1. Hindustan Aeronautics:
This defence company surged 9.4% over the past week as it received the first of 99 engines for the Tejas Mk 1A Fighter Jet after a two-year delay. Analysts view this as a crucial step in allaying execution risks.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh emphasizes the urgency of addressing the jet shortage, stating that the Indian Air Force must add up to 40 jets annually. He adds that HAL has committed to produce 24 Tejas jets annually starting next year. Analysts note that production will scale up gradually and reach full capacity by 2030.
With HAL expecting twelve jet engines this year, analysts believe they can deliver ten jets in 2026. Forecaster expects revenue growth to be flat this fiscal year due to supply bottlenecks leading to production delays. However, it expects revenue growth of over 18% in FY26. HAL shows up in a screener of stocks where FIIs/FPIs have increased their shareholding over the past quarter.
HAL currently holds an order book of Rs 1.2 lakh crore. The company is also pursuing contracts for another 97 Tejas jets and 156 light combat helicopters (Prachanda). These contracts are expected to be finalised in the next six months. Thanks to this, management projects an order inflow of Rs 1 lakh crore in FY26, bringing the total order book to Rs 2.2 lakh crore, targeted for execution by 2030.
ICICI Securities upgrades HAL to ‘Buy’ and calls the delivery of the first F-404 jet engine “a monumental milestone.” The brokerage forecasts revenue growth of around 25% over FY26-27, and an EPS CAGR of 39% during the same period. With a target price of Rs 5,000, HAL has a potential upside of around 20%.
2. Bharat Forge:
This forging company has gained 12.6% over the past month, supported by multiple positive developments. On March 27, the company secured an order of over Rs 4,000 crore from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS). Earlier this month, Bharat Forge’s subsidiary, Kalyani Powertrain, partnered with Taiwan’s Compal Electronics to manufacture servers in India.
Analysts believe the possibility of higher tariffs from the US remains a key risk for the company’s core business growth in the medium term. Bharat Forge is focusing on expanding its non-auto businesses, such as aerospace, defence, and other industrial sectors. Recently, it also entered an agreement with a European company to set up a new aerospace manufacturing facility. However, analysts note that the uneven pace of order execution in these segments could affect its overall growth.
During Q3FY25, the company’s revenue fell by 10.1% YoY, mainly due to weak performance in its European business and a slowdown in the defence segment. The forgings segment, which contributes 85% to the company’s total revenue, reported an 8.9% decline. Trendlyne’s Forecaster estimates the company’s revenue will remain flat in FY25 and grow by 9.7% in FY26 as investments materialise.
Amit Kalyani, Joint Managing Director and Vice Chairman, said, “For FY26, we expect a capital expenditure of around Rs 300 crore. The capex for our US operations is complete. Going forward, investments will only be in Indian subsidiaries and will not exceed Rs 250 crore.” He also said the company aims to improve its profit margins by 250-300 bps over the next 2-3 years through a better product mix and operating leverage.
Geojit BNP Paribas has downgraded the stock to a ‘Hold’ rating with a target price of 1,302. The brokerage expects steady positive momentum in domestic defence and auto businesses, with overseas operations supporting long-term growth. It also expects the defence order book to grow further, which could help improve profitability.
3. Kalpataru Projects International:
This construction & engineering company has risen by 3.8% over the past week after it received new orders worth Rs 2,366 crore in the transmission & distribution (T&D), and buildings & factories (B&F) businesses in India and overseas on March 25. Kalpataru Projects (KPIL) features in a screener of companies where mutual funds increased shareholding in the past month.
KPIL handles the end-to-end execution of projects in power transmission, water supply, railways, oil & gas, urban mobility, highways, and airports. During March, the company also secured orders worth Rs 2,306 crore across its businesses for projects in India and abroad.
During Q3FY25, KPIL reported a 0.8% YoY increase in net profit at Rs 142 crore. Revenue grew 17.1%, reaching Rs 5,732.5 crore. EBITDA margin stood at 8.4% for the quarter. Sluggish execution in the water business due to delayed collections weighed on overall growth. However, with Rs 1,000 crore infused in 9MFY25 and the Union Budget’s push for 100% tap water coverage, faster collections and execution should boost momentum.
The company’s order book stood at Rs 61,429 crore in Q3, with 38% coming from T&D, 22% from B&F, and 16% from water segments. With these new orders, the company’s order inflow stands at Rs 24,850 crore YTD in FY25, providing strong visibility for improved execution and growth. Trendlyne’s Forecaster projects KPIL’s revenue to grow around 27% YoY in Q4FY25.
Manish Mohnot, MD & CEO, said, “Our T&D order book continues to grow, driven by widening power demand-supply gap, grid upgrades, renewable push, and a focus on improvement of T&D infrastructure. This presents a strong growth opportunity for KPIL”.
Axis Securties maintains its ‘Buy’ rating on Kalpataru, and sets a target price of Rs 1,350. The brokerage believes the company is poised to benefit from a robust order book, favourable sectoral tailwinds, improved performance of international subsidiaries, and supportive government initiatives.
4. Mankind Pharma:
This pharmaceutical company rose by over 8% in the past week. On March 12th, the company launched generic versions of Empagliflozin, a diabetes drug in India. This launch was followed by the expiration of the patent for Empagliflozin in India, which led to an opening for domestic pharma companies to launch generic versions of the drug. The estimated market size for Empagliflozin and its combination therapies in India is around Rs 640 crore. Pharmarack data shows the drug's sales volume has grown at a 1% CAGR over the past five years, with a 3% value growth.
Regarding this launch, the company's Vice Chairman & MD, Rajeev Juneja, said, "By assigning two dedicated teams to promote these offerings under separate brands, we aim to enhance market penetration and expand our reach in this competitive segment."
The company announced its Q3FY25 results on January 23. Its net profit had declined by 16.2% YoY to Rs 380.2 crore due to a rise in employee expenses. However, its revenue increased by 23.5% due to strong growth across the domestic, consumer healthcare and export businesses. The company’s revenue beat forecaster estimates by 1% supported by the Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV) acquisition in October 2024. It appears on the screener for stocks with annual profit growth higher than sector profit growth.
Ashutosh Dhawan, Chief Financial Officer of Mankind Pharma, said, “Our capex spend for 9MFY25 was Rs 344 crore, accounting for 3.7% of total revenue, in line with our guidance of 4% to 5%. To maintain financial discipline and a healthy leverage ratio, we repaid Rs 3,000 crore of debt in Q3 using proceeds from the QIP. As of the quarter-end, our net debt to adjusted EBITDA stands at 2.2x, and we aim to reduce it to 2x by year-end.”
Geojit BNP Paribas recommended an ‘Accumulate’ rating on Mankind Pharma, anticipating positive fiscal outcomes from the restructuring of BSV's pharmaceutical segment. This acquisition is a major step for the company, positioning it as a potential leader in India’s women’s health and fertility drug market, while also granting access to high-entry barrier products in critical care. The brokerage notes that this deal has increased the company’s overall market share to 4.8%, from 4.4% before the acquisition.
5. Hero MotoCorp:
This two-wheeler manufacturer surged 3.5% over the past week following its March 20 announcement of an investment in the electric three-wheeler segment. The company is acquiring a 32.5% stake in Euler Motors for Rs 525 crore to diversify its portfolio.
Euler Motors builds and sells electric three-wheelers, and recently introduced its first electric commercial four-wheeler. This investment strengthens Hero MotoCorp’s position in the electric three-wheeler segment, where electric vehicles are projected to constitute 35% of total vehicle sales by 2030, up from 7.4% as of 2024.
In Q3, the company’s revenue grew 5.3% YoY to Rs 10,566.3 crore, while net profit rose 1.3% YoY to Rs 1,107.6 crore, beating Forecaster estimates. The growth was driven by an 11.4% rise in retail sales, a 4.7% YoY increase in the average selling price to Rs 69,756 per vehicle, and an increase in revenue from parts, accessories, and merchandise.
Vivek Anand, CFO of the company, said, “For FY25, the guidance we have given is for double-digit revenue growth. Looking at our first nine months performance and at this quarter (fourth), we believe that this (a double-digit revenue growth) will repeat next year also.” The growth is expected to be driven by recovery in rural and urban markets, its 125cc motorcycle lineup expansion, and new product launches. The company’s 125cc segment’s market share has increased from 14% to over 21% as of Q3.
Hero MotoCorp is expanding its premium portfolio with motorcycles like the Xtreme 250R and Xpulse 210 and premium scooters like the Xoom 125 and Xoom 160. The company’s EBITDA per vehicle has surpassed Rs 10,000 following the launch of Hero Premia stores, which focus on higher-value products. Trendlyne’s Forecaster projects the company's revenue to grow 3.3% YoY and its net profit to increase by 20.1% in Q4FY25.
Axis Direct maintains a ‘Buy’ rating on the stock and raises target prices to Rs 5,285, citing the company’s focus on core business growth, premium segment expansion, EV investments, and revenue diversification.
Trendlyne's analysts identify stocks that are seeing interesting price movements, analyst calls, or new developments. These are not buy recommendations.
