Tech Enhanced Investing

Dhruv Consultancy Services is trading at ₹115.50, marking a gain of 1.45 points or 1.27% from its previous close of ₹114.05 on the BSE.

The stock opened at ₹115.20, hitting an intraday high of ₹116.00 and a low of ₹115.20. A total of 1,980 shares have been exchanged so far.

This BSE 'B' category stock, with a face value of ₹10, previously recorded a 52-week high of ₹167.35 on December 2, 2024, and a 52-week low of ₹61.07 on January 18, 2024. Over the last week, the stock fluctuated between a high of ₹122.95 and a low of ₹106.50. The company's market capitalization currently stands at ₹216.31 crore.

Promoters hold 49.42% of the company’s shares, while 4.11% are owned by institutions, and 46.47% by non-institutional investors.

The company recently secured a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) for providing consultancy services for project management and development of master plan roads under the Special Assistance Scheme in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This project, valued at ₹1.25 crore (excluding GST), will be executed over a contract period of 36 months. The LoA was issued by the Superintending Engineer (Project), Indore Municipal Corporation, on January 13, 2025, and received by the company on January 16, 2025.

Dhruv Consultancy Services specializes in infrastructure consultancy, offering expertise in design, engineering, procurement, construction, and project management across highways, bridges, tunnels, architectural projects, environmental engineering, and ports.

Lemon Tree Hotels is trading at Rs. 141.50, reflecting a rise of 1.15 points or 0.82% compared to its previous close of Rs. 140.35 on the BSE.

The stock opened at Rs. 140.70 and reached an intraday high of Rs. 144.00, with a low of Rs. 140.70. A total of 42,396 shares have been traded so far.

This BSE group 'A' stock, with a face value of Rs. 10, hit its 52-week high of Rs. 162.25 on January 2, 2025, and its 52-week low of Rs. 112.30 on October 7, 2024. Over the past week, the stock has seen a high of Rs. 144.95 and a low of Rs. 134.00. The company currently holds a market capitalization of Rs. 11,388.54 crore.

The promoter group owns 22.77% of the company, while institutional investors hold 40.81%, and non-institutional investors own 36.43%.

In a significant development, Lemon Tree Hotels has signed a new property in Valsad, Gujarat, which will be managed by its subsidiary, Carnation Hotels. The property is expected to open in FY 2029.

The upcoming hotel will offer 46 well-appointed rooms, two restaurants, a banquet hall, a meeting room, a swimming pool, a spa, and other public amenities. It is strategically located near Surat International Airport (99 km) and Valsad Railway Station (5 km), with excellent road connectivity for public and private transport.

Lemon Tree Hotels is the largest mid-priced hotel chain in India and ranks as the third largest hotel chain overall, based on controlling interest in owned and leased rooms.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is trading at ₹425.70, marking an increase of ₹14.70 or 3.58% from its previous close of ₹411.00 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The stock opened at ₹411.40 and reached an intraday high of ₹432.50 and a low of ₹406.95. A total of 3,25,430 shares have been traded so far.

A part of the BSE 'A' group, the stock with a face value of ₹10 has recorded a 52-week high of ₹647.00 on July 15, 2024, and a 52-week low of ₹213.00 on March 14, 2024. Over the last week, the scrip's high and low stood at ₹432.50 and ₹355.85, respectively. The company’s current market capitalization is ₹88,196.35 crore.

Promoters hold a 72.84% stake in the company, while institutions and non-institutional investors own 11.38% and 15.79%, respectively.

RVNL, in partnership with HFCL and ATS, has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) worth ₹9,613.42 crore from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The project entails developing, upgrading, and maintaining the middle-mile network for Bharat Net under a Design Build Operate and Maintain (DBOM) model.

The project involves a 3-year construction phase and a 10-year maintenance contract, with maintenance costs set at 5.5% of capital expenditure for the first five years and 6.5% for the subsequent five years.

RVNL specializes in executing diverse railway projects, including new lines, doubling, gauge conversion, electrification, metro rail, workshops, major bridges, cable-stayed bridges, and institutional buildings.

