Bajaj Auto Share Price: Shares of Bajaj Auto dropped 10.41% after the company reported Q2 FY25 earnings below expectations. The net profit rose by 9% to Rs 2,005 crore. Analysts gave mixed reactions, with ratings ranging from buy to sell, citing factors like gross margins, festive demand, and export recovery. The company’s future prospects in electric and CNG vehicles look positive.

South Indian Bank's Q2 profit rose 18% to Rs 325 crore, with Net Interest Income increasing 6.3%. Shares gained 3.3% to Rs 24.77 following the results. Focus remains on retail and MSME growth.

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 Thursday's trading session, five stocks saw fresh long positions. Here’s the list:

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 Thursday's trading session, five stocks saw fresh short positions being built. Here's the list:

In September 2024, over 30% of Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) outperformed the Nifty50 benchmark, with Category II debt funds providing up to 14% returns. Top performers include Vivriti’s Emerging Corporate Bond and Northern Arc’s IFMR Fimpact funds, highlighting strong returns across both Category II and III funds.

RVNL Share Price: Shares of Rail Vikas Nigam surged 7% after securing a Rs 270 crore order for constructing metro stations from Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation. The project involves seven stations in Reach 3A and three in Reach 4A, to be completed within 30 months. RVNL shares have risen 163% this year.

Indian blue-chip indices Sensex and Nifty50 fell for the third straight day, with most sectors except IT trading lower. Major losses were seen in auto stocks, notably Bajaj Auto, following poor earnings. Investors focus on upcoming earnings from Infosys, Wipro, and others.

In September 2024, mutual funds deployed Rs 18,200 crore, while FIIs bought Rs 45,100 crore in the Indian secondary market. Notable additions by mutual funds on a month-on-month basis include Bajaj Housing Finance, PN Gadgil, GE T&D India, and Kross. Here is a list of new stocks that mutual funds bought in September, according to a report by Nuvama Institutional Equities:

HDFC Life Insurance is gaining momentum with a Double Bottom pattern on daily charts. A breakout above Rs 730 may propel the stock to Rs 800. Experts suggest bullish trends with support also seen from technical indicators. The stock found support around Rs 700 in the recent months.

Shares of Ircon International surged by 3.6% following an MoU with Patel Engineering Limited to explore joint infrastructure projects. Retail investors boosted their stake while FIIs reduced theirs. Despite a 17% revenue dip in Q1 FY25, Ircon saw a 19.5% rise in net profit.

Indian equity indices opened flat on Thursday amid mixed global signals. Early gains in IT stocks were neutralized by losses in auto and banking sectors. BSE Sensex saw a slight rise while Nifty50 dipped.

As Infosys reports its Q2 results on Thursday, analysts from firms like Prabhudas Lilladher, Motilal Oswal, ICICI Securities, and Phillip Capital expect the IT giant to maintain its growth trajectory.With a market capitalization exceeding Rs 8 lakh crore, Infosys reached a record high of Rs 1,990 on the BSE on October 15. Although the stock has been rangebound over the past month leading up to its results, it has rallied more than 13% in the last three months and over 30% in the past six months.

Shares of Bajaj Auto dropped 8.5% after the company reported Q2 FY25 earnings below expectations. The net profit rose by 9% to Rs 2,005 crore. Analysts gave mixed reactions, with ratings ranging from buy to sell, citing factors like gross margins, festive demand, and export recovery. The company’s future prospects in electric and CNG vehicles look positive.

PSU stocks have seen significant declines, with some dropping over 40% from their 52-week highs due to expensive valuations and government share sales. Stocks like Cochin Shipyard, Mangalore Refinery, and HUDCO have been notably affected. Despite short-term turbulence, long-term prospects for rail and defence sectors remain positive.

As Infosys reports its Q2 results on Thursday, analysts from firms like Prabhudas Lilladher, Motilal Oswal, ICICI Securities, and Phillip Capital expect the IT giant to maintain its growth trajectory.With a market capitalization exceeding Rs 8 lakh crore, Infosys reached a record high of Rs 1,990 on the BSE on October 15. Although the stock has been rangebound over the past month leading up to its results, it has rallied more than 13% in the last three months and over 30% in the past six months.

LTTS will be in the spotlight today after announcing a slight 2% rise in its consolidated net profit, which reached Rs 320 crore for the quarter ending September 2024, up from Rs 315 crore the previous year. During the same period, operational revenue increased by 8% YoY, rising to Rs 2,573 crore from Rs 2,386 crore last year.

Macquarie rates Bajaj Auto as neutral citing disappointing gross margins, while Jefferies is optimistic on KEI Industries, raising its target price. Macquarie maintains positive outlook on Zydus Life despite patent issues. Investec retains a sell call on L&T Tech due to weaker performance and high risk.

