Indian equities stayed under pressure by midday on Friday, the last trading session of the holiday-shortened week. The Nifty hovered near the 26,040 mark while the Sensex slipped to around 85,050. The tone at the index level remained cautious, but beneath that surface, select pockets were busy.
Here are the top movers and shakers at this hour:
Hindustan Copper
Shares of Hindustan copper continued their strong upward run on Friday, rising nearly 8% to trade around Rs 470.70 on the BSE by early afternoon.
The stock has emerged as one of the top performers in the metal space, with momentum driven by firm global copper prices and sustained investor buying. Over the past five trading sessions, the shares have gained more than 22%, while the one-month return stands close to 43%.
Railways stocks
Rail Vikas Nigam share price jumped nearly 12%, emerging as the clear standout within the railway pack after revised passenger train fares came into effect. Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation share price rose close to 3%, extending gains as investors assessed the indirect benefits of the fare revision.
While IRCTC does not control fares, higher ticket realisations tend to improve the economics of passenger services over time. Ircon International’s share price climbed over 8%, tracking the broader rail rally. RITES share price gained around 5%, continuing the theme across rail-linked PSUs. The stock benefited from sector-wide optimism rather than a company-specific trigger. For RITES, which operates largely as a consultancy and engineering services provider. Titagarh Rail Systems share price advanced over 5%, supported by expectations of stronger wagon and coach demand. BEML share price rose about 2.4%, participating in the rail upmove but with relatively restrained momentum.
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Defence stocks
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders share price rose nearly 3%, ahead of the Defence Acquisition Council meeting scheduled later in the day. Hindustan Aeronautics share price edged up about 1%, staying firm ahead of the DAC meeting. Bharat Dynamics share price climbed around 2%, tracking broader defence sector strength. Bharat Electronics share price rose roughly 1.5%, continuing its steady grind higher.
NBCC (India)
NBCC share price jumped over 4%, reacting to two developments that changed sentiment decisively.
The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mumbai Port Authority, under which NBCC will act as executing agency and project management consultant for a wide range of redevelopment works. These include major infrastructure such as an iconic building, a convention centre, parking facilities and maintenance of port assets.
Swiggy and Eternal
Swiggy share price declined over 2%, extending its losing streak. Eternal share price slipped nearly 2%, mirroring weakness seen in Swiggy. The fall came amid protests by e-commerce and gig workers demanding better pay and working conditions.
Titan Company
Titan Company share price rose over 1%, touching a fresh high during the session.
The buying followed the announcement that Titan will launch a new lab-grown diamond brand, ‘beYon – from the House of Titan’, with its first exclusive store opening in Mumbai expected on December 29.
