Indian headline indices hit record highs on Thursday, led by metal, banking and IT stocks. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 1.77% higher at 82,962, while the NSE Nifty50 ended above the 25,350 mark."The sharp upside breakout of Thursday is indicating more upmove for the market ahead. The next upside levels to be watched around 25800 (1.5% Fibonacci extension) by next week. Immediate support is at 25200 levels," said Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities.Here are 5 stock recommendations for Friday:

Pakistan's Central bank on Thursday cut its key policy rate by 200 basis points to 17.5 per cent from 19.5 per cent bowing to demands for a major rate cut.

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said Thursday a report written by her predecessor Mario Draghi calling for sweeping reforms to boost the EU economy was "severe" but "just". "It's a formidable report in that it poses a diagnosis which is severe but which is just in our view," Lagarde said at a press conference.

Wall Street's main indexes were subdued at the open on Thursday as a hot producer prices reading kept a smaller 25-basis point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve firmly on the table.

On Thursday, India's benchmark index Sensex surged around 1,440 points to finish at 82,963. During this rally, 12 stocks from the BSE midcap index hit their highest prices in the past year. Reaching 52-week high is significant as it indicates the peak price a stock has achieved over the last year, providing valuable insights for traders and investors. This milestone is important for evaluating a stock’s current worth and predicting future price movements.

Berkshire Hathaway's Vice Chairman Ajit Jain has sold more than half of his stake in the company, garnering $139 million, according to a media report.

Affordable housing finance provider Vastu Housing Finance Corporation is looking to raise up to $50 million from United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in a long term external commercial borrowing.

Markets regulator Sebi on Thursday ordered the attachment of bank accounts as well as shares and mutual fund holdings of Karvy Stock Broking and its CMD C Parthasarathy to recover dues of around Rs 25 crore.

Life Insurance Corp (LIC) on Thursday said it has hiked its stake in Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to about 9.3 per cent. In a regulatory filing, LIC said its holding in railway sector 'miniratna' PSU has increased 2.02 per cent in the period December 16, 2022, to September 11, 2024, via open market purchases.

Wall Street's main indexes were subdued at the open on Thursday as a hot producer prices reading kept a smaller 25-basis point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve firmly on the table.

Indian benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty hit record highs on Thursday as commodity stocks jumped on expectations that China is likely to cut interest rates on mortgages to boost consumption. In Thursday's session, seven Nifty50 stocks reached new 52-week highs. Here's the list:

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday warned investors regarding fraudulent activities perpetrated by an entity, Lazard Asset Management India.

Markets regulator Sebi on Thursday asked stock exchanges and other market infrastructure institutions (MIIs) to ensure that the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) -- the maximum period for which data loss is tolerable due to a technical glitch or disruptions -- is near zero.

Euro zone government bond yields, the euro and European stocks held steady on Thursday after the European Central Bank cut its main interest rate for a second time in three meetings, in line with expectations.

Euro zone government bond yields were mixed on Thursday after the European Central Bank decided on a widely expected 25 basis points interest rate cut and tweaked its economic forecasts.

The Nifty formed a bullish engulfing candle as the bulls took charge towards the end of the day and lifted the indices to a new high, mirroring global trend. The rate-cut optimism has provided a positive impetus to the global market.

In the calendar year 2024 (CY24), approximately 50 companies went public through mainboard initial public offerings (IPOs), collectively raising around Rs 53,500 crore. According to ETMarkets analysis, 40 of these newly listed stocks have provided returns of over 10% compared to their issue prices, with seven stocks more than doubling in value and delivering returns of over 100%. Additionally, the nine best-performing IPOs of CY24, including Awfis Space Solutions, TBO Tek, and JG Chemicals, have each seen their stock prices rise by more than 90% since their IPOs.

Granules India’s shares plummeted 16% to Rs 566 on Thursday after receiving six observations from the USFDA, including issues with equipment cleanliness and quality control procedures. Over 3 crore shares traded as investors reacted to the news.

Indian market which started on a muted note on Thursday tracking mixed global cues recouped losses and hit fresh record highs. The S&P BSE rallied more than 1,300 points while the Nifty50 closed above 25,300 levels.The S&P BSE Sensex hit a record high of 83,116 while the Nifty50 touched a record high of 25433 on Thursday.

