The Nifty 50 and S&P BSE Sensex rose by 1.14% and 0.8%, respectively, last week, driven by gains in IT stocks. Meanwhile, several analysts have identified stocks with the potential to deliver up to 22% returns in the near term. Here are 7 technical picks:

India's Sensex and Nifty50 indexes opened higher on Monday, bolstered by financial and IT stocks, after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted at upcoming rate cuts due to reduced inflation risks and stable labor market conditions. The BSE Sensex gained 252 points, while the Nifty50 climbed 67 points.

The boards of Technocraft Industries (India) and Suprajit Engineering have announced share buybacks of Rs 130 crore and Rs 112 crore, respectively, with August 27 as the record date. To participate in these buybacks, investors must purchase shares today to ensure their names are listed in the company records as of the record date, August 27.

Several brokerage firms provided ratings on notable companies. CLSA rated Reliance as Outperform with a Rs 3,300 target. Nomura downgraded Apollo Hospitals to Neutral, targeting Rs 6,856. Citi maintained a Sell rating on Zydus Life with a Rs 890 target. BofA issued a Buy rating on L&T at Rs 4,043, anticipating margin expansion.

Aditya Vision's board approved a 1:10 stock split in July, turning one Rs 10 share into ten Rs 1 shares to enhance liquidity and draw retail investors. The record date was fixed for August 27, 2024. Shares have gained 41% this year, doubling within the past year.

Momentum catch up in across the sector

The domestic markets saw a rise for the second consecutive week, with RailTel, TVS Motor, and IREDA among the top gainers. Technical Analyst Pravesh Gour provided insights on these stocks, mentioning their positive technical indicators and potential future gains. Key support and resistance levels were also discussed.

Jio Financial Services Ltd has been granted approval to raise its foreign investment limit to 49%. Foreign investors currently hold 17.55% of the company's shares. The company's net profit fell 6% in the first quarter ending June. Jio Financial introduced new services such as mutual fund loans and auto insurance in July.

Premier Energies aimed to raise ₹2,830 crore via an IPO starting on August 27, allocating ₹1,291 crore for capacity expansion. The promoter's stake was set to decrease to 66%. The company projected revenue growth driven by India's push for renewable energy. It planned substantial capacity enhancements by 2026, using funds from the IPO, debt, and internal accruals.

"BSE stock has retested its major breakout zone on the weekly chart and is inching higher as it positions itself well above its 50 DEMA. Traders can buy for a target above Rs 2800 in the next 2-3 weeks," Shivangi Sarda, Analyst, Derivatives and Technical Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said.

Last week, the Nifty index exhibited a choppy but positive trend, with potential gains towards 25,100-25,200. Analysts noted important support levels and recommended buying opportunities during minor dips. Stocks such as ICICI Bank, Nykaa, Sun Pharma, and Bajaj Auto showed positive momentum. Investors were advised to cautiously maintain and seek long positions.

The People's Bank of China clarified that it does not intend to ban legitimate investments or trading in government bonds but issued warnings to smaller financial institutions over the risks of rapidly increasing their holdings of long-dated securities.

Indian equities could see a boost early this week, inspired by Wall Street's gains after US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell hinted at upcoming interest rate cuts. The potential easing of rates may encourage foreign investments in emerging markets like India, which have seen a cautious approach from investors recently.

Asian shares edged higher with investors looking forward to inflation data that could prompt rate cuts in the US and Europe. Oil prices rose amid Middle East tensions. Nvidia's upcoming earnings report is eagerly awaited. Federal Reserve Chair Powell hinted at potential rate cuts to mitigate employment risks.

Stocks in news: The domestic market edged higher for the second week, moving closer to record highs. Key shares like Trent, BEL, and LTIMindtree attracted attention due to index changes. Transport Corporation announced its first equity buyback. Ambuja Cements experienced significant block deals. Ashoka Buildcon won an MMRDA project. Several other companies also highlighted important developments.

After achieving a record high in April 2024, BSE's stock fell by 17%. It has recently shown signs of recovery, making it appealing for short-term traders aiming for Rs 2800 within weeks. Key technical indicators and rising demat account additions underscore its potential, as reported by experts.

Businessman Anil Ambani is reviewing a Sebi order imposing a fine and banning him from capital markets for five years in an alleged fund diversion case and will take appropriate next steps as legally advised, his spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.

