1. Medplus Health Services:

This healthcare supplies company rose by over 8% in the past week. The firm recently obtained a stay order on the suspension of its Vikhroli, Maharashtra store. In the past week, ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund acquired 18.1 lakh shares of the company for Rs 111.6 crore, while ICICI Prudential Pharma Healthcare & Diagnostics purchased a 1.4% stake. Additionally, the Government of Singapore bought 11.5 lakh shares.

For Q1FY25, the company’s net profit had surged by 279.4% YoY to 14.4 crore, while its revenue rose by 15.8% YoY on the back of 15.3% YoY rise in its retail segment revenue. The firm beat trendlyne’s Forecaster estimates for net profit by 16.5%, but missed the revenue estimate by 0.5%. The stock appears in a screener for stocks with strong momentum.

At its recent Annual General Meeting (AGM), the firm's management emphasized their strategy to deepen market penetration in core areas, particularly in tier-2 and smaller locations, which now account for approximately 50% of their stores. They also outlined plans to open over 600 new stores in FY25. Currently, the company is the second-largest organized retail pharmacy network, with 4,444 physical stores as of Q1FY25, trailing only Apollo Pharmacy, which has 6,074 stores.

In June, the company introduced Medplus brand generics, offering discounts of 50-80%. In FY24, these products generated revenues of Rs 747 crore on a gross merchandise value (GMV) basis, accounting for 8.3% of net revenue. For FY25, Sujit Mahato, CFO of the firm maintained previously guided revenue growth of 20%. He adds that, “Given that a significant portion of our sales is now coming from MedPlus private label, and these are all selling at half the price of our regular brands. This will affect our overall top line.”

Analysts note that major organized retail companies are significantly impacting the pharma retail sector by expanding market reach and intensifying competition. These chains bring advanced supply chains, extensive distribution networks, and strong marketing power, leading to increased consumer access and higher sales volumes. They project India’s retail pharmacy market to grow at ~10% CAGR from 2022-30, with organized pharmacy penetration reaching ~23% by FY27.

HDFC Securities has maintained a “Buy” rating on Medplus Health Services, with a target price of Rs 820. The brokerage anticipates gradual margin improvement, driven by a favorable mix of factors: consistent growth in mature stores (2+ years, with ~9-10% margin), a rising share of margin-enhancing private-label and Medplus-brand generics, and an efficient supply chain.

2. AU Small Finance Bank:

This banking firm surged 9.8% over the past week as it submitted an application to the RBI for a voluntary transition into a universal bank. This shift could benefit AU Small Finance Bank (SFB) by allowing it less stringent regulatory norms. Analysts predict the transition will broaden its target market and enhance visibility among depositors.

In April, the central bank had announced guidelines related to the eligibility criteria for small finance banks seeking a voluntary transition to a universal bank. The RBI stated that only profitable and listed small finance banks with a minimum net worth of Rs 1,000 crore and a gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio of less than 3% for the last two fiscal years are eligible to apply for the transition.

In Q1FY25, the bank reported net interest income growth of 54.1% YoY to Rs 1,920 crore. Gross NPA on loans disbursed stayed constant at 1.8%, well below RBI’s requirement for a universal bank transition. If granted this status, its capital adequacy ratio (buffer capital it is required to hold) requirement would decrease from the current level of 15% to 11.5%. In addition to that, the bank would no longer be required to keep at least half of its loan portfolio in loans worth less than Rs 25 lakh.

MD and CEO Sanjay Agarwal said, "We don’t have to do anything extra in terms of balance-sheet build-up to get the license. So, there won’t be any extra cost for this." He also emphasized that the transition should be smooth as the bank is already governed under Schedule Commercial Bank regulations, meaning no additional costs are expected.

NDTV Profit reports that Goldman Sachs initiates coverage on AU SFB with a ‘Buy’ rating, and sets the highest target price of Rs 831 among analysts tracking the bank. With the lender’s growing market share in deposits, the brokerage forecasts an EPS CAGR of 27% over FY25-27.

3. Radico Khaitan:

This breweries and distilleries company saw a 10% increase in its stock price in the past week. This followed the government's decision on August 29 to remove the cap on the amount of sugarcane that can be used for ethanol production. Ethanol is a key ingredient in alcoholic beverages, and removing the cap on sugar diversion is expected to increase the supply of ethanol. This, in turn, could benefit companies involved in the alcoholic beverage industry by reducing the cost of raw materials. 

The changes will become more significant once the next sugarcane-crushing season begins. Crushing season in India is typically from October to March or April.

The price rise is also supported by positive Q1FY25 results. Radico’s revenue and net profit grew by 19.3% YoY and 20.6% YoY, respectively, reaching Rs 1,140.2 crore and Rs 76.3 crore. Despite the temporary closure of liquor shops due to elections, Radico Khaitan's volume remained unaffected, and revenue exceeded Trendlyne's Forecaster estimates by 0.6%. The major contributor to this was the Prestige & Above brands category, where volume increased by 14.3% YoY. The revenue of this category alone reached Rs 499.5 crores, a 19.1% YoY increase.