Short covering happens when traders buy back shares they previously sold short, often due to a shift in market sentiment or new information. This usually results in a decrease in open interest and can drive the stock price higher. In Thursday's trading session, five stocks saw short covering. Here's the list:

The European Central Bank has cut interest rates again as inflation slows and economic growth falters. The deposit rate was lowered by 25 basis points to 3.50%. Investors are now looking for clues on future rate cuts, but the ECB has not pre-committed to any specific path.

Bharti Airtel shares rose nearly 5% to a 52-week high of Rs 1,650.75, contributing to the BSE Sensex's record run on Thursday. The stock, up 7% over four sessions, benefits from expanded Home Wi-Fi services and a new B2B deal.

Granules India’s shares plummeted 16% to Rs 566 on Thursday after receiving six observations from the USFDA, including issues with equipment cleanliness and quality control procedures. Over 3 crore shares traded as investors reacted to the news.

Bharti Airtel shares rose nearly 5% to a 52-week high of Rs 1,650.75, contributing to the BSE Sensex's record run on Thursday. The stock, up 7% over four sessions, benefits from expanded Home Wi-Fi services and a new B2B deal.

The decision was taken during a meeting held today and the company was informed about the development during market hours.

In the calendar year 2024 (CY24), approximately 50 companies went public through mainboard initial public offerings (IPOs), collectively raising around Rs 53,500 crore. According to ETMarkets analysis, 40 of these newly listed stocks have provided returns of over 10% compared to their issue prices, with seven stocks more than doubling in value and delivering returns of over 100%. Additionally, the nine best-performing IPOs of CY24, including Awfis Space Solutions, TBO Tek, and JG Chemicals, have each seen their stock prices rise by more than 90% since their IPOs.

Shree Tirupati Balajee Share Price: Shree Tirupati Balajee's stock listed at an 11% premium, slightly below expectations, but is trading 17% higher on its debut. Analysts had anticipated a premium of 20-30%. The FIBC (flexible intermediate bulk container) market is expected to grow significantly, fueled by rising demand across various sectors and the expanding e-commerce industry.

What are the typical characteristics of the sector which turns out to be a surprise winner? A couple of them, it should be facing headwinds for many years, even decades, fragmented, too many laws which govern the sector, too many small and mid-sized companies, one or two large players, hyper competition. Cyclical or seasonal in nature. One thing for sure: some of the companies from the sector have been trouble makers for the banking system at one point of time or other. If you look at the history of the cement sector it has all of them.

Yes Bank's stake sale is now unlikely to happen in FY25 and may get delayed, ET Now reported, citing sources. SMBC has shown strong interest in acquiring a 51% stake in Yes Bank and the talks have stalled because of its insistence on 51% ownership, the report said

Basic resources gained 2% after prices of base metals rose, buoyed by hopes of an interest rate reduction in the U.S. next week..

Among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry groupings, transport equipment, which includes automakers, climbed 2.4% and was among the top performers. Toyota Motor gained 3.8%, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries led the sector with a 6.3% rise. Japan's technology shares tracked their U.S. peers higher to offer the Nikkei the largest lift.

While Buch and the Adani Group had denied last month's allegations, the opposition Congress party has in recent days made a series of allegations against Buch including holding 99 per cent shares in a company "actively providing advisory/consultancy services till date" and her husband Dhaval Buch earning income from companies that were being adjudicated by her.

Honasa Consumer Share Price: Shares of Honasa Consumer, the parent company of Mamaearth, fell 5% to a day’s low of Rs 495 on the NSE following a block deal on Thursday involving a 10.9% equity stake valued at Rs 1,763 crore. The likely sellers include Peak XV Partners Investments VI, Redwood Trust, Sequoia Capital Global Growth Fund III, Fireside Ventures Investment Fund I, Stellaris Venture Partners India, and Sofina Ventures SA.

Zomato Share Price: Shares of Zomato surged 4% to a new high of Rs 283.60 after UBS maintained a buy rating with a target price of Rs 320. The growth optimism follows Zomato's acquisition of Paytm's ticketing business and positive outlooks from Jefferies and JP Morgan. The stock has risen 15.6% over six days.

Mastering personal finance involves understanding how to earn from multiple sources, spend wisely using a budgeting rule, save consistently by prioritizing savings before expenses, and invest strategically to grow wealth over time. These four pillars—Earn, Spend, Save, Invest—form the foundation for achieving financial independence.