Bikaji Foods International will attract attention on Thursday following its announcement that its subsidiary, Bikaji Foods Retail, plans to invest Rs 131.01 crore for a 53.02% stake in Hazelnut Factory Food Product. The investment will occur in tranches, with the acquisition expected to be finalized over the next two years.

Mphasis reported a 4.6% sequential rise in net profit for Q2, reaching Rs 423 crore. Revenue increased by 3.3% to Rs 3,536 crore, while EBIT grew by 6% to Rs 544 crore. The company secured $207 million in total contract value, with significant gains across various verticals.

The Indian market may consolidate on Thursday. Nifty faces resistance at 25,000 zones. It is expected to trade between 24,500 to 25,500 levels. Analysts recommend specific stocks for short-term gains. Investors should monitor key support and resistance levels and follow the advised stock targets and stop losses cautiously.

Axis Bank's shares will be in focus as the private lender reports its September 2024 quarter results, expected to show an 8% rise in net profit year-on-year. Despite recent underperformance, NII is estimated to grow by 10%, supported by lower sequential slippages.

Government decides to use the greenshoe option in Cochin Shipyard OFS after receiving Rs 1,984 crore in bids from institutional investors. Retail buyers can bid on Thursday. Cochin Shipyard shares fell 5% to Rs 1,588.35. The government's planned stake sale is set at Rs 1,540 per share, potentially fetching over Rs 1,980 crore.

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) secured a Rs 270 crore contract to build elevated metro stations for Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation. Despite recent financial setbacks, RVNL shares rose significantly this year. The company will construct ten metro stations spanning two reaches over 30 months.

RIL Share Price: Reliance Industries will issue 1:1 bonus shares to shareholders, with October 28, 2024, as the record date. Shareholders approved the bonus issue and an increase in authorised share capital. The authorised share capital will rise from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore. Reliance shares increased by 0.79% on Wednesday.

On October 16, five stocks from the Nifty500 pack came to the bullish scanner of "White Marubozu", according to stockedge.com's technical scan data. A White Marubozu is a bullish candlestick pattern in technical analysis. It occurs when the opening price is the lowest for a given period, and the closing price is the highest. Represented by a long white (or green) candlestick with no upper shadow and a small or nonexistent lower shadow, it indicates strong buying pressure throughout the session. Traders interpret it as a signal that buyers were in control from the opening to the closing, often using such patterns for informed decisions about future price movements in financial markets.

On October 16, 3 stocks from the Nifty50 pack appeared in the RSI Trending Up scan, according to the stockedge.com data. It is an uptrend signal if the RSI value has crossed above 50 from below.

Shares of Bajaj Auto are expected to be in focus due to the company’s Q2FY25 earnings results. The company reported a standalone net profit of Rs 2,005 crore, up 9% year-on-year. Revenue from operations rose 22% to Rs 13,127 crore. Both profit and revenue figures were slightly below market estimates. The company saw a 22% increase in domestic volumes.

Reliance Industries will issue 1:1 bonus shares to shareholders, with October 28, 2024, as the record date. Shareholders approved the bonus issue and an increase in authorised share capital. The authorised share capital will rise from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore. Reliance shares increased by 0.79% on Wednesday.

Benchmark Sensex fell by 318 points and Nifty slipped below 25,000 on Wednesday due to foreign fund outflows and weak global trends. Stocks in focus were Bajaj Auto, LTTS, and BSE. Bajaj Auto saw a slight rise, LTTS faced bearish pressure, while BSE shares declined significantly. Analysts suggest various actions for investors.

On the daily chart, the Oberoi Realty stock price has recently found support at the lower band of its rising channel, signaling a potential upward move. Traders can buy for a target of Rs 2305 in the next few weeks, Kkunal V. Parar, Vice-President of Technical Research and Algo, Choice Broking, said.

Infosys, India's second largest software exporter, will announce its earnings for the September 2024 quarter today. Analysts expect healthy numbers with a 5% rise in net sales year-on-year and an 11% increase in profit after tax. Investor focus will be on discretionary spending, deal pipelines, and senior management attrition.

Goldman Sachs predicts consecutive 25-basis-point rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve from November 2024 through June 2025, targeting a terminal rate of 3.25%-3.5%. This follows the Fed's recent half-point rate cut. The European Central Bank is also expected to implement sequential 25-bps cuts until reaching a 2% rate by June 2025.

"We expect this consolidation to continue amid mixed global cues and a lack of domestic triggers. Index-heavy weights like Infosys, Axis Bank, LTI Mindtree, Wipro, and Nestle are likely to be in focus as they announce their Q2 number on Thursday," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal

Dow Jones closed at a record high on Wednesday. Other Wall Street indexes also ended higher, despite declines in tech shares, driven by gains in small-caps and financial stocks. Morgan Stanley hit a record close with strong earnings. Investors showed interest in financial stocks due to a favorable rate environment.

Shares of Wipro, Infosys, Axis Bank, Nestle and LTIMindtree will be in focus as the companies will announce their second quarter results today.

"We expect this consolidation to continue amid mixed global cues and a lack of domestic triggers. Index-heavy weights like Infosys, Axis Bank, LTI Mindtree, Wipro, and Nestle are likely to be in focus as they announce their Q2 number on Thursday," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Research, Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal

Shares in Japan and Australia rose. An index of US-listed Chinese companies rose almost 1% Wednesday in a sign the country’s equities may bounce after two daily declines, as investors digest support measures for the country’s second-largest economy.

The stock of HDFC Life recovered partially on Wednesday, gaining 1.9% after sliding by nearly 4% the previous day following the insurer’s second quarter result announcement. The stock reported weakness despite the double digit growth in premiums and improving market share.

Creditors have extended the timeline to submit expressions of interest to October 24 after requests from three more parties. Creditors have also put to vote a proposal to replace Deloitte-backed resolution professional (RP) Shailesh Verma with Udayraj Patwardhan who will be supported by EY. Voting is open till the end of the week, documents accessed by ET showed.

The state-owned insurer is grappling with a solvency shortfall of ₹8,000 crore, with its solvency margin dropping to negative 0.49%, far below the regulatory minimum of 1.5%.

Jefferies said the recent run-up in BSE shares listed on the NSE was following the Securities and Exchange Board of India's new tighter regulations for equity futures and options.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company surged 11.5% to end at ₹779, UTI AMC rose 7.6% to ₹1,326, HDFC AMC gained 5.8% to ₹4,833 and Nippon Life India AMC advanced 2% to ₹721.

FPIs had raised concerns about delays in their access to sale proceeds beyond the standard T+1 settlement date. These delays were primarily due to the erstwhile process adopted for obtaining tax clearance on their net sale proceeds, to ensure compliance with FEMA Regulations.

The Indian payments industry is projected to grow to $49 trillion in value by 2028 from $30 trillion in 2023, with transaction volumes expected to increase to 434 billion. Revenue growth in this sector is forecasted at 11%, with credit cards and fund transfers leading the expansion.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the largest Canadian investor in India, has been trimming its stakes in Indian stocks over the past year, while other funds Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and British Columbia Investment Management have kept their holdings in the country unchanged.

Oberoi Realty's stock has surged by nearly 80% in the past year, climbing from Rs 1,128 to Rs 2,028. This impressive rally follows a recent bounce back after the stock tested its 100-day moving average. The upward momentum has propelled the stock past its 50-day moving average and through the neckline of a "Cup & Handle" pattern at Rs 1,950.

Select stocks gain momentum even in volatile markets.

The markets, as we know, are in a volatile phase. But, given that the long-term trend is still bullish, how do you deal with the current situation if you have a surplus to invest? There are two options. One, sit out of the market and let this phase pass. Second, become a tactical investor. Rather than investing with an extremely long-term perspective, buy stocks for shorter terms with a clear focus on booking profits. For example, four weeks back, there was a tactical trade in metals. Now it is largely over. So, make a tactical trade, but only in select stocks. Even if for some reason you are not able to cash out in time, these would be good enough businesses to keep in your portfolio.

Wall Street saw mixed performance with the Dow rising while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell due to declines in tech stocks. Banks like Morgan Stanley reported strong earnings, boosting the Financials sector. Semiconductor stocks experienced varied movements, impacting broader market indices.

Indian headline indices struggled to gain momentum through the day after a sluggish start as weak global cues and the absence of new drivers weighed heavily on the markets. A broad-based sell-off led to declines across sectors, with IT, auto, and FMCG stocks being the biggest drag on the Nifty 50. At the closing time, the S&P BSE Sensex slipped by 318.76 points or 0.39% to settle at 81,501.36, while the Nifty dropped 86.00 points or 0.34% to finish at 24,971.30.Commenting on the day's action, expert Tejas Shah of JM Financial & BlinkX said that Nifty is showing indecisiveness at the current juncture. The 50-stock index formed a DOJI candle on its daily chart which indicates this indecisiveness and presently, Nifty is in 'No Man’s Land', Shah said. "Broadly, Nifty is still trading in the range of 24,950 to 25,250 levels for the past few days and we need to wait and watch for either side breakout or breakdown for 250 to 300 points of directional move in Nifty. Support for Nifty is now seen at 24,950-25,000 and 24,700-750. On the higher side, immediate resistance for Nifty is at 25,100 levels and the next crucial resistance zone is at 25,250-300 levels," he added.Here are 5 stock recommendations for Thursday: