Goldman Sachs sets Nifty targets of 24,000 for 3 months, 27,000 for 12 months

Goldman Sachs has outlined its target for India's benchmark Nifty index, projecting 24,000 in the next three months and 27,000 for the next 12 months. Despite a solid structural outlook for India, the brokerage firm has adopted a “tactically neutral” stance on Indian equities within its 2025 Asia and emerging market allocations.

Range-bound market expected in short term

Goldman Sachs anticipates that the Indian market will remain range-bound over the next three months, with the potential for a recovery later as growth accelerates. The firm cited concerns over slowing growth, high valuations, and a less favourable domestic and external environment as reasons for its cautious approach. While the medium-term case for India remains positive, Goldman sees risks of further derating in Indian equities, especially given the high starting valuations. As of Thursday’s close, the Nifty stood at 23,349.90, and Goldman’s 12-month target of 27,000 implies a 15.6% upside from this level.

Valuation concerns and recommended stocks

Goldman Sachs noted that India's current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for MSCI India is 23 times, well above its 10-year mean and above the 'fair value' estimate of 21 times. This highlights the risk of further market corrections despite recent drops.

In its client note, Goldman Sachs highlighted 16 stocks with buy ratings that have corrected over 20% from their recent highs and are now considered to be trading at reasonable valuations. These include:

• InterGlobe Aviation
• Trent Limited
• Cholamandalam Investment
• Shriram Finance
• Havells India
• IndusInd Bank
• Aurobindo Pharma
• AU Small Finance Bank
• L&T Finance
• Star Health & Allied Insurance
• Phoenix Mills
• Crompton Greaves Consumer
• Kajaria Ceramics
• CreditAccess Grameen
• Emami
• CE Info Systems (MapmyIndia)

Goldman Sachs’ cautious outlook reflects its assessment of the broader economic environment, suggesting that investors stay vigilant while looking for opportunities in oversold stocks.