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Economic Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Astral banks on new plants, value-added products for growth
Shares of Astral, a maker of pipes, fittings, and other building materials, have gained nearly 16% over the past three months and of this, 9% since announcing the March quarter result on May 21. The company expects strong revenue growth in the current financial year, driven by three newly operational plants, the launch of high-margin value-added products, and a recovery in demand as infrastructure activity picks up. ADVERTISEMENT A slowdown in government spending amid elections over the past few quarters led to liquidity issues and a drop in infrastructure-related demand, impacting the building materials sector. However, with government payments resuming, demand is expected to revive. As infrastructure activity picks up, driven by renewed government focus and funding, Astral is likely to benefit given its augmented capacity. It recently commissioned three plants each at Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, and Hyderabad. While capacity utilisation is currently low, the ongoing expansion of the dealer and distributor network is expected to ramp it up. Additionally, these plants will reduce logistics costs, thereby boosting profitability. The company was able to retain operating margin before depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) despite lower product prices. According to the company management, this was achieved by the growth in value-added products. "When the polymer price was down by 18%, we were still able to maintain our EBITDA margin, mainly because of this value addition," the company stated during an analyst call after declaring the quarterly company's EBITDA margin fell a tad to 16.9% in FY25 from 17% in FY24. Revenue increased 3.4% to Rs 5,832 crore in FY25 while its net profit declined 4.9% to Rs 519 has made significant capital investments over the past two to three years, though the benefits of that spending are yet to be realised. According to the management, capex typically precedes returns, which usually take a few years to materialise. ADVERTISEMENT 'Astral remains our preferred pick amongst our building material products universe given its superior product mix, extensive distribution network and healthy balance sheet,' noted IDBI Capital in a report. The brokerage has, however, cut the FY26 and FY27 earnings estimates by 6.5% and 7.7% amid muted March 2025 quarter performance while reducing the target price to Rs 1,800 from the earlier target of Rs 1,948. Shares of Astral rose 0.2% to Rs1,504.4 on Monday on the BSE.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times) ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
Mint
24-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Think twice before acting on TV stock tips: How front running cheats retail investors
Televised stock market advice along with viral telegram tips often lure innocent retail investors searching for quick equity market gains. Still, a darker concept of 'front running' has led to major enforcements by SEBI along with several strict actions to stop the plundering of retail investor money. The regulator has recently barred analysts, anchors, brokers, market participants and fund dealers for abusing their influence to rake in huge profits ahead of recommendations. Front running simply involves trading on advance, non-public information. This information can contain details about client orders or public stock tips to gain an unfair advantage of the common retail investors. Front running results in undermining market integrity and misleads investors. Furthermore, it is punishable under Regulations 3 and 4 of Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices i.e., PFUTP Regulations (2003) and Section 15HA of the SEBI Act, 1992. Now penalties under this legal provision include fines of up to ₹ 25 crores or three times the profits made along with trading bans and time based restrictions. Sanjiv Bhasin – IIFL stock tip scam (June 2025) Bhasin along with 11 others traded through affiliated entities, before publicly recommending stocks on leading media platforms such as Zee Business, CNBC Awaaz and Telegram. SEBI impounded him with ₹ 11.37 crore. The entire scam was carried out by using WhatsApp, phone, and trade records. Zee Business guest analysts – Kiran Jadhav & others (Feb 2024) Several experts tipped stocks after connected traders already bought in, making ₹ 7.5 crore in unlawful gains. SEBI froze assets and issued bans under PFUTP. This was another shocking case of cheating innocent retail investors and luring them into trades based on tips. Hemant Ghai – CNBC Awaaz anchor (Jan 2021) SEBI barred CNBC Awaaz anchor Hemant Ghai and his family for front-running. This scam involved buying stocks ahead of his on-air recommendations. They earned ₹ 6.1 crore illegally. This marked SEBI's first action against a TV anchor for such misconduct. Axis Mutual Fund case – Viresh Joshi & associates (Sept 2021–Mar 2022) SEBI barred Axis MF's ex-chief dealer Viresh Joshi and 20 others for front-running fund trades between Sept 2021 and Mar 2022. ₹ 30 crore in illegal gains was impounded, with accounts frozen and action taken under PFUTP regulations. IDBI Capital – Dedhia & Savla (May 2024) In this particular case, SEBI barred IDBI Capital's Gaurav Dedhia and his sister Kajal Savla for front-running client trades using internal deal information. A total of ₹ 1.67 crore was recovered, and both were fined for violating market integrity under PFUTP regulations. Now given the Axis Mutual Fund and IDBI Capital cases involve institutional front running i.e., a kind of practice where machinery of institutions was used to make unlawful gains. On the other hand, the cases related to Bhasin, Jadhav and Ghai are nothing but media linked manipulative front running. According to SEBI both are fraudulent market practices under the PFUTP and are explicitly classified as illegal offences. Therefore, taking into consideration the above cases carefully, you can stay safe from front running scams by following these simple steps diligently: Be wary of lucrative and buzzy stock tips on both television or Telegram. Check and confirm if the tipster is a registered investment adviser (check SEBI registry). Carefully cross check any sudden price jumps post recommendation. Depend only on independent research or verified brokerage reports. Report suspicious stock trades or timing inconsistencies to SEBI. Hence, by consistently reading, understanding facts and building knowledge of equity markets along with taking guidance from investment professionals you can keep yourself safe from front running scams. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or financial advice. All references to cases are based on publicly available SEBI records. Readers are encouraged to verify facts independently and consult a SEBI-registered investment adviser before acting on any stock recommendations.
