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Markets have stabilized after a period of panