Sensex, Nifty trade flat; Kotak Mahindra Bank falls 3%, JSW Energy jumps 3%; ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, Nestle India are some of the gainers in the morning trade.

Crop protection products maker Kilpest India has seen multiple transformations in the last 50 years. The company plans to amalgamate the molecular diagnostics business, which constitutes over 80% of its revenue. It is likely to sustain healthy growth in this business, led by product launches, acquisition of new customers, and geographical expansion, says Sandeep Raina, executive vice president - research, Nuvama Professional Clients Group.

India's second-largest private lender, ICICI Bank, on Saturday reported a 36% year-on-year (YoY) growth in net profit for the quarter ended September to Rs 10,261 crore. Net interest income increased 24% on year to Rs 18,308 crore. Total income for the quarter increased 31% on year to Rs 40,697 crore.

GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded higher by 83.5 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 19510, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for positive start on Monday. Here's a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons.

ET Now spoke to various experts, and here's what they have to recommend for today's trading session. Kunal Bothra has a buy/sell recommendation on Escorts Kubota and Mtar Tech, while Nooresh Merani has a buy/sell recommendation on Sun Pharma and Indusind Bank for today's trading session. Check out the targets and stoploss.

One and a half dozen stocks are trading with momentum indicator RSI trending up. ETMarkets has picked five stocks in this pack to give insights about their movement trends on October 20, Friday, ahead of the market opening today. RSI or the relative strength index computes the ratio of the recent upward traction in the stock price movement relative to its absolute price movement. The RSI value ranges between 0 and 100. Herein the StockEdge data takes into consideration the time period of 14 days to compute RSI. Furthermore, RSI also enables an understanding of the stock’s overvalued or oversold state. (Source: StockEdge)

Volatility has been moving in a narrow range around 11 zones and thus not creating any major panic in the market with a capped upside.

In the NSE list of stocks with a market cap of over Rs 100 crore, four stocks' close prices crossed above their 200 DMA (Daily Moving Averages) on October 20, according to stockedge.com's technical scan data. The 200-day DMA is used as a key indicator by traders for determining the overall trend in a particular stock. As long as the stock is priced above the 200-day SMA on the daily time frame, it is generally considered to be an overall uptrend.

In the NSE list of stocks, four stocks with a market cap of over Rs 1000 crore are witnessing Golden Crossovers, according to stockedge.com's technical scan data. Golden Cross is an important technical indicator of bullishness. It occurs when the short-term moving average crosses over the major long-term moving average on the upside. These stocks' 50-day simple moving averages (SMA) crossed their 200-day SMAs on October 20.

The European Central Bank and Bank of Canada also hold policy meetings and, while no hikes are expected, investors will be sensitive to guidance on futures moves.

The report comes less than three months before Taiwan votes in presidential and parliamentary elections.

Stocks that were in focus included names like Tanla Platforms, which rose 4%, YES Bank, which gained 1.76%, and Tata Communications, whose shares declined 3.82% on Friday.

Foreign portfolio investors were net buyers at Rs 456 crore on Friday. DIIs bought shares worth Rs 8 crore.

Shares of Torrent Pharma, Lloyds Metals, and PNB Housing will be in focus as the companies will announce their second quarter results.

“Cipla is coming out on a weekly frame and has surpassed its 50 DEMA with a spurt in volumes. Traders can buy the stock for a target of Rs 1275 in the next 2-3 weeks, and a stop loss can be placed below Rs 1185,” Shivangi Sarda, Analyst, Derivatives and Technical Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said.

​ET analysed the median salaries for male and female employees disclosed by Nifty50 constituent companies. Of the 50 companies, 43 disclosed this data in their FY23 annual reports. The median male salaries were higher than median female salaries in 31 of these companies. The median female salaries were, on average, 9.2% lower than the median male salaries.

Vaswani's challenges as the CEO of the country's fourth largest bank with a market value of ₹3.51 lakh crore would include ensuring management stability, building scale in commercial banking, maintaining margins while growing the balance sheet, and preserving a culture built on conservatism rather than aggressive growth, industry watchers said.

In the recent MPC meeting, member Ashima Goyal said a sudden rise in Indian household debt could be a concern, as per the minutes of the meeting released on Friday. "Prudential tightening, such as raising LTV ratios or risk weights, would be preferable to raising policy rates ... After the firm lending-based NPAs, most banks are trying to increase retail loans. These are secured or based on cash or salary flows. But it will help make sure lending continues to be risk-based and internal assessments are robust," Goyal said.

While the central bank has not yet sent any specific queries or sought new disclosures from other banks, bankers expect that the RBI will henceforth scrutinise digital data more closely and not take anything at face value. "So far the RBI used to take updates and data on the progress of digital channels from banks at face value, but going forward we expect more scrutiny and comments from the RBI on this," the digital head of a private sector bank said.

