Tale of the Tape 

Hey ya’ll. 

Nifty and Sensex closed flat after a SUPER volatile day of trade. But, the carnage in Midcaps (-1%) and Smallcaps (-1.7%) continued. 372 stocks in the NSE 500 ended in the red.

Most sectors ended in the red. Pharma (-0.9%), NBFCs (-0.8%) and Metals (-0.7%) witnessed the most selling pressure. Oil & Gas (+1.5%) and IT (+0.6%) bucked the overall weakness.

2025 is off to a rocky start. Read our top story on how to navigate the uncertainty ahead and what experts say you should be buying.

B&K Securities sees a +20% upside in this new-age tech stock. More details below.

Paytm, Suven Life and Premier Energies saw big moves today. Check out their charts below to find out why.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories was up +2% after Nuvama upgraded the stock; the brokerage sees a +14% upside from current levels.

Ola Electric fell -5% intraday after SEBI warned it over disclosure violations. The stock later recovered.

United Breweries (-4%) fell after it said it stopped supplying alcohol to Telangana over unpaid dues & unviable prices.

Dixon Tech cracked -8% after reports said it asked the GOI to pay unpaid PLI dues. PS - weak global cues including the fall in US tech stocks rubbed off as well, with Kaynes Tech (-4%) and Amber Enterprises (-4%) also falling.

Here are the closing prints:

Market
Kya Lagta Hai Market?

Markets are off to a rocky start. Weak corporate earnings, fears of trade war and persistent FII selling pressure have dampened sentiment. With markets at 6-month lows, should you buy the dip or avoid catching a falling knife? Here’s a cheat-sheet on what to expect and how to navigate this uncertainty:

1) Earnings: Q3 results will decide the trajectory for most of 2025. Most experts predict a better H2FY25, with mid-teens profit growth. But, recent macro indicators (slowing urban consumption, muted GST collections) have spooked some analysts. Nuvama projects Nifty EPS to grow just 2% (vs 4% in H1FY25). That’s rough. FYI - Motilal’s Raamdeo Agrawal says expect revival only by the fourth quarter: “By that time, the bulk of the government expenditure will be in full flow. And that may change the outlook for earnings growth for 2025-26.”

2) Returns: High valuations, a weak global economy and muted earnings are BAD news for overall returns. Every analyst says expect a LOT less. Kotak’s Nilesh Shah estimates returns for 2025 will be in “high single digit” at best. This doesn’t mean there are no pockets of opportunities, but overall we’re headed for consolidation.

3) Plan of action: Experts say load up on large caps. Market veteran Prashant Jain’s new fund has a whopping 83% of its portfolio deployed only in large caps. Jain believes large-cap indices should compound ~12% CAGR over the medium term. But how should one decide which ones to go after? Raamdeo Agrawal says look out for “bruised” blue-chips (stocks that are down 50% from their highs). Currently, 10-11 firms including Tata Elxsi, Avenue Supermarts, Berger Paints have fallen over 30%. Once they correct enough, Agrwal says, it should be a solid bet!

Stocktwits Specials
Top Brokerage Picks For 2025

We’re back with Part 2 of our New Year Stock Picks series. This time we take a look at hot investment ideas from India’s leading broking houses - with up to 60% potential upside!!! The perfect cure for your underperforming portfolio. Do not miss it folks!