Reliance Industries shares are trading at RS. 1292.00, marking a gain of 23.30 points or 1.84% compared to the previous close of RS. 1268.70 on the BSE.

The stock opened at RS. 1325.10 and reached an intraday high and low of RS. 1325.10 and RS. 1290.50, respectively. A total of 6,01,298 shares have been traded so far.

In the BSE 'A' group, the stock with a face value of RS. 10 touched its 52-week high of RS. 1608.95 on July 8, 2024, and its 52-week low of RS. 1202.10 on December 20, 2024. Over the past week, the stock recorded a high of RS. 1325.10 and a low of RS. 1225.60. The company's current market capitalization stands at RS. 17,56,772.65 crore.

Shareholding Pattern:
Promoters hold 50.24% of the company, while Institutions and Non-Institutions account for 39.05% and 10.71%, respectively.

RNEBL Acquisition Details

Reliance Industries' board has approved the acquisition of a 100% equity stake in Reliance New Energy Battery Ltd. (RNEBL) from Reliance New Energy Ltd. (RNEL) for a total consideration of RS. 1 lakh. With this acquisition, RNEBL, previously a step-down subsidiary, will become a direct wholly owned subsidiary.

RNEBL Overview:
Incorporated on January 1, 2025, RNEBL focuses on manufacturing battery cells, packs, containers, and energy storage systems. The company is yet to commence commercial operations.

This acquisition aligns with Reliance's vision to develop advanced energy storage manufacturing capabilities, including those involving Advanced Chemistry Cells.

Reliance Industries at a Glance

Reliance Industries is India's largest private-sector company with diverse operations spanning hydrocarbon exploration, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, retail, and 4G digital services.

HFCL is trading at RS. 103.95, marking an increase of 1.55 points or 1.51% from its previous close of RS. 102.40 on the BSE.

The stock opened at RS. 105.45 and reached an intraday high of RS. 106.80 and a low of RS. 103.15. So far, 837,571 shares have been traded on the counter.

This BSE 'A' group stock, with a face value of RS. 1, hit its 52-week high of RS. 171.00 on 23-Sep-2024 and its 52-week low of RS. 81.22 on 18-Jan-2024. Over the past week, the stock's high and low stood at RS. 106.80 and RS. 92.30, respectively. The company’s market capitalization is currently RS. 14,938.88 crore.

The shareholding pattern shows 35.89% held by promoters, while institutions and non-institutions hold 16.02% and 48.08%, respectively.

HFCL Wins Major BharatNet Phase III Order
HFCL recently secured an advance work order worth approximately RS. 2,501.30 crore from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The project involves designing, supplying, constructing, installing, upgrading, operating, and maintaining the middle-mile network of BharatNet Phase III in the Punjab Telecom Circle.

BharatNet Phase III aims to connect all 640,000 villages in India with high-speed internet, targeting over 250,000 gram panchayats with a minimum bandwidth of 100 Mbps. HFCL is committed to this milestone project, which aligns with the Government of India’s ‘Digital India’ initiative, striving to reduce the digital divide, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

About HFCL
HFCL is a prominent telecom infrastructure developer, system integrator, and manufacturer of advanced telecom equipment and optical fiber cables. It operates manufacturing facilities in Solan and Goa, with subsidiary HTL’s plants located in Chennai and Hosur.

Bajaj Healthcare is trading at RS. 637.45, marking an increase of 75.55 points or 13.45% from its previous close of RS. 561.90 on the BSE.

The stock opened at RS. 572.85 and reached an intraday high of RS. 655.00, with a low of RS. 572.85. A total of 1,58,615 shares have been exchanged on the counter so far.

A BSE group 'B' stock with a face value of RS. 5, it recorded a 52-week high of RS. 655.00 on 17-Jan-2025 and a 52-week low of RS. 265.00 on 04-Jun-2024. Over the last week, the stock’s high and low stood at RS. 655.00 and RS. 499.40, respectively. The company’s current market capitalization is RS. 2,008.69 crore.

