Three stocks to buy or sell as recommended by Raja Venkatraman of NeoTrader for Friday, 22 August:
Ramco Industries Ltd: Buy ₹305 and dips to ₹292 | Stop ₹285 | Target ₹335-345
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd: Buy ₹174 and dips to ₹165 | Stop ₹162 | Target ₹190-195
Exide Industries Ltd: Buy above ₹402 and dips to ₹388 : Stop ₹383 | Target ₹438-455
How the stock market performed on Thursday
Indian stocks extended their rally for the sixth straight session on 21 August, with the Sensex rising 0.17% to settle at 82,000.71 and the Nifty inching up 0.13% to 25,083.75, although it failed to sustain the 25,100 mark amid profit taking at elevated levels. Investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of key US economic indicators, including weekly jobless claims, August manufacturing PMI, and insights from the Jackson Hole symposium.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories topped the Nifty gainers, climbing over 2%, followed by Cipla, Bajaj Finserv, ICICI Bank, and SBI Life Insurance. On the other hand, Bajaj Auto, Coal India, Power Grid Corp, Eternal, and Tata Consumer Products underperformed.
Sectorally, the pharma index led with a 1% gain, realty added 0.4%, while auto and FMCG slipped 0.3%, and 0.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, mid-cap and small-cap segments ended largely flat, reflecting a measured market mood as participants await fresh cues.
Outlook for trading
The Nifty has been stronger in comparison and the sustained buying interest seen on every dip is indicating that it is inclined for some bullish bias as the trends are constantly heading higher. While sector rotation is happening, we are reaching a point where the indices have become divergent.
A look at the Nifty Bank indicates that until 56,000 is not surpassed, till then bulls will remain on leash, rebound. The Nifty Bank is a sector that should be tracked. Until 56,000 is exceeded, we could look at stock-specific action where divergent views are displayed across all the component stocks. PSU Banks are having it rough, and the erratic vibes being exhibited shall make it difficult for the Nifty Bank to recover. This, in turn, will spill over to the other sectors like Auto, Realty and Finance. Despite markets on Monday showing some signs of a recovery, the inability of the Nifty Bank to clear the 57,500 mark seems limited ahead of the event. Till then, this index holds the key to some trends to emerge.
Meanwhile, the Nifty continues to exude confidence, and even on expiry day, the trends have shown firm resolve to move higher. The thrust above the key resistance zones, supported by some strong Put writing at lower levels, has helped the Nifty scale higher, thus infusing some bullish sentiment across the board.
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Now, we can observe that the Nifty has moved above 25,100, which was the immediate resistance for some bullish revival as well as the max pain point that will continue to halt any progress. With the Open Interest data clearly indicating hurdles at higher levels, one should keep tracking a 30-minute range breakout on Wednesday above this level for creating some long.
As indices are not showing much decline, one should look to participate in some stock-specific action.
Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTrader’s Raja Venkatraman:
RAMCOIND (Cmp ₹304.35)
Why it’s recommended: After consolidating for nearly two months since Jun 2025, the prices are showing some steady upward traction. From the charts, we can observe that the strong upside was reinforced at the start of the month, helping the prices scale higher. Currently, the strong push above the value resistance zone around 300 augurs well. Post surpassing this level, the rise in momentum supported by steady volumes is highlighting the possibility of more upward traction.
Key metrics:
P/E: 28.36,
52-week high: ₹324,
Volume: 494.2K.
Technical analysis: Support at ₹277, resistance at ₹400.
Risk factors: Market volatility and sector-wide fluctuations in geopolitical news could impact returns.
Buy at: CMP and dips to ₹292.
Target price: ₹335-345 in 1 month.
Stop loss: ₹285.
THOMASCOOK (Cmp ₹173.88)
Why it’s recommended: Thomas Cook India has become a leading omnichannel travel company in India, offering services like foreign exchange, corporate travel, and leisure travel. The charts show constant pullback into support zones of the TS & KS Bands, which are helping the prices stage a strong move to the upside. A steady buying interest on every dip is igniting some bullish enthusiasm. One can look at the prices to move higher as trends are demonstrating a strong upward drive. Can look to go long.
Key metrics:
P/E: 71.22,
52-week high: ₹239.45
Volume: 2.1M.
Technical analysis: Support at ₹151, resistance at ₹185.
Risk factors: Structural issues on the domestic front and regulatory setbacks on the export front.
Buy at: CMP and dips to ₹165.
Target price: ₹190-195 in 1 month.
Stop loss: ₹162.
EXIDEIND (Cmp ₹400.45)
Why it’s recommended: Exide manufactures and markets lead-acid storage batteries and related products, including automotive, solar, industrial, and submarine batteries, as well as inverter and genset batteries. This counter, after the initial consolidation, is seen building some strong push to the upside. As the potential to generate upward momentum improves, one can consider some long-term.
Key metrics:
P/E: 30.44,
52-week high: ₹534.75,
volume: 4.1 M.
Technical analysis: Support at ₹350, resistance at ₹500.
Risk factors: Sluggish growth, negative quarterly results, and reduced institutional investor participation.
Buy at: above 402 and dips to ₹388.
Target price: ₹438-455 in 1 month.
Stop loss: ₹383.
Raja Venkatraman is co-founder, NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223.
Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantees performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.
Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