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Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Micro, small, midcap indices outrun Nifty 50 in recent market pullback
Micro, small, midcap indices on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) have outperformed the Nifty 50 in recent market pullback triggered by the India – Pakistan truce on the boarders, shows data from ACE Equity. While the Nifty Microcap 250 index has rallied around 6 per cent from its closing level on Friday, May 9 till May 13, the Nifty Smallcap 100 and the Nifty Midcap 150 indices have moved up 5 per cent and 4 per cent respectively during this period, shows ACE Equity data. In comparison, the Nifty 50 index has gained 2.4 per cent. (See graphic below) The outperformance in a lot stocks from the micro, small-and midcaps, said Kranti Bathini, Director-Equity at WealthMills Securities, has been on account of a positive earnings surprise in the March 2025 quarter (Q4-FY25). 'Mid-and smallcaps had been in a consolidation phase since long. Q4FY25 earnings for a lot of companies in these segments surprised positively, which triggered an up move. Though one cannot paint the entire sector with the same brush, it is advisable to take some profit off the table right now. Valuations for some of the stocks in the micro, small-and midcap baskets is still steep and prone to a correction. One has to be stock specific from here on,' he said. Microcap, Midcap, Smallcap indices At the stock level, Tanla Platforms, Syrma SGS Technology, Bharat Dynamics, Olectra Greentech, Nippon Life India Asset Management, The Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Reliance Power and Escorts Kubota gained between 11 per cent and 19 per cent during the recent market pullback, data shows. K.P.R. Mill, Jyothy Labs, United Breweries, Navin Fluorine International, Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals and UPL Ltd., on the other hand, lost ground. The Nifty 50, according to analysts at IDBI Capital, is trading near one standard deviation above its 10-year average based on one-year forward earnings per share (EPS) estimates. 'In the absence of strong domestic catalysts and amid external policy risks, we expect the market to remain range-bound in the short term. As a result, we anticipate a more stock-specific environment going forward, where select stocks will outperform,' wrote Pravin Bokade and Shreejit Nair of IDBI Capital in a recent note. Technical view on the markets Those at Angel One, too, remain constructive on the markets and suggest investors adopt a 'buy on dips' strategy. Technically, considering the retracement of Monday's rally (from Friday's low), the 61.8 per cent level around 24330, which also marks the start of the bullish gap left, is seen as a crucial support for the Nifty 50 index now. A breach below this level could see the ongoing up-move fizzle out. The 50 per cent retracement at 24,450 levels serves as immediate support for Nifty 50. "On the upside, 24750 and 24900 are the key resistance levels to watch. Traders can continue to focus on mid-and small-caps, but should adopt a selective approach," advises Sameet Chavan, head of research for technical and derivatives at Angel One.
