Indian equity markets have stood out as a bright spot in the global investment landscape. India’s flagship index Nifty 500 has delivered gains of 34% in the past year, outperforming global counterparts like Nikkei 225, S&P 500 and others. However, volatility has spiked recently, with India VIX surpassing the 20-point mark, reaching its highest level since early 2023. The surge in volatility can be attributed to concerns that the ruling party might win fewer seats than initially expected. Analysts also worry about lower voter turnout, heightening the possibility of negative surprises.

Given the recent volatility, it is important to look at both the past quarter and past year to assess the performance of stocks and sectors.  In this edition of Chart of the Week, we dive into Trendlyne’s indices and sector dashboard to identify the top-performing sectors. We also take a look at the companies driving growth within each sector. Simultaneously, we identify the reasons for the stocks that have demonstrated resilience over the long term and during periods of heightened volatility.

It's crucial to examine the sectors that have thrived despite recent volatility. Analysing sectors helps diversify investments, make informed decisions, and grasp broader trends. So we have selected the top nine sectors over the past quarter as well as the past year,  highlighting the stocks that have contributed the most to the sectoral gains.

Consumer Durables, Realty & Auto stocks benefit from rising demand in  premium segments

Consumer Durables stands out as the top-performing sector, after posting a 355% gain over the past year. Polycab India gained from the demand surge in real estate and infrastructure sectors, marking a 42.9% rise in the past quarter and a 91.8% surge over the past year. Similarly, Dixon Technologies (India) rose 34.1% in the last quarter and surged 191% in the past year. Dixon Technologies has benefitted from the manufacturing boost buoyed by the ‘Make in India’ initiative and the ‘China+1’ strategy.  In the ‘China+1’ strategy, companies are shifting a significant portion of their manufacturing from China to other developing nations like India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, etc.

Likewise, electrical appliances manufacturer Havells India, saw a 25.2% uptick in its share price in the last quarter, accounting for 20.7% of the sector's 18.9% gains during the same period. This growth was largely fueled by increased demand for summer appliances due to rising temperatures nationwide and the uptick in discretionary spending among Indian consumers.

The Realty sector soared by 124% in the past year, driven by heightened demand for luxury residences as appetite for a higher standard of living increases. DLF, Macrotech Developers, and Prestige Estates Projects were major contributors, with respective gains of 90.2%, 130.7%, and 211.8% over the past year.

However, the realty sector's gains moderated in the last quarter as presales consolidated due to a lack of new launches. Despite this, the sector managed a 6.9% increase, with Prestige Estate Projects and Godrej Properties accounting for more than half of the gains. These companies benefited from increased realisations per square foot in metropolitan areas and their expansion in tier-I and tier-II cities.

The automobile and auto components sector has been consistently rising with gains of 14.4% in the past quarter and 71% in the past year. This was driven by higher sales in the premium segment and stable raw material prices, resulting in higher realisations. However, sluggish monsoons impacted sales in the entry-level segment, with surges observed only during festive seasons. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra emerged as consistent gainers, contributing to over one-third of the sector's gains in both the last quarter and the past year.

Rising demand for electricity drives utilities, mining and general industrials higher

According to Trendlyne’s Sector and Indices Dashboard, the metals and mining sector has risen 18.2% in the past quarter and 85% in the past year. In terms of total production, India's mining sector grew by 7.5% in FY24 with robust demand in steel, cement, and aluminium industries, highlighting strong economic activity. Hindustan Zinc was the best-performing stock in the past quarter as it rose 68%. Coal India also outperformed its peers in the past year with 90% gains as production rose 10% on an annual basis driven by demand from thermal power plants. 

Meanwhile, the utilities sector, which is a direct beneficiary of rising electricity demand, rose 7.1% in the past quarter and 116% in the past year. NTPC has consistently contributed to sectoral growth as it gained 9.4% in the past quarter and 101% in the past year. 

State-run NTPC has announced plans to add 5 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in FY25. Of this, the company plans to install 3 GW of renewable energy capacity and the remaining 2 GW of thermal power capacity.

General Industrials, on the other hand, is the best-performing sector in the past quarter with gains of 24.6%. Siemens, ABB India, and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) are the top sector drivers with each contributing 16%, 15% and 13.1% to the sectoral rise. If we look at the performance over the past year, the sector has risen by 120%. Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), HAL, and Suzlon Energy are the highest contributing stocks as they rose 162.2%, 240.3% and 377.8% in the past year.  Rising demand for heavy electrical equipment from the utilities sector drove BHEL and Suzlon Energy higher. 

Similarly, defence company HAL witnessed its order book swell over Rs 94,000 crore at the end of FY24 as it received orders for its armoured helicopters and fighter jets amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Industry leaders such as Indigo, Bharti Airtel and Dmart drive sectoral gains

The transportation sector surged by 95% in the past year. Adani Ports & SEZ and InterGlobe Aviation (Indigo) emerged as key drivers, responsible for over 50% of the sector’s total growth. While Adani Ports has posted moderate gains amid high volatility in the past quarter, Indigo soared by 29.4%, contributing 67.5% to the sector's 10% gains in the same period. The expansion of new airports has improved connectivity which in turn has increased the preference for air travel, resulting in a rise of air passenger traffic to pre-COVID levels. In addition, stable fuel prices and expansion into international routes have also played a role in Indigo's share price uptick.

The telecom services sector, which rose 16.6% in the past quarter, switched places in the chart with the commercial services and supplies sector as their major contributor, Adani Enterprises which gained 48% in the past year, consolidated in the past quarter. Bharti Airtel, contributing 68.4% to the telecom sector's rise, gained as Chairman Sunil Mittal indicated a potential tariff hike post-elections in Q2. This strategic move aims to enhance their RoCE (return on capital employed) amidst substantial investments in 5G and increased customer acquisition costs.

Meanwhile, the retailing sector demonstrated steady growth, advancing 18% in the past quarter and 76% over the past year. Trent and Avenue Supermarts (Dmart) emerged as consistent performers, accounting for over 90% of sectoral gains in both periods. The continuous momentum in discounted mass-consumer products and the surge in urban consumer spending due to rising income levels have driven the sales volume of retail giants like Dmart and Trent.