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Stock Picks Today: ONGC, IndiGo, Adani Ports, HDFC Bank And More On Brokerages' Radar

Check some of the top stock picks from brokerages heading into trade today.

Stock Picks Today: ONGC, IndiGo, Adani Ports, HDFC Bank And More On Brokerages' Radar
Photo: NDTV Profit

A host of global and domestic brokerages have rolled out fresh views on Dr Agarwal's Health, ONGC, IndiGo, Adani Ports, HDFC Bank and several sectors including oil & gas, pharma and financials, as analysts assess the impact of rising energy prices, policy support and structural growth trends.

Avendus Spark on Dr Agarwal's Health

  • Initiate Buy with TP of Rs 495
  • A clear vision for growth
  • Well positioned to benefit from strong demand and consolidation in the eye care market
  • Network expansion to drive volume and revenue growth
  • Mature cluster growth seen at ~12% CAGR over FY26–28 driven by volumes and premiumisation
  • Attractive unit economics and disciplined acquisition strategy to support RoCE improvement
  • EBITDA margin expected to remain broadly stable at ~21% by FY28

MS on India Energy & Chemicals

  • ONGC – Maintain Overweight; Hike TP to Rs 363 from Rs 299
  • Oil India – Maintain Overweight; Hike TP to Rs 563 from Rs 455
  • GAIL – Downgrade to Equal-weight; Cut TP to Rs 150 from Rs 236
  • Petronet LNG – Downgrade to Equal-weight; Cut TP to Rs 276 from Rs 342
  • LNG infrastructure damage in Qatar shifts market from glut to balanced
  • Higher gas prices likely to push demand towards alternative fuels like coal and diesel
  • Upstream oil, refiners and fertilisers expected to benefit
  • Gas demand growth seen slowing; hence downgrades on GAIL and Petronet
  • More constructive on upstream players with integrated refining

MS on Tata Chemicals
Downgrade to Underweight; Cut TP to Rs 566 from Rs 1,082
Double downgrade driven by higher energy costs and downside demand risks

GS on IndiGo

  • Maintain Buy; Cut TP to Rs 5,200 from Rs 6,000
  • Supply constraints likely to emerge over the next few quarters
  • Near-term focus on earnings sensitivity to fuel prices and traffic disruption
  • Debate likely to shift to cost control and balance sheet strength
  • Cut estimates for FY26–FY28 due to higher fuel costs and weak Middle East traffic
  • IndiGo seen as well positioned in consolidation and capital preservation themes

HSBC on HDFC Bank

  • Maintain Buy; Cut TP to Rs 990 from Rs 1,070
  • Chairman resignation likely due to differences in opinion rather than governance concerns
  • However, event may lead to valuation multiple compression
  • Improvement in operating performance needed to offset this

Citi on Financials

  • CGSMFI 2.0 scheme seen as a liquidity boost for small and medium MFIs
  • 70–80% sovereign guarantee reduces expected losses and capital consumption
  • Rs 20,000 crore envelope equals over 20% of NBFC-MFI borrowings
  • Mandatory allocation norms help address funding gaps
  • For listed MFIs, Rs 300 crore per entity cap limits direct benefit
  • Overall sector-positive; potential Rs 8,000 crore incremental borrowings

Citi on Oil & Gas
Gas vs oil value chains showing diverging disruption trends
Damage to Qatari LNG facility may lead to prolonged gas supply tightness
Expect JKM LNG prices at $27/mmbtu in Q2CY26, moderating later
Extended LNG tightness negative for Petronet; GAIL relatively better placed
Brent could remain elevated at $110–120/bbl near term before easing to $70–80
OMCs seen near peak stress with valuations corrected

MS on Pharma (GLP-1 Theme)

  • Generic semaglutide launch to transform GLP-1 market into mass segment
  • Entry of ~40 players leading to 70–80% price drop
  • Market could reach Rs 9,000 crore by FY30
  • Adds 1–2% incremental growth to Indian pharma market
  • Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy best placed to gain share
  • Cipla's tirzepatide ramp could also surprise positively
  • Margins likely to remain low initially due to competitive intensity

Investec on Adani Ports

  • Maintain Buy with TP of Rs 1,850
  • Vizhinjam port capacity to expand over 3x to 5.7 million TEUs by Dec-2028
  • Capex of over Rs 10,000 crore planned
  • Aims to capture a larger share of India's transshipment volumes
  • MoU signed with BPCL for LNG bunkering services
  • Expansion underway across multiple ports including Mundra, Dhamra and Colombo
  • Strong execution track record remains a key positive

MS on Oil & Gas (OMCs)

  • Indian fuel retailers facing ~$1.5 billion monthly losses at $107/bbl Brent
  • Retailers have balance sheet strength to absorb losses for about 45 days
  • Government intervention via excise cuts or fuel price hikes likely after elections
  • Each month of elevated crude could reduce FY27 book value by 3–5%
  • Partial price hikes already implemented in industrial fuel segments

CLSA on ASK Automotive

  • Maintain Outperform with TP of Rs 630; implies ~54% upside
  • Honda capacity expansion by 28% to 8 million units is a key tailwind
  • ASK derives ~35% revenue from Honda
  • Higher content per vehicle in EVs compared to ICE provides structural growth
  • Well positioned for next growth cycle

Morgan Stanley on India Financials

  • Government introduces credit guarantee scheme for MFIs effective March 20
  • Applies to loans extended to NBFC-MFIs for onward lending
  • Total guarantee envelope of Rs 20,000 crore
  • Interest and loan size caps defined
  • Aims to improve credit flow and support smaller MFIs

Morgan Stanley on Grasim Industries

  • Paints business targeting Rs 10,000 crore revenue in three years
  • Strong contractor ecosystem and brand recall as key moat
  • B2B e-commerce platform targeting inefficiencies in building materials procurement
  • EBITDA break-even expected by FY27
  • Cellulose and chemicals segments focusing on higher value products
  • Near-term margins impacted by cost inflation

CLSA on Oil & Gas Sector

  • Opening of Strait of Hormuz could ease crude and LNG prices
  • However, post-war supply-demand dynamics likely to remain tight
  • Upstream players like ONGC, Oil India and Reliance better placed than OMCs
  • Gas companies like GAIL and Petronet may also benefit from recovery

JPMorgan on GLP-1 (India Impact)

  • GLP-1 drugs not expected to materially disrupt FMCG demand in near term
  • Less than 1% revenue impact estimated over FY28–30
  • Could influence long-term consumption patterns toward healthier products
  • Companies like Nestle, Britannia and QSR chains may see gradual shifts

CLSA on UltraTech Cement

  • Maintain high conviction Outperform
  • Rising crude prices increase cost inflation risk
  • Estimate 4–5% cement price hikes for $40/tonne rise in petcoke
  • Packaging costs also pose a risk
  • Near-term earnings may face pressure, but companies may retain price hikes over time
  • Stock seen at trough valuations

Morgan Stanley on Food Delivery

  • Platform fees increased by 19–20% in multiple cities
  • Seen as positive for profitability and long-term growth
  • Strong cash generation from food delivery supporting investments in quick commerce

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