Stock market crash: LIC, Hero Motocorp, and Varun Beverages hit 52-week low; here’s why

As many as 308 stocks hit their lowest level in 52 weeks on Friday as the broader markets traded lower for the eighth consecutive trading session.

As of 12:45 pm, the benchmark NIFTY50 was trading at 22,827, down 203 points, or 0.88%. The BSE SENSEX, meanwhile, was trading 530 points, or 0.70%, lower at 75,608. Sell-offs by foreign investors and US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff policy have likely weighed on market sentiments.

The volatility index, or India VIX, was up 1.3% to 15.16. All the sectoral indices were trading in the red. NIFTY Pharma and NIFTY IT were the top losers, down 2.7% and 2.1%, respectively.

Varun Beverages (52-week low: ₹488.60)

Earlier this week, Varun Beverages reported a 36% year-on-year increase in net profit to ₹196 crore for the December 2024 quarter (Q3FY25). Total revenue stood at ₹3,689 crore during the period, up 38% compared with the year-ago quarter. Varun Beverages also recommended a final dividend of ₹0.5 per equity share for the year ended December 2024.

The slowdown in the company’s international business, especially in the African region, and higher valuation seem to have put the company’s shares under pressure, leading to a 52-week low after the result announcement.

Olectra Greentech (52-week low: ₹1,151)

For Q3 FY25, Olectra Greentech reported a consolidated net profit of ₹46.33 crore, up 71.7% compared with the year-ago quarter but marginally down from ₹47.56 crore seen in the previous quarter.

Revenue from operations in Q3FY25 stood at ₹515.37 crore, up 50.6% over ₹342.14 crore in Q3FY24 but down from ₹523.67 crore seen in Q2 FY25.

Hero Motocorp (52-week low: ₹3,871)

The stock started trading ex-dividend earlier this week on February 12. The board announced a dividend of 5,000% for eligible shareholders on February 6, approving an interim dividend of ₹100 per equity share of face value of ₹2 each for the financial year 2024-25.

Hero Motocorp is also in the news for facing mounting challenges as its market share hits a decade-low. The company is struggling to maintain its leadership in the two-wheeler market as top executives depart and new models underperform.

Life Insurance Corporation (52-week low: ₹756.3)

LIC, the largest institutional investor in the Indian stock markets, was in the news earlier this week after data showed that it was a net buyer of equities in the third quarter of FY25, with over ₹19,400 crore. This number was higher than the previous quarter, when LIC was a net buyer with ₹18,094 crore.