After two days of intense bidding, Adani Power emerged as the winner late Saturday evening, said two people with knowledge of the matter. Jindal Power, the other bidder in the fray, quit the race, they added. The interest in Coastal Energen, undergoing corporate insolvency, is mainly because it is among a few operational power plants for sale.

​Bank CEOs are tapping top legal minds, alerting their compliance teams, and discussing with each other to spot the pitfalls of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) - a statute under which hundreds of crores of fines can be imposed on organisations for breaches. The law that came into existence this year lays down that data can be collected only to the extent it is required, used only for the purpose for which it is taken and cannot be held on to beyond a point.

The view clashes with swaps pricing that shows a pause from the ECB virtually baked in this week - and only a 10% chance of a 25 basis-point hike at a subsequent meeting. In the US, swaps show a 40% chance of another quarter-point hike from the Federal Reserve.

Individual shares have, of course, reacted to earnings announcements in the week or so since Corporate America started reporting results.

​They caution if this support is breached, there is a likelihood that the index could further decline towards the range of 19,000 to 18,900 in the coming weeks. Analysts suggest traders may want to explore potential opportunities in Reliance, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, and Sun Pharma.

With the proposed road map by the Delhi government mandating a phased shift of all cab aggregators and delivery vehicles, to electric by 2030 seen impacting Indraprastha Gas (IGL), analysts are expecting its shares to continue underperforming in the near term. The company derives over 70% of its revenues from compressed natural gas (CNG).

There are a few reasons why analysts have raised their forecast on the company's operating profit or earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda).

Short-term traders can buy the stock for a possible short-covering move which could take the stock towards 1275 levels, suggest experts. The stock reversed losses after hitting a low of Rs 852 on 22 March 2023. The stock closed at Rs 1223 on 19 October which translates into an upside of over 40%.

The Indian market closed in the red for the third consecutive day, with the S&P BSE Sensex falling over 200 points and the Nifty50 closing below 19600 levels. Stocks in the oil & gas, metal, telecom, FMCG, and energy sectors saw selling. Some stocks that performed well include Bombay Burmah Trading, Angel One, and Paytm, which hit fresh 52-week highs. Analysts recommend buying Bombay Burmah for long-term investment, Angel One for a positional target of 2490, and Paytm with a stop loss at 948.

While all the headlines have been hogged by new age companies and sectors, there has been a sharp surge in valuations in one sector which has performed extremely well in the last two years. It i the hospital space and it is still under the radar. The post listing performance of IPOs from this space shows that both domestic and institutional investors are ready to pay a premium to have these stocks in their portfolio. Given the macro picture , it has a secular growth trend as per capita spending is likely to continue to increase.

Given the huge difference in what is value and what looks cheap due to one financial ratio, more often than not, relying on PE may lead to wrong investment decisions. PEG ratio is much better compared to the commonly used P/E ratio. It helps in avoiding stocks which might appear cheap but actually are not value buys. Especially in sectors like banking and metal where the operating matrix is very different from the manufacturing sector.

Benchmark equity indices closed lower for the third straight session on Friday, dragged by auto, FMCG and IT stocks. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 0.35% lower at 65,397, while the NSE Nifty 50 index ended below the 19,550 level."The short term trend of Nifty remains negative. A slide below the immediate support of 19480 could drag Nifty towards another important support of 19350 levels in the near term. Immediate resistance is placed around 19650 levels," said Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities.Here are 5 stock recommendations for Monday:

While all the headlines have been hogged by new age companies and sectors, there has been a sharp surge in valuations in one sector which has performed extremely well in the last two years. It i the hospital space and it is still under the radar. The post listing performance of IPOs from this space shows that both domestic and institutional investors are ready to pay a premium to have these stocks in their portfolio. Given the macro picture , it has a secular growth trend as per capita spending is likely to continue to increase.

The market capitalisation (mcap) of ICICI Bank dived Rs 13,518.4 crore to Rs 6,53,120.67 crore and that of ITC dropped Rs 12,533.27 crore to Rs 5,46,537.83 crore

It is a well known fact that equities are fraught with risk. But the word “risk” also needs to be further looked into. In equities the risk is more in the short term, over longer term, it is not very high. Also, when diversified in the manner that exposure is to different segments of an economy, risk of a sharp decline in value comes down. Another way to manage risk is that when valuations are high, move to companies which have strong and large balance sheets and have seen many economic cycles and have survived the slowdowns in the past.

