Price wars are still on but... 4 stocks from diagnostics sector have upside potential of up to 26%

While the under current of the market is still bullish but as corrections and consolidation are part of every bull market, nifty is moving in and out green, there are clear signs of profit booking taking place in the broader market with market breadth not being as positive as it used to be. While the initial part of any volatility is led by large caps, there is a higher probability that the large caps are able to stabilize much before any part of the market. So, if one is thinking of fresh exposure to the market it would be better to stick with large caps. ET screener powered by Refinitiv’s Stock Report Plus lists down quality stocks with high upside potential over the next 12 months, having an average recommendation rating of “buy” or strong buy . The screener applies different algorithms for all BSE and NSE stocks.

In 2008, the IPO of a power company got subscribed in less than a minute of its opening and the size of that issue was Rs 11,563 crore. This just shows the desire to own power sector stocks at that point of time. From those days of frenzy to the nadir in 2014, when power companies were on the top of the list of NPA of the banks. Power companies have seen both the extreme of valuations. It is a sector where after many failures and to some extent a consolidation, some companies have emerged which know how to deal with all kinds of economic and industry cycles. That is probably the reason why a number of companies from the power sector have seen a sharp re-rating in the last one year. Hoping the survivors have learnt their lessons.

There are some sectors where the macro structure is such that for one or the other reasons the overall growth is higher. This is not to say that growth comes without phases of slowdown, but when tailwinds come they are able to take care of all the slowdown and over a period of time, growth is much better. So, at times valuations are high, take exposure to stocks and sectors where at least there is high probability of growth ensuring that over a period of time, valuations get normalized. When we talk of market size it is not only India but in some cases global markets also. Second, look at business that is bound to grow as markets expand and every transaction brings in some money to the topline and industry structure is such that cost does not grow in the same proportion leading to higher and stable margins.

Recent reports indicate a decline in cement prices, causing a significant correction in cement stocks. However, it's important to consider broader factors before making investment or trading decisions in the cement sector. Despite a temporary price dip, the sector continues to benefit from increased demand driven by infrastructure projects and improved balance sheet quality. This suggests the sector's long-term prospects remain intact despite short-term price fluctuations.

The movement of nifty and sensex needs to be delinked with what has happened in the last quarter and what might happen to mid-cap in the coming quarter. There is no way one can fight with liquidity, if it is going to mid caps and they are moving up irrespective of valuations or quality of stocks one cannot argue. But the only thing which as an investor one can do is to be careful when taking exposure to this segment of the market. Stay away from stocks where there is a narrative that this sector will do well because of XYZ reasons. At this point of time there is no dearth of tips floating in whatsapp group and telegram channels. But there is enough evidence in history to show that more than anything else, it is time to use checks and balances while making investment decisions.

Once again everything is looking green, the way FY 25 has started, it appears that bulls were on short term break due to tight liquidity conditions which tends to appear in the last month of every financial year. While the local liquidity condition might improve, the issue of high valuation is still not over. It is still a time to be cautious in terms of not going overboard with taking exposure to a certain stock, selective about what one is buying. The reason, if the street becomes selective and gets into correction mode once again, it is stocks where there has been improvements in the business operating matrix will be able to weather the storm better. These 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.

Sometimes a rationale which goes against owning a set of stocks at the start of a bull run, comes in handy in the case of a correction in stock markets. There is one sector where business updates from companies talk in the common lingo. First one is: growth will be muted. Second, margins will be under pressure due to cost inflation and third, competition is increasing in different categories. The sector is FMCG where the narrative is that it is a bad time to buy FMCG stocks. Probably, it is time to take a contrarian call in this sector.

“The next couple of years should be better for pharma companies as the pricing outlook keeps on improving and the cost pressure is moderating as well for inputs like APIs, chemicals, etc. So, generic companies or those with a good specialty portfolio, should do well in the next few years.”

While the recent performance of stocks like REC, PFC and recently listed IRDEA has brought focus back to one segment of power companies. But the fact is that in the last few years, the sector has been going through a consolidation. Some of it was forced by the banks due to many companies going under the IBC and some due to the fact that any industry which has gone through a troubled phase of almost a decade, the players who are able to survive tend to get more attention because they have learnt the art of surviving a tough phase which is one most important feature for long term survival. Power sector stocks are now catching up with what the market has witnessed in the last few years.

From being a must have in portfolio, AMC stocks have seen a long phase of underperformance and now clean out block trades. A headline which says that SEBi has delayed making changes in TER makes AMC stocks move up sharply. A delay in what appears to be a challenge, is enough to bring back interest on the counters. Is it an indication that once the “ challenge” is out of the way, these stocks will again regain their valuations back.