Mint
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
City Union Bank share price soars 2% to reach highest level since December 2022, gains 10% in May
City Union Bank's share price extended its winning streak for the third straight day on Wednesday, May 14, gaining another 2% in trade to touch a 28-month high of ₹ 195 apiece. The stock last traded at these levels in December 2022. With the steady rise, shares are now approaching their record high of ₹ 249.35, last seen in January 2020. The stock has maintained a consistent upward trend since the beginning of May, as investor sentiment improved following the lender's return to a growth trajectory in the March quarter. This recovery was driven by its ongoing digital transformation efforts, which also prompted brokerages to raise their target multiples, further fueling the rally. Notably, the stock ended both April and March in the green, with gains of 12.33% and 6.35%, respectively. The rally has extended into the current month, with the stock rising another 10% so far. Following the bank's in-line performance, Axis Securities revised its target price on City Union Bank to ₹ 225 apiece, maintaining its 'Buy' rating. Likewise, IDBI Capital retained its 'Buy' rating with a target price of ₹ 215. Anand Rathi also maintained a 'Buy' with a 12-month target of ₹ 218, while Prabhudas Lilladher raised its target to ₹ 210 from ₹ 200, reiterating its 'Buy' stance. City Union Bank reported a 13% YoY increase in net profit to ₹ 288 crore for the quarter ended March 2025, driven by stronger fee income, particularly from insurance and processing charges. Net Interest Income (NII) rose 10% YoY to ₹ 600 crore, while Net Interest Margins (NIMs) improved marginally by 2 basis points, as the bank shed lower-yielding loans. Pre-provision operating profit surged 25.3% YoY to ₹ 441 crore. Credit costs remained largely stable at 60 basis points, compared to 61 bps in the previous quarter. Non-interest income saw robust growth of 43% YoY to ₹ 251 crore, supported by strong fee-based revenues. On the asset quality front, gross NPA improved to 3.09% from 3.36% QoQ, driven by higher write-offs. Management remains confident of further improvement in asset quality, supported by controlled slippages and healthy recoveries. For FY26, slippages are expected to decline to ₹ 650–700 crore, compared to ₹ 815 crore in FY25. Looking ahead, the bank aims to maintain the business momentum it has gained in FY25 while targeting a sustainable Return on Assets (RoA) of 1.5%. Axis Securities highlighted potential NIM pressures in the coming quarters due to yield compression in the EBLR-linked loan book. However, the brokerage believes that the impact will be cushioned by multiple initiatives undertaken by the bank to offset margin declines. Axis expects City Union Bank to deliver consistent RoA and RoE of 1.5–1.6% and 12–14%, respectively, over FY26–27E, supported by strengthening fee income, steady NIMs, and controlled credit costs despite higher operational expenses. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Economic Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
FPI declined in April to Rs 42 billion from Rs 63 billion in March: IDBI Capital
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) recorded a net inflow of Rs 42.2 billion, witnessing a decline from Rs 62.71 billion in March, according to the data compiled by IDBI Capital. The FPIs inflow in financial services also dipped as in April, the sector attracted Rs 184.1 billion, compared to Rs 197 billion inflow in March. Media & Telecommunication maintained its momentum with Rs 47.6 billion in inflows, reflecting sustained optimism around digital expansion and consumption. Meanwhile, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector staged a notable recovery, attracting Rs 29.2 billion in April after witnessing outflows in March. Indian stock indices had seen upward movement since Trump's decision to pause the reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries, including India, for 90 days. The tariffs had initially set off a sell-off in equities globally, and India was no exception. Several reports attribute the trend as there is an easing seen in the input costs, and rural demand has witnessed an improvement. The IDBI Capital data suggests that the Consumer Services and Diversified sectors also received modest inflows of Rs 17.9 billion and Rs 17.6 billion, respectively. However, inflows into Diversified were lower than the previous month, suggesting selective investor interest within that tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, had weighed on investor of late. The investors will continue to keep an eye on the escalation of tensions between the two nations, as they bet in the financial the downside, the IT & Services sector witnessed pressure due to the uncertainties globally and weakening tech spending by companies. The sector saw steep outflows of Rs 154.1 billion--more than double the Rs 74 billion outflow in March. Healthcare also saw a modest investor sentiment with outflow reaching Rs 7.3 billion. The traditional sectors like Automobiles, Metals & Mining, and Real Estate remained under contrast, the Power & Utilities sector bucked the trend, with Rs 9.2 billion in fresh April's positive FPI inflows were driven by Financial Services, Media & Telecom, and FMCG, despite significant outflows in IT, Automobiles, and Metals & Mining.
