The market slipped further in the midday session with a noticeably heavier undertone than recent days, as both benchmarks struggled to stabilise after opening lower. The Nifty hovered around 26,057, trading flat, while the Sensex drifted near 85,240, marginally in the red. Despite the broader weakness, the day turned into one of those sessions where stock-specific news overshadowed the index trend, creating sharp moves across mid-caps and pockets of financials.
Here are the top movers and shakers at this hour:
Bajaj Housing Finance
Bajaj Housing Finance share price slipped 9.1% in early trade and stayed deep in the red with a 7.37% decline by midday. Heavy selling followed large block deals involving 2.35% of the equity changing hands. The fall came a day after the promoter, Bajaj Finance, confirmed plans to sell up to 2% of its stake to comply with minimum public shareholding norms.
Separately, Bajaj Finance, the parent, also traded flat after trading in gree,n down 0.25%, suggesting the selling pressure remained concentrated.
Vodafone Idea
Vodafone Idea’s share price gained over 2% during the midday session. The share price has surged 6% in the last one month. Earlier in October, the Supreme Court has granted permission to the Government to reconsider and take an appropriate decision with reference to the additional AGR demand raised for FY17 and comprehensively reassessing and reconciling all AGR dues, including interest and penalty, up to the said Financial Year. Vodafone Idea, in its Q2 earnings note, had said that the company is in “discussion with the DoT for next steps on this matter.”
Wockhardt
Wockhardt share price rose over 2% during the midday session, adding to yesterday’s strong rally.
The catalyst remained the same: the USFDA’s acceptance of the company’s new drug application for its antibiotic Zaynich, a rare milestone and one that has re-energised the stock after years of subdued performance.
Sun Pharma Advanced Research
Sun Pharma Advanced Research share price surged 13.3% after the company announced that a US court had granted a summary judgment in its favour in the Sezaby PRV matter, effectively removing a major legal overhang that had been hanging over the stock for months. The judgment strengthens SPARC’s position in its ongoing commercialisation plans for Sezaby.
Easy Trip Planners
Easy Trip Planners share price surged 15.1% in early trade, backed by unusually heavy volumes on both exchanges. Even after cooling slightly, the stock was still up 14.57% by midday. The jump came without a major corporate announcement, which usually means traders were responding to momentum, heavy turnover, and the stock’s proximity to its 52-week low all.
Ashok Leyland
Ashok Leyland share price climbed 3%, pushing the stock to a fresh high after posting strong November commercial vehicle sales. This adds to a two-day rise of about 4%, and extends a weekly run where the stock has gained 13% far ahead of the modest move in the benchmark indices. The combination of sustained CV demand and upbeat expectations for fleet replacement kept the counter active despite broader market weakness.
Hindustan Construction Company
Hindustan Construction Company share price jumped 14.2% after the firm fixed December 5 as the record date for its upcoming rights issue. A rights issue tends to revive retail interest, and that pattern played out again. The stock settled midday with a gain of 10.15%, making it one of the strongest gainers in the construction pack.
Apollo Micro Systems
Apollo Micro Systems share price rose 2.9% at the day’s high after the company secured a licence to manufacture equipment for defence aircraft, unmanned helicopters and allied navigation systems. Though the stock later eased, it maintained a midday gain of 1.77%, supported by optimism around new defence-linked revenue streams.
Bank of Maharashtra
Bank of Maharashtra share price fell 0.87% after the government initiated an offer for sale to divest up to 6% of its stake in the lender.
The planned sale could fetch around Rs 2,600 crore, and while the OFS itself is routine, banks usually see mild pressure on announcement day.
The government currently holds more than 79% of the bank, well above regulatory limits.