A company issues bonus shares for their shareholders in order to increase the liquidity of the stock as well as with the aim to decrease its stock price to make it affordable for investors

From HDFC Bank to ICICI Bank, a host of index heavyweight companies have reported second-quarter of FY24 earnings this week. If you have missed tracking the numbers, here is a quick snapshot

Navratri, a Hindu festival celebrated biannually, is not just about merriment and festivities, but also holds valuable investment lessons. Each of the nine avatars of Goddess Durga represents different qualities that can be applied to investments. These lessons include starting with introspection and dedication, being patient and disciplined, gaining knowledge, focusing on goals, taking control of finances, paying attention to details, eliminating negatives and sins, and being prepared for challenges. By following these lessons, one can welcome financial abundance into their life and create a diverse investment portfolio.

Sanjiv Bhasin, Director at IIFL Securities, recommends his top stocks to bet on this festive season. Take a look:

Gold and Silver Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) provide a convenient and effective strategy for investors to protect their wealth during inflation. Unlike physical bullion, ETFs allow investors to own a share of a larger pool of gold or silver held by the fund, simplifying the investment process. ETFs also offer diversification and risk mitigation by holding a diversified portfolio of precious metals. They are highly liquid investments, easily tradable on stock exchanges, and provide transparency in terms of holdings and performance.

The current earnings season is being overshadowed by macroeconomic forces such as conflict in the Middle East and surging Treasury yields. As a result, S&P 500 Index constituents are moving in unison as global events sway the markets. This is making it difficult for stock pickers to outperform their benchmarks, with only 37% of large-cap active managers outperforming their benchmarks as of September. Investors are now looking to Big Tech giants' earnings next week for signs of whether Wall Street projections are too optimistic.

Indian benchmark indices ended the week with a net loss of over 1% due to factors such as rising US bond yields, firm crude oil prices, and weak earnings from IT companies. The upcoming week is expected to be volatile as several companies are set to release earnings and the October derivatives expiry is due. The Nifty 50 may trade within a range of 19,300 to 19,850, with the potential for a significant move in either direction

Private sector lender ICICI Bank on Saturday reported a 36 per cent rise in standalone net profit to Rs 10,261 crore for the September 2023 quarter, aided by an improvement in interest income. The Mumbai-based lender had posted a net profit of Rs 7,558 crore in the year-ago period. The total income in the second quarter of the current fiscal rose to Rs 40,697 crore from Rs 31,088 crore in the same period a year ago, ICICI Bank said in a regulatory filing.

Private sector lender ICICI Bank on Saturday reported a 36 per cent rise in standalone net profit to Rs 10,261 crore for the September 2023 quarter, aided by an improvement in interest income. The Mumbai-based lender had posted a net profit of Rs 7,558 crore in the year-ago period. The total income in the second quarter of the current fiscal rose to Rs 40,697 crore from Rs 31,088 crore in the same period a year ago, ICICI Bank said in a regulatory filing.

Vaswani has more than three decades of experience in the banking sector. He was Chief Executive Officer of Barclays Bank, UK, and subsequently CEO of their global consumer, private, corporate and payments businesses.

Explore seven midcap stocks that have demonstrated exceptional performance by outpacing their respective sectoral indices in the past three months. These stocks, including Tata Elxsi and HDFC AMC, have exhibited robust growth and market resilience. Watch!

Earning seasons not only helps in judging what is happening to individual companies but more importantly it helps gauge the undercurrent of the markets. When the street does not react with a sharp spike in price when a company announces better than expected results then it indicates lower liquidity and life could be tougher for bulls. If the market reacts to negative surprises or what is commonly called below estimate by any company with a minor cut in stock price, that means that liquidity is very high and the street gets into a mood of giving pardon. Refinitiv’s Stock Report Plus which lists stocks with high upside potential over the next 12 months, having an average recommendation rating of “buy” or "strong buy".

While the capex cycle has been moving well in sectors like railways, road and other infrastructure sectors for some years. In sectors like cement, chemicals, pharma which are driven by the private sector, indications of capital spending on adding capacities, what is commonly called private sector capex coming back are visible. One industry which benefits from this capex would be the capital goods sector, but one has to be very careful in choosing the stock as the word “capital goods stocks” is prone to getting misinterpreted.

Though the total number of stocks which have seen a consistent improvement in their overall score have come down. As compared to a basket of around 15 to 18 stocks, overall numbers of stocks have come down to 10. It is an indication of volatile markets of the last four weeks showing its impact on the result of quantitative investing models. In one case, while the score has improved, overall recommendation remains as a “sell”. The stocks from sectors like new age platform companies, capital goods, have come to the list. The selected stocks depict a strong upward trajectory in their overall average score which is based on five key pillars i.e. earnings, fundamentals, relative valuation, risk and price momentum. This implies that there has been a significant improvement in their market outlook in the given time frame.

But remember, just like jumping off a seesaw suddenly can leave you off balance and regretful, selling your stocks too quickly can leave your investment strategy shaky, and you might miss out on potential gains.

However, with the help of technical and fundamental analysis, one can predict the market to a great extent. Here, we will discuss the methods and how to use them to analyze the commodity market.