Indian benchmark equity indices ended flat in a highly volatile session on Friday. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.04% higher at 81,086, while the NSE Nifty50 index remained above the 24,800 level."The underlying trend of Nifty continues to be choppy with positive bias. Further upmove from here could pull Nifty towards 25000-25100 levels in the near term. Immediate support is at 24650," said Nagaraj Shetti of HDFC Securities.Here are 6 stock recommendations for Monday:

MarketSmith has a positive view on several stocks that it considers are near the buy point. These stocks include Dixon Technologies, Macfos, and RBM Infracon. Here is a list of 4 stocks that are near the buy point, as listed on MarketSmith:

Indian market pared gains to close flat on Friday but with a positive bias. The S&P BSE Sensex closed flat above 81000 while the Nifty50 was up 11 points to close at 24,823.

At this point of time, while the tailwinds of liquidity are pushing all the mid-cap higher, there are some stocks where additional tailwinds of sectoral growth are also present. The sector is growing at a pace which is higher than many other sectors and the nature of the business is such that it is likely to grow at a higher rate. The reason why it is important to look at whether sectoral growth tailwinds are present or not is due to higher valuations. Premiums can only be justified if there is a reasonable probability of higher growth in future also.

In a meeting held on August 24, 2024, the company’s board approved the buyback of up to 13,33,333 equity shares at Rs 1,200 per share on a proportionate basis through the tender offer route, according to an exchange filing.

A short buildup occurs when there is a rise in open interest and trading volumes, coupled with a decrease in the price of the underlying stock in the Futures and Options segment. This indicates that more traders are expecting the prices to decline and are creating short positions. In Friday's trading session, five stocks saw fresh short positions being built. Here's the list:

A long buildup occurs when open interest and trading volumes increase alongside a rise in the underlying stock price in the Futures and Options segment, signaling a bullish market trend. In Friday's trading session, five stocks saw fresh long positions. Here’s the list:

Foreign investors infused Rs 11,366 crore in the Indian debt market so far this month, pushing the net inflow tally in the debt segment to over the Rs 1-lakh-crore mark. Foreign investors' strong buying interest in the Indian debt market can be attributed to India's inclusion in JP Morgan's Emerging Market government bond indices in June this year.

The combined market valuation of nine of the top 10 most valued firms jumped by Rs 95,522.81 crore last week, with Reliance Industries, TCS and HUL emerging as the biggest gainers. Rising for the fourth straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 33.02 points or 0.04 per cent higher at 81,086.21 on Friday.

Investors must tread carefully, ensuring that they strike the right balance between the tactical applications of AI and a thorough understanding of its wider business implications

It has made to headlines many times, one sector which is facing the brunt of selling from FPI, no prize for guessing it. It is financial services, stocks including banks. When a sector comes under pressure due to selling by one set of investors then sometimes, a narrative gets created that every stock in that sector should be avoided. But the fact if the fundamental of that sector are intact and improving, these phases of selling are probably an opportunity. Now the question comes which stock should be looked in and how much more should be paid for the stock. One of the ways is to determine by dividing a company’s PE multiple with its growth ratio. Look carefully at PEG ratio which in the long-term indicates many things in a better manner than most other alternatives like PE which tend to create a mirage of value.

Indian stock markets remained operational on Krishna Janmashtami, with Sensex and Nifty recording a 0.7-1% surge, marking the year's longest rally. The S&P BSE Sensex finished at 81,086.21 and Nifty at 24,823.15. Global markets also rose after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested a potential rate cut in September.

In the week ending August 23, the Indian benchmark index Sensex weekly gain was about 0.81%. During this rally, eight penny stocks saw their prices rise between 10% and 25% in a week. Our selection criteria focused on stocks with a market capitalization below Rs 1000 crore, a share price under Rs 20, and a last trading volume exceeding 50 lakh shares.(Data Source: ACE Equity)

Service companies beyond the IT sector have gained prominence, with several getting listed in recent years. Firms like Teamlease, SIS, and Quess Corp offer essential backend services for industries such as banking, logistics, and real estate. They operate using asset-light models, ensuring steady revenue and market interest, despite competition risks and changing market dynamics.

Market participants will first respond to the dovish remarks by the US Fed Chair at the Jackson Hole symposium. After a period of consolidation, US markets resumed their upward movement on Friday and seem poised to test record highs soon.

During the first two weeks of August, foreign institutional investors withdrew a substantial Rs 14,790 crore from financial stocks and expressed a bearish sentiment towards metals, services, construction, and auto sectors. Conversely, FIIs demonstrated a bullish approach by investing in healthcare (Rs 3,462 crore), consumer services (Rs 2,196 crore), FMCG (Rs 1,785 crore), and power (Rs 1,169 crore).

The concept of "present value" is rooted in the idea that money's worth changes over time. Essentially, a rupee today is worth more than a rupee tomorrow. This is because money can be invested and earn interest, making it more valuable in the present. Factors like interest rates and people's outlook on the future influence how we perceive the value of money at different points in time.