Shares of Suzlon Energy hit the 5% upper circuit limit for the third consecutive session, reaching a new 52-week high of Rs 86 during Wednesday's trade on the BSE. This rally was fueled by positive investor sentiment following Morgan Stanley’s overweight rating on the renewable energy company. The stock experienced high trading volumes, with nearly 13.94 crore shares traded on the NSE, amounting to a total value of Rs 1,173.4 crore.

Indian benchmarks opened higher, boosted by global cues and expectations of increased foreign inflows after favorable US inflation data.

Zomato Share Price: Shares of Zomato surged 4% to a new high of Rs 283.60 after UBS maintained a buy rating with a target price of Rs 320. The growth optimism follows Zomato's acquisition of Paytm's ticketing business and positive outlooks from Jefferies and JP Morgan. The stock has risen 15.6% over six days.

Solex Energy, up 162% in a year, announces a 1:4 bonus issue with September 13 as the record date. This is the company’s first-ever bonus share issuance.

Shree Tirupati Balajee Share Price: Shree Tirupati Balajee Agro Trading's shares debuted with an 11.9% premium on the bourses, listing at Rs 92.90 on BSE and Rs 90.00 on NSE against an issue price of Rs 83.00. The IPO received a subscription of 124 times, with proceeds aimed at debt repayment and investments in subsidiaries.

Shares of Honasa Consumer, the parent company of Mamaearth, fell 5% to a day’s low of Rs 495 on the NSE following a block deal on Thursday involving a 10.9% equity stake valued at Rs 1,763 crore. The likely sellers include Peak XV Partners Investments VI, Redwood Trust, Sequoia Capital Global Growth Fund III, Fireside Ventures Investment Fund I, Stellaris Venture Partners India, and Sofina Ventures SA.

India's securities regulator is considering tighter oversight on micro-cap firms going public, including monitoring fund usage and stricter due diligence for merchant bankers. This follows incidents of fraud in the market. The Securities and Exchange Board of India aims to balance investor protection with market growth.

NBCC shares rose nearly 5% to Rs 183.70 during Thursday’s intraday trade on the BSE following the announcement of a significant deal with MTNL. The companies signed a MoU on September 11, 2024, to develop a 13.88-acre land parcel on Pankha Road, New Delhi, into a modern residential and commercial space, with the project valued at approximately Rs 1,600 crore.

Indian benchmarks opened higher, boosted by global cues and expectations of increased foreign inflows after favorable US inflation data.

While it is largely due to global reasons, the volatility quotient of both Nifty and broader markets has seen a spike in the last four weeks. There is high a probability that as more macroeconomic data emerges from the US and any action is taken by the US Fed, we might see more volatility, which might have a spillover effect on the Indian market. While volatility is something which is part of the market, one should be more ready for it especially when valuations are high. Even when looking at large cap space, be more selective.

Dabur India Ltd has broken out from an inverse Head & Shoulder pattern on the daily charts, suggesting a potential bullish reversal. Experts recommend short-term traders to buy the stock for a target above Rs 700 in the next few weeks. The stock recently hit a fresh record high of Rs 671.

Varun Beverages shares rose by 6% to an intra-day high of Rs 665.65 on BSE as the stock began trading on an ex-split basis. The record date for the 2:5 stock split was September 12, 2024. The company reported a profit after tax of Rs 1,261.83 crore for Q2 FY24, up by 26% YoY.

Kotak Securities has downgraded Nykaa to "Sell" from "Add" and lowered the target price to Rs 190 from Rs 195. While Nykaa's portal excels in product discovery, Q-commerce portals are expanding their BPC product range. Nykaa needs to invest in faster delivery. Kotak Securities also reduced FY25-27 EBITDA estimates by 3-7% due to lower margins, leading to the downgrade amid a sharp stock price increase.

Domestic brokerage firm YES Securities highlighted a handful of stocks poised for significant growth. With promising prospects across sectors like infrastructure, real estate, and agriculture, these stocks offer investors the potential for up to 27% gains. Here are the key picks that could deliver strong returns over the next 12 months:

On the options front, maximum Call open interest (OI) is at the 25,000 strike, followed by 25,500, while maximum Put OI is at 24,500, followed by 24,700. Call writing is observed at the 25,000 and 25,100 strikes, and Put writing at the 24,500 and 24,700 strikes.