In auto, prefer two-wheelers; Hero Moto top pick: Siddhartha Khemka

Q3 results today: A total of 22 companies will release their Q3 results today, including Asian Paints, ICICI Prudential, and Happiest Minds Technologies.

“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.”

“There is a mini bubble in the broader market and one needs to be selective about that. Do not be too quick to jump into an index which has gone up 35% and stocks that have gone up 3X-5X. Okay, the stock has corrected 5%, 10%, let it stabilise, do some homework and then start nibbling.”

Indian market closed in the green for the second consecutive day, with gains over 1% on benchmark indices. Buying was seen in IT, FMCG, metal, and realty stocks, whereas some profit booking was seen in utilities, power, and oil & gas stocks.

In the last two years, every sector has come into focus at one point of time or the other. Some came into limelight due to the fact of real positive changes in the fundamental operating matrix of that sector. While others came into focus just because of too much liquidity chasing Indian paper. In the case of the pharma sector, after years of consolidation, valuation readjustment and regulatory learning which altogether led to positive change in the fundamentals, the stocks made a comeback. It is almost a period of six to eight years that the industry is back on the list where there are more positive developments than negative. These changes have come after the management of a large number of pharma companies learnt the lesson hard way. The lessons that expansion based on PPT presentations on market growth are probably not the best way to run business, rather ensuring compliance to regulatory requirements is more important. So sectors like pharma which have seen a very long phase of business remodelling and valuation readjustment need to be brought back on the watch list.

Both, in terms of bottomline and stock price performance, pharma stocks had been under pressure for a long time. Partly this under performance was due to over valuation at which these companies were trading since 2015. Also stocks came in the overowned category for both the institutional and retail investors portfolio. Last but not the least, close to 2014, USFDA inspections became both more in numbers and stricter, many companies which assumed that they can take care of anything, got a rude shock. After all the head and tailwinds, many companies which had changed their focus, fruits are visible in terms of them moving into new markets and better financials.

Mixed Q4 earnings season so far with IT companies disappointing, but strong results from financial and banking sector helped markets. Investors will track corporate earnings and global trends to gauge market direction. This week, Adani Enterprises, Titan Company, HDFC, TVS Motor, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Steel, and several other companies will announce their results. Notable companies announcing include Tata Steel, Titan Company, HDFC, Adani Enterprises, TVS Motor, Hero MotoCorp, Britannia Industries, and Marico.

“I would buy real estate stocks if there is a small correction of about 5%, 10%. These are all high beta stocks. Interest rates have not really gone down. I am a little surprised that even at higher interest rates, these kinds of numbers are being delivered. So I want to have some exposure. But purely from a momentum perspective, on a dip.”

The S&P BSE Sensex fell more than 500 points while the Nifty50 managed to hold on to 21,600 levels. Sectorally, buying was seen in healthcare and IT stocks while public sector, utilities, telecom and realty stocks saw some selling pressure.

Retail and leisure companies in India have seen a gradual improvement in overall demand with the easing of cost pressures and some companies taking up price hikes to improve profitability. Companies such as QSR, retail and leisure segments, such as Trent, Shopper's Stop, Sapphire, and Devyani, have recovered due to strong discretionary spending from consumers.