ETMarkets' analysis of BSE smallcap stocks revealed that during the last three sessions (August 16-23), 10 smallcap stocks have consistently risen in price, trading volume, and delivery volume, indicating higher investor interest in these stocks. (Data Source: ACE Equity)

This week witnessed a significant surge in smallcap stocks, with 152 of them posting double-digit gains, and nine even surpassing the 30% mark. This performance is notably stronger than the previous week, which saw only 43 smallcaps achieve double-digit growth. Leading the pack was Rane Madras with an impressive 39% return, followed closely by SEPC at 38%, Shriram Properties at 36%, and Tasty Bite Eatables at 35%.

Once again there is a narrative on the street that small caps are overpriced. Is there anything wrong with that narrative? The answer is No. Out of the total universe of smallcap stocks listed on the exchanges, maybe 90 % are overpriced. But a distinction needs to be made between a stock being overpriced and bad business. A situation of an overpriced stock gets corrected as the earnings move up, but a bad business cannot be set right. So, when buying a smallcap, focus on the underlying business and that probably will help in retaining that stock for a long period to take full benefit of the growth of the business.

Sterling Biotech, a major pharmaceutical company with two manufacturing facilities in Gujarat, specializes in Gelatine, Di-Calcium Phosphate and select APIs. Once the deal concludes, Sterling Biotech will transition into a 50:50 joint venture, ensuring equal representation for both parties on the board.

The BSE has scheduled 15 trading holidays for 2024, with 11 already observed. The next closure is on October 2nd for Gandhi Jayanti. November will see two closures, including Diwali on November 1st, followed by Muhurat Trading. Finally, markets will be closed on December 25th for Christmas.

The record date, determined by a company, identifies shareholders entitled to benefits like buybacks, bonus issues, or stock splits. Shares must be in the demat account on this date to qualify.

Pledging of shares is one of the options that the company promoters use to secure loans to meet working capital requirements, personal needs and fund other ventures or acquisitions. A promoter shareholding in a company is used as collateral to avail of a loan. Here's is a list of 7 largecap stocks from the Nifty200 index firms where promoter pledges declined in Q1 FY25, according to StockEdge data:

Sebi also imposed a penalty of Rs 25 crore on Anil Ambani and restrained him from holding key managerial or directorial roles in any listed company or market intermediary for five years.

Hedging, utilizing financial derivatives like options and futures, is crucial for mitigating risks stemming from interest rate shifts and market volatility. By locking in prices and limiting potential losses, these instruments can safeguard portfolio stability. For example, interest rate futures provide a hedge against rising interest rates, while equity options offer protection when stock prices fall.

An initial investment of Rs 10,000 in a specific stock four years ago would have yielded a remarkable return of Rs 1 lakh today, according to an ET Markets analysis. However, recent performance has been less stellar, with a modest 5% increase in the last six months and a 4% year-to-date decline. Despite this slowdown, analysts remain optimistic, predicting a rebound for the stock in the medium term.

In the last five trading sessions ending August 23, the Sensex benchmark index increased by about 0.81%, finishing at 81,086, with gains recorded in four of those sessions. ETMarkets has identified that six stocks from the Nifty 500 pack showed consistent price increases during this timeframe. (Data Source: ACE Equity)

While the alignment of major central banks, including the Fed, on interest rate cuts has eased some investor concerns, significant uncertainties persist. The lack of clarity on the pace of future rate reductions, coupled with emerging concerns about weakening labor markets and economic growth, are contributing to this uncertainty. The focus of policymakers is shifting from combating inflation towards addressing these new economic challenges.

Following Jerome Powell's dovish comments at the Jackson Hole Symposium, U.S. stocks rallied in anticipation of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September. All major indexes rose, driven by gains in megacap stocks and regional banks. Powell's remarks indicated a shift towards multiple rate cuts, boosting investor sentiment.

Nvidia's upcoming earnings report could impact U.S. stock markets, which have recovered from recent losses. The company's stock has surged 150% this year, heavily influencing the S&P 500's performance. Investors await guidance on future AI investments to gauge market direction during a historically volatile period in September.

Asian markets experienced mixed trading as investors looked forward to guidance from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on possible rate cuts. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose slightly, while stocks in Australia and South Korea saw minor losses. U.S. markets also faced declines amid mixed economic signals, with Powell's upcoming speech in focus.

An initial investment of Rs 10,000 in a specific stock four years ago would have yielded a remarkable return of Rs 1 lakh today, according to an ET Markets analysis. However, recent performance has been less stellar, with a modest 5% increase in the last six months and a 4% year-to-date decline. Despite this slowdown, analysts remain optimistic, predicting a rebound for the stock in the medium term.