE filed a draft red herring prospectus with the markets regulator SEBI for its IPO.

The initial share sale will be a completely offer-for-sale (OFS) of 14.89 crore shares, with existing corporate shareholders collectively divesting nearly 6% of the exchange's stake.

State Bank of India will sell up to 2.48 crore shares, followed by MS Strategic (Mauritius) Limited with 1.60 crore shares. Other key sellers are Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (1.19 crore shares), Aranda Investments – Mauritius (1.12 crore shares), Bank of Baroda (1.10 crore shares), Stock Holding Corporation of India (1.09 crore shares), General Insurance Corporation (1.07 crore shares), The New India Assurance Company (1.05 crore shares), National Insurance Company (0.60 crore shares) and United India Insurance (0.60 crore shares).

The stock of JBM Auto advanced 3.04% to hit an intraday high of ₹713.95 per equity share on the NSE on Thursday, after its subsidiary, JBM Ecolife Mobility, secured a ₹750 crore investment from Motilal Oswal Alternates, the alternative investment arm of Motilal Oswal Group.

MO Alternates will lead this investment, providing growth capital to scale JBM Ecolife’s electric bus deployment and advance sustainable public transit infrastructure across India, according to a regulatory filing.

Shares of Vedanta Aluminium rallied nearly 3% in the early trade on Thursday, June 18, before falling into the red, as leading financial services firm, CITI, initiated coverage on the stock, citing a favourable aluminium market outlook, growth opportunities, and improving balance-sheet metrics.

The investment firm has also placed the stock on a 90-day positive catalyst watch, reflecting its expectation of near-term triggers that could drive further gains.

According to analysts at CITI, Vedanta Aluminium stands to benefit from a constructive outlook for aluminium prices, capacity expansion initiatives, cost optimisation measures, and improved leverage.