Stocks to buy on 18 May: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty 50 snapped their two-session gaining streak on Friday, 15 May, amid profit booking triggered by weak global cues, surging crude oil prices, and the rupee sliding to a fresh record low against the US dollar.
The BSE Sensex declined 161 points, or 0.21%, to close at 75,237.99, while the NSE Nifty 50 slipped 46 points, or 0.19%, to settle at 23,643.50.
Among Sensex constituents, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, and Power Grid Corporation of India emerged as the top gainers, while Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, and Eternal were among the major laggards.
Selling pressure remained broad-based, with midcap and smallcap stocks also ending lower. The BSE Midcap index fell 0.48%, while the BSE Smallcap index declined 0.37%.
In terms of sectors, stocks in metal, oil & gas, PSU banks, real estate, energy, and commodities experienced significant downturns of over 1% each, while the IT index rose by more than 1%.
Investor wealth decreased by over ₹2 lakh crore in just one trading session, causing the total market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies to drop to approximately ₹460.5 lakh crore from around ₹463 lakh crore in the last session.
For the week, the Sensex fell by 2.7%, and the Nifty 50 dropped by 2.2%, bringing an end to their two-week streak of gains.
What Gift Nifty live chart signals?
The Gift Nifty Live Chart shows a negative start for the Indian stock market today. By 7:39 AM, the Gift Nifty was trading around the 23,540 level, a discount of 104 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close of 23,643.90.
Decoding the impact of Gift Nifty live chart and other triggers on Dalal Street, Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said that the Indian markets are likely to begin the new trading week on a cautious to bearish note, with Gift Nifty opening near the 23,635 zone, slightly below Friday’s Nifty 50 spot close of 23,643. Weak cues from broader Asian markets and rising geopolitical uncertainty are keeping sentiment under pressure in early trade.
Global risk appetite weakened sharply after fresh escalation fears emerged in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump’s warning urging Iran to “get moving, FAST” has once again revived concerns around a possible disruption in global crude oil supply routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, Asian markets opened broadly lower, with South Korea’s Kospi declining more than 3% while Japan’s Nikkei slipped over 200 points.
For Indian markets, the biggest concern continues to be elevated crude oil prices and currency pressure. Any further escalation in geopolitical tensions could push oil prices higher again, increasing the risk of imported inflation for an oil-dependent economy like India. This also keeps pressure on the Indian rupee and overall market sentiment.
Stocks to buy today
Regarding stocks to buy today — Raja Venkatraman is Co-founder of NeoTrader, and stock research platform MarketSmith India, recommended buying these five shares – Latent View Analytics Ltd, Amber Enterprises India Ltd, Graphite India Ltd, and Shreeji Shipping Global Ltd.
Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTrader’s Raja Venkatraman
Latent View Analytics Ltd (Cmp ₹307.25)
Latent View Analytics Ltd: Buy above ₹310, stop ₹287 target ₹345 (Multiday)
Why it’s recommended: Latent View Analytics is a prominent, Chennai-based data analytics and digital consulting firm. The company specializes in predictive analytics, AI solutions, data engineering, and business consulting. Since the start of the year the stock has been in decline and the last few days have been spent in consolidation. The last few quarters the numbers have been encouraging and could lead to an upmove. In the recent upmove we can observe that the trends have been consistent, with strong thrust with volumes sparks possibility to head higher. Go long.
52-week high: ₹1,117.90,
Technical analysis: Support at ₹991, resistance at ₹1,225.
Risk factors: Extreme geographic revenue concentration with nearly 87% of sales derived from the US, exposing it to Western economic downturns.
Target price: ₹345 (2 Months)
Amber Enterprises India Ltd (Cmp ₹8476.50)
Amber Enterprises India Ltd: Buy above ₹8,480, stop ₹8,300 target ₹8,950 (Multiday)
Why it’s recommended: Amber Enterprises India Ltd (AMBER) is a leading Indian B2B solution provider and OEM/ODM, manufacturing everything from finished units to critical components like heat exchangers, motors, and PCBs. After some consolidation for the last 6 months the stock has shown some strong breakout on volumes indicating an onset of some fresh upward movement. A major acquisition in US could now accelerate the company’s progress. With aid from the momentum indicators one can consider to go long now.
Technical analysis: Support at ₹7,900, resistance at ₹9,500.
Risk factors: Heavy reliance on a few key customers, raw material price volatility, and the weather-sensitive nature of the Room Air Conditioner (RAC) industry.
Target price: ₹8,850 (2 Months)
Graphite India Ltd (Cmp ₹774.45)
Graphite India Ltd: Buy above ₹780, stop ₹740 target ₹855 (Multiday)
Why it’s recommended: Graphite India Limited (GIL) is the largest producer of graphite electrodes in India, playing a critical role in the global steel sector by supplying materials used in Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs). The robust volumes seen in the last two days post the Q4 numbers is indicating a fresh onset of momentum. Some brokerage upgrades despite uncertain market conditions highlights the strong potential in the prices. A long body candle seen in the last session is now helping the rise sustain the uncertain environment. With the momentum favouring the long side , consider going long.
Key metrics:
P/E Ratio: 37.95
Technical analysis: Support at ₹500, resistance at ₹925.
Risk factors: Market competition, raw material cost volatility, and high valuation premiums.
Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India for 15 May
Buy: Graphite India Ltd (current price: ₹775)
Why it’s recommended: Strong position in graphite electrode industry, beneficiary of steel sector growth, export presence across multiple countries, low debt / healthy balance sheet, good cash flow generation in strong cycles, integrated manufacturing capabilities, experienced management team, capacity expansion opportunities, demand support from EV & battery sectors, dividend-paying track record, cost advantage from captive power/resources, and cyclical upturn can boost margins sharply
Key metrics: P/E: 42.87, 52-week high: ₹802.40, volume: ₹462.17 crore
Technical analysis: Cup base pattern breakout
Risk factors: Highly cyclical business nature, earnings volatility due to electrode prices, dependence on steel industry demand, raw material price fluctuations, Chinese competition pressure, global economic slowdown risk, export market dependency, environmental and regulatory risks, high energy cost sensitivity, capacity oversupply in industry, margin pressure during downcycles, currency fluctuation impact, technology substitution risk in future, customer concentration risk in steel sector, and weak demand can sharply reduce profitability
Target price: ₹890 in two to three months
Buy: Shreeji Shipping Global Ltd (current price: ₹431)
Why it’s recommended: Strong presence in dry bulk logistics, operations across 20+ ports, integrated shipping & cargo handling model, large fleet and equipment base, long-standing client relationships, high repeat business from customers, growth opportunity from port expansion in india, strong margins and profitability growth, experienced promoters with industry expertise, expansion into supramax carriers, beneficiary of rising trade and cargo movement, asset-backed business model, improving operational efficiency, diversified sector exposure (coal, metals, FMCG, energy), and strong western India port presence
Key metrics: P/E:NA, 52-week high: ₹450.00, volume: ₹105.41 crore
Technical analysis: Cup base pattern breakout
Risk factors: Shipping industry is highly cyclical, revenue decline seen in recent years, dependence on dry bulk cargo demand, freight rate volatility risk, high capital-intensive business, debt and fleet expansion risks, dependence on few key customers, fuel cost fluctuations can hurt margins, regulatory and environmental compliance risks, global trade slowdown impact, currency fluctuation exposure, port disruption and geopolitical risks, aging fleet maintenance costs, competition from larger logistics players, overvaluation risk after strong listing gains, Sri Lanka/international operation risks
Target price: ₹500 in two to three months
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
