Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Auto, Wipro, LTIMindtree, L&T Tech, and HUDCO among top stocks to track today

Stocks to watch: At around 8:14 a.m. on Wednesday, October 18, the GIFT Nifty futures traded 18 points, or 0.09 per cent, lower at 19,791, suggesting a flat-to-negative opening of the market.

Snapping a three-day losing run, Indian equities ended with gains on Tuesday (October 17). The S&P BSE Sensex rose 261 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 66,428, while the broader NSE Nifty index settled 80 points, or 0.4 per cent, higher at 19,811.

ZeeBiz will take you to the list of stocks that will be on focus on Wednesday (October 18).

Results today, October 18: Bajaj Auto, Bandhan Bank, Heritage Foods, IIFL Finance, IndusInd Bank, LTIMindtree, ICICI Lombard, and Persistent Systems, among others, will announce their results for the second quarter (Q2FY24) today.

Bajaj Finance: Shares of the leading NBFC will be in focus after the company released its quarterly numbers in post-market hours on Tuesday. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 3,550.8 crore for the quarter ended September 30, marking a rise of 27.7 per cent compared to the corresponding period a year ago but falling short of analysts' estimates.

L&T Technology Services: Shares of the IT-enabled services player will be watched out for after its September results. The company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 315 crore during the Q2 period as against Rs 311 crore in the March-ended quarter.

Tata Elxsi: Tata Group’s software services player will see traction after its Q2 numbers. The company’s net profit during the period under review rose 15 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 200 crore. The same stood at Rs 174.3 crore during Q2 FY23.

Oil companies: Oil companies will be in focus after the finance ministry, in its latest fortnightly review, slashed the windfall tax on crude to Rs 9050 per tonne with effect from October 18. The move is positive for ONGC and Oil India. Further, it has reduced the export duty on diesel and ATF to Rs 4 per litre and Rs 1 per litre, respectively, which will be positive for refining companies like Reliance Industries.

Can Fin Homes: Shares of the housing finance company will see traction after its September quarter financials. Net profit at the company increased to Rs 158 crore as against Rs 142 crore in the corresponding period a year ago. However, asset quality at the firm deteriorated sequentially, with NNPA rising to 0.43 per cent as against 0.34 per cent in the previous quarter.

ICICI Prudential: The shares of the life insurer will be watched out for after its September numbers. The company posted a 23 per cent YoY increase in its net profit at Rs 244 crore in the September-ended quarter. The same stood at Rs 200 crore in the corresponding period last year.

CIE Automotive India: The auto component firm will be tracked after its quarterly numbers. The consolidated net profit at the company logged a sharp jump from Rs 171 crore in Q2 FY23 to Rs 375 crore in the period under review. Also, the EBITDA margin at the company expanded to 15.15 per cent.

VST Industries: Shares of the cigarettes and tobacco firm will be in focus after its quarterly numbers. The standalone net profit at the firm registered a decline year-on-year to Rs 75.9 crore in the quarter ended September 2023. EBITDA margin at the firm also declined to 17.45 per cent versus 21.15 per cent in the same period a year ago.

HUDCO: The government will open the offer for sale in the state-run HUDCO for the non-retail investor category today. The centre proposes to divest 14 crore shares, equating to a 7 per cent holding in the company that includes a green shoe option of 3.5 per cent.

Kotak Mahindra Bank: Shares of Kotak Mahindra Bank will gain focus today after the RBI imposed a Rs 3.95 crore penalty on the lender for non-compliance with RBI guidelines.

Bulk deals: 

Aditya Vision Limited: HDFC Mutual Fund on Tuesday bought 95,000 equity shares in the speciality retail company at an average traded price of Rs 2601.93. Angad Kumar, on the other hand, sold 1 lakh shares in the counter for Rs 2602.14.

Hindustan Biosciences: Shares of the BSE-listed pharma company will gain focus after a slew of bulk deals in the counter on the previous trading day. BP Equities transacted in the security and bought 33939 shares at a price of Rs 11.37 and then sold 67833 shares for Rs 11.01.