Check vitals before admitting them in your portfolio: 5 smallcap stocks from different sectors

Market has a habit of ignoring all the developments for some time and then one day suddenly getting up to the fact that there is something wrong. Probably what we have seen in the last two weeks in the markets is the same thing, a sudden realization that there are issues like rising inflation leading to higher US rates, geopolitical tension and of course on the domestic front, high valuations. In the last quarter of the current financial year, it is time to take a step back, think and then make a decision both when buying and selling any stock. These selected stocks depict a strong upward trajectory in their overall average score. This implies that there has been a significant improvement in their market outlook in the given time frame.

For all those investors whose portfolio is titled in favour of the mid-caps need to do two things in current market conditions. First, don't extrapolate what has happened in the last one quarter to the mid caps stocks. Second, which is more important, be careful when taking fresh exposure to this segment of the market and apply checks and balances when investing and even after that be ready for some drawdown in the value of the stocks. How does one put checks and balances? Simple, have a look at fundamentals and it is not very tough, having a look at some of the critical ratios like ROE and ROCE would help in avoiding silly mistakes which are common in bullish markets.

For all the investors who have been focussing on the midcap segment, this was a week of reality check. The way midcap stock tumbled and the way market breadth panned out it was just a reminder of two things, never ignore valuations and secondly however good the stock might be when the correction takes place, even the best of the stocks can decline sharply. For all those investors whose portfolio is titled in favor of the mid-caps need to do two things in current market conditions. First, don't extrapolate what has happened in the last one quarter to the mid caps stocks. The reason: there might be some change in the ways the flows are coming to midcap funds due to recent SEBI advisory through AMFI to fund houses. Second, which is more important, be careful when taking fresh exposure to this segment of the market and apply checks and balances.

Many investors, especially the ones sitting on cash were confused about what they should do in the market which is being bombarded with bad news. Should they – buy the dip or not, probably have entered the market in a few weeks of rally which the market has been witnessing from the start of FY 24. For all those investors confused about whether to buy and what to buy, We looked at different parameters and made a list using Refinitiv’s Stock Report Plus which lists stocks with high upside potential over the next 12 months, having an average recommendation rating of “buy” or strong buy .

Even in volatile markets analysts are bullish on selective mid-cap stocks. One of the reasons, impact of developments in Israel has not been as hard as the street was expecting both in commodity and global equity markets. 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 . This predefined screener is only available to ET Prime users.

Just because the broader stock markets indices like Nifty and Sensex have not fallen sharply in one trading session, the current wave of correction is not making it to headlines. In the last month, Nifty and Sensex have corrected. The broader market is still under the control of bulls. But as they say, volatility comes without any prior notice, so it would be better for oneself to be prepared and probably if one is thinking of taking exposure, staying with large caps might be a better idea. ET screener powered by Refinitiv’s Stock Report Plus applies different algorithms & filters to all BSE and NSE stocks, and lists stocks which fulfill the various criteria as specified in the algorithms & filters to find those which might help navigate the stock market.

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.

The kind of correction the broader market is witnessing in the last few days, the financial services sector had seen that few months ago. Infact, if one looks at the overall picture this phase of correction was led by one private sector bank and the other parts of the BFSI came under pressure at the start of 2024. For two reasons, first is that RBI has been doing a policy tightening and regulatory cleanup excerise, so there were some margin hits coming in earnings. Second, they are heavily owned by foreign portfolio investors who have been sellers in the Indian markets. A large number of times they give an advance indication of what the broader market might look like in near term. Similarly, the other way round, these stocks on a relative basis have performed better than others in the last few days. The first streak of relative outperformance is good enough indication for them to be brought on watchlist.

In the last one year, there has been a big addition to largecap stocks. Their market capitalization has moved higher and they can now be largecap. Some of these stocks are from sectors which are getting discovered or getting re-rated as if they are midcap stocks. Having exposure to them might appear to be risky, but the possibility of reward is higher. There are two stocks which are well discovered and have created wealth for investors. But as they go through a phase of valuation adjustment, they provide an opportunity to investors with a long-term perspective.

Nifty sneezes and small caps catch cold. But small investors love the cold. ET screener powered by Refinitiv’s Stock Report Plus lists down stocks from small cap space with high upside potential over the next 12 months, having an average recommendation rating of “Buy” or Strong Buy and also meeting some parameters like net margins and return on equity.