Promoters hold 59.19% of the company’s shares, while institutions own 3.04%, and non-institutional investors hold 37.78%.

In a major development, Bajaj Healthcare has secured exclusive rights from Threotech LLC to manufacture, distribute, and sell the finished formulation of Magnesium L Threonate (Magtein) in India. This agreement also allows the company to market and co-market the product in the Indian market.

The company has already been supplying the API for Magnesium L Threonate (Magtein) to the patent holder in the United States as part of an exclusive arrangement. The brand Magtein, owned by Threotech LLC, has an estimated sales value of $438 million in the U.S.

Bajaj Healthcare specializes in the development, manufacturing, and supply of Amino Acids, Nutritional Supplements, and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for the Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, and Food industries.

The Indian rupee depreciated slightly against the US dollar on Thursday due to surging crude oil prices, geopolitical concerns, and continued foreign fund outflows from Indian markets. According to exchange data, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth RS 4,533.49 crore on Wednesday.

However, the rupee’s decline was somewhat cushioned by strong domestic equity markets, as lower-than-expected US CPI data raised hopes of a possible rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this quarter. Additionally, intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) helped stabilize the currency.

The partially convertible rupee is trading at 86.49, down by 9 paise from its previous close of 86.40 on Wednesday. During the session, it recorded a high and low of 86.49 and 86.40, respectively.

Indian equity markets began Thursday on a positive note, buoyed by upbeat trends on Wall Street and firm trading in Asian markets. This optimism followed U.S. data indicating a slowdown in core consumer price growth, which eased concerns about the Federal Reserve's interest rate trajectory. Early trades saw Sensex and Nifty gaining ground, supported by buying activity in Realty, PSU, and Power sectors.

Market sentiment was also bolstered by a report from industry body PHDCCI, projecting India to become the fourth-largest economy by 2026, surpassing Japan, with GDP growth estimated at 6.8% for FY24 and 7.7% for FY26.

On the global front, Asian markets traded in the green, with Japan's Bank of Japan reporting a 0.3% monthly rise in producer prices for December, slightly below expectations of 0.4%.

Sectoral Highlights and Stock Performances
At 76,998.29, the Sensex climbed 274.21 points (0.36%), trading within a range of 76,984.39 to 77,319.50. Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones 21 to 9. Broader indices also performed well, with the BSE Mid Cap index up 1.43% and the Small Cap index rising 1.62%.

Among sectoral indices, Realty led with a 2.31% gain, followed by PSU (1.90%), Power (1.69%), Utilities (1.61%), and Industrials (1.58%). FMCG was the sole laggard, down 0.28%.

Top gainers on the Sensex included Adani Ports & SEZ (3.94%), IndusInd Bank (2.35%), Zomato (2.27%), SBI (2.16%), and Ultratech Cement (1.76%). On the losing side, Hindustan Unilever (1.17%), Nestle (0.91%), TCS (0.88%), HCL Technologies (0.81%), and ITC (0.54%) witnessed declines.

Key Developments and Projections
Stocks of energy companies attracted attention as CRISIL projected India's investment in green infrastructure to quintuple to RS 31 trillion over the next five years. Additionally, RVNL saw a significant jump after securing a Letter of Acceptance from BSNL for developing a middle-mile network under the DBOM model.

Meanwhile, Moody's reported that India’s fiscal conditions would continue to constrain its credit strength in 2025. While tensions in US-China relations could potentially benefit India, Moody's noted challenges such as elevated debt levels and fiscal risks due to domestic politics and geopolitical factors.

Global and Nifty Update
The CNX Nifty stood at 23,316.60, up 103.40 points (0.45%), with 37 stocks advancing and 13 declining. Top gainers included HDFC Life Insurance (10.00%), SBI Life Insurance (4.18%), Adani Ports & SEZ (3.88%), Shriram Finance (3.54%), and Adani Enterprises (3.06%). Tata Consumer Products (1.86%), Hindustan Unilever (1.12%), TCS (0.92%), Nestle (0.89%), and Britannia Industries (0.86%) were the top losers.

All major Asian markets traded higher, with Taiwan Weighted surging 2.32%, Hang Seng gaining 0.82%, and Nikkei 225 up by 0.23%. Shanghai Composite, KOSPI, and Jakarta Composite also registered gains.

This broad-based optimism signals strong investor confidence amid easing inflation concerns and robust domestic demand.

Indian equity markets are poised for a positive start on Thursday, following an overnight rally on Wall Street and a dip in Treasury yields after lower-than-expected core inflation data fueled hopes of at least two interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve this year.

Key Highlights to Watch Today:

India's Economic Milestones

• India to Become 4th Largest Economy by 2026: PHDCCI predicts India will surpass Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2026, with GDP growth forecasted at 6.8% in FY25 and 7.7% in FY26.
• Fiscal Constraints Impact Credit Strength: Moody's noted India's fiscal conditions could limit credit strength through 2025. However, strained US-China relations might benefit India's economy, with domestic demand remaining robust amid easing global financial conditions.

Corporate and Financial Updates

• Foreign Borrowings Decline: Indian companies saw foreign borrowings drop 20.2% to $23.33 billion in 2024, compared to $29.22 billion in 2023.
• Green Investments Surge: CRISIL projects India’s green infrastructure investments to quintuple, reaching ₹31 trillion over the next five years.
• Q3 Earnings in Focus: Major firms, including Infosys, Reliance Industries, and Axis Bank, will release their Q3 results today. Companies like LTIMindtree, Havells, and Waaree Renewable Technologies will also announce earnings.

Trade and Market Dynamics

• Exports Slip in December: India’s merchandise exports contracted by 1% to $38.01 billion in December 2024, while imports rose by 4.8% to $59.95 billion. The trade deficit widened to $21.94 billion.
• FII Outflows Persist: FIIs offloaded shares worth ₹8,132 crore on January 14, marking the largest single-day outflow of 2025.

Market Performance Snapshot

• Domestic Markets End in Green: On Wednesday, the BSE Sensex gained 224.45 points (0.29%) to close at 76,724.08, while the Nifty rose 37.15 points (0.16%) to 23,213.20. Gains in Utilities, Power, and Realty stocks supported the rally.
• Global Markets Rally: US markets advanced on Wednesday after softer inflation data and strong bank earnings. Asian markets followed suit, trading in the green on Thursday.

Currency Movements

• Rupee Gains for Second Day: The Indian rupee appreciated by 12 paise to close at ₹86.40 against the US dollar, supported by strong domestic equities and falling crude oil prices.
• US Dollar and Treasury Yields Dip: The dollar weakened, and Treasury yields retreated after softer US producer price data shifted focus to consumer inflation.

With positive cues from global markets and key economic developments at home, all eyes will be on Q3 earnings and trade data as the markets gear up for another session.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is currently trading at Rs 397.00, marking a rise of 25.10 points or 6.75% from its previous close of Rs 371.90 on the BSE.

The stock opened at Rs 388.00 and recorded a high of Rs 406.10 and a low of Rs 385.75 during the session. A total of 6,20,927 shares have been exchanged on the counter so far.

Classified as a 'Group A' stock on the BSE with a face value of Rs 10, RVNL hit its 52-week high of Rs 647.00 on 15-Jul-2024 and its 52-week low of Rs 213.00 on 14-Mar-2024. Over the past week, the stock traded between a high of Rs 407.80 and a low of Rs 355.85. The company's current market capitalization stands at Rs 83,025.50 crore.

The promoter holding in the company is 72.84%, while institutional investors own 11.38%, and non-institutional investors hold 15.79% of the equity.

RVNL recently secured a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for the development, upgradation, and maintenance of the middle-mile network of BharatNet under the Design, Build, Operate, and Maintain (DBOM) model. The contract is valued at Rs 3,622.14 crore.

The company specializes in executing various railway projects, including new lines, doubling, gauge conversion, electrification, metro systems, workshops, major and cable-stayed bridges, and institutional buildings.