The markets are steady in midday trade with the Nifty trading above 26,000, and the Sensex is up about 0.5%. The metals were the stars in today’s trade. Market sentiments rotated toward companies with fresh contracts or regulatory fixes, while selective profit-taking cropped up elsewhere. Here are the top movers and shakers at this hour:
Tata Steel
This Tata Group metal stock is among the top gainers on Nifty. Tata Steel is up 3.16%.The brokerage house Motilal Oswal issued a Buy call on this Tata Group stock with a target price of Rs 210. According to the brokerage report, this implies an upside potential of around 27% from current levels. The firm’s optimism is largely tied to Tata Steel’s latest acquisition move, its long-term strategy for India, and a multi-year expansion roadmap.
Metal stocks
Metal stocks in general are in focus. The Nifty Metal index up about 1.50%, and most constituents showed gains. The pack’s strength came as commodity prices and favourable industry dynamics supported demand expectations. Key performers included Hindustan Copper (up 3.4%), Hindustan Zinc (up 2.7%), NALCO (up 2.65%) and Hindalco Industries (up 2%). Over the year-to-date (YTD), the metal index has delivered strong returns, drawing renewed capital into miners and metal producers after balance sheets improved across the sector.
Vedanta
Vedanta share price rose 2% after the company emerged as the successful bidder for the Genjana nickel, chromium and PGE block under the Critical Mineral Auctions—Tranche III. The win underpins the group’s resource expansion strategy and comes at a time when investors are paying closer attention to base and critical metals, given global supply concerns.
Indoco Remedies
Indoco Remedies share price jumped 4.8% on receipt of the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the US Food and Drug Administration for its API facility at Patalganga. Regulatory clearance of this nature tends to lift sentiment among pharma suppliers, where EIRs are seen as strong validation of manufacturing controls and export readiness.
NBCC (India)
NBCC share price rose 1.75% after the company announced two new contracts worth a combined Rs 289.39 crore from Nalco and SAIL Bokaro. The orders cover planning, construction and refurbishment works, and they bolster NBCC’s execution pipeline the sort of news that typically gets attention from investors focused on recurring government and PSU projects.
Astra Microwave
Astra Microwave share price rose 2.11% after the company secured an order worth Rs 171.38 crore for six Klystron-based S-band polarimetric Doppler weather radars and associated systems. Defence and strategic radar orders carry strong execution visibility and, in this case, lifted investor appetite.
Lloyds Engineering Works
Lloyds Engineering Works share price rose 3.2% on the announcement that it will set up a new defence unit, Lloyds Advanced Defence Systems. The move expands the company’s product set into strategic domains.