Dilip Banthiya, Chief Financial Officer, commented on the results and performance: "Going forward, our focus will be on improving our profitability along with the cash flow generation and more efficient working capital management, resulting in debt reduction.” 

Sharekhan maintains a Buy rating with a target price of Rs 1,995 per share. According to the brokerage, the company’s focus on high-end products and backward integration is expected to drive strong double-digit earnings growth in FY25-26. It expects the company’s revenue to grow at a CAGR of 18.6% over FY25-26.

4. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation: 

This oil exploration and production company has risen 4.4% over the past week to touch its all-time high of Rs 457.2, after crude oil prices fell over 4% amid concerns over lower global demand growth, particularly from the two largest economies of the world - the US and China. This surge in stock price has placed the company in a screener of stocks with strong momentum.

In Q1FY25, Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL) reported a net profit decline of 90.6% YoY to Rs 633.9 crore, missing Trendlyne Forecaster estimates by 55.3%. This decline was attributed to weak gross refining margins and rising crude oil costs, with total expenses increasing by 8.6% YoY to Rs 1.21 lakh crore during the quarter. However, the company achieved its highest-ever quarterly sales volume of 12.6 million metric tonnes (MMT), marking a 6% YoY increase.

The earnings of oil marketing companies (OMCs) usually rely on refining and marketing margins. OMCs have kept retail prices largely unchanged for the past 28 months which has led to significant losses. HPCL’s marketing loss on LPG stood at Rs 2,540 crore. Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Indian Oil Corp (IOCL) also reported similar losses, amounting to Rs 2,300 crore and Rs 5,200 crore, respectively.

The  Rajasthan refinery, starting in FY26, is a joint venture between HPCL (74%) and the government of Rajasthan (26%) with a capacity of 9 MMTPA. The project has a total estimated cost of Rs 72,937 crore, with Rs 48,001 crore already invested by the end of Q1FY25. The management is confident, noting that 80% of the project has been completed. This refinery will boost HPCL's refining capacity by 30% and is projected to contribute 37% to FY26 EBITDA.

HPCL has increased its Russian crude usage to 30-35% with the expansion of the Vizag refinery and anticipates greater benefits from this crude along with a faster ramp-up at Vizag. Commenting on this, Chairman and MD Pushp Kumar Joshi stated, “We aim to reach 3.5 MMT per quarter by the second half of FY25, up from the current production of 3 MMT, and increase refinery capacity to 15 MMT by FY28.”

Motilal Oswal has maintained a “Buy” rating on HPCL, with a target price of Rs 460. The brokerage highlights that separating and listing the company’s lubricant business might increase the stock’s value by up to Rs 33 per share. Additionally, upgradation of the Vizag unit and the start of the Rajasthan refinery at the end of Q4FY25 are expected to drive growth.

5. Gujarat Gas:

This non-utility electrical company surged 12% on Monday after its board approved a major restructuring. Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), Gujarat State Petronet, and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Energy will merge into India’s largest city gas distribution company, Gujarat Gas (GGL). The newly formed company will then separate its transmission business into a new entity, GSPL Transmission Limited (GTL).

The merger will combine the operations of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation and Gujarat Gas to simplify processes and improve organizational structure. This will reduce internal transactions, leading to higher earnings for Gujarat Gas. It isl also expected to help expand their gas trading market and strengthen competitiveness. 

Post merger, Gujarat Gas is likely to have better profit margins, returns, and cash flow. Shareholders of Gujarat State Petronet will get shares in both Gujarat Gas and the new GSPL Transmission Limited.

Milind Torawane, Managing Director of Gujarat Gas and also MD of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited, said, ”The board has approved the scheme to simplify the structure, enabling GGL and GTL to pursue their growth strategies more effectively and expand their operations.” According to the management's growth projections, Gujarat Gas is expected to become one of India’s largest integrated players in the gas trading and city gas distribution sectors.

In Q1FY25 the company reported a net profit increase of 53.1% YoY to Rs 330.7 crore due to reduction in spot gas prices and increase in volumes. Revenue grew 17.7% YoY to Rs 4,450.3 crore during the quarter. The company appears in a screener of stocks where mutual funds increased their shareholding over the past two months.

Nirmal Bang upgrades Gujarat Gas to ‘Buy’ from ‘Sell,’ with a new target price of Rs 702, up from Rs 552. The upgrade is driven by expected gains from gas sourcing benefits post-merger, and a favorable tax shield. Key factors include new earnings from GSPC’s gas trading, potential value-added tax (VAT) savings, and improved competitiveness in Industrial piped natural gas. EBITDA is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.5% over FY 25-27.

Trendlyne's analysts identify stocks that are seeing interesting price movements, analyst calls, or new developments. These are not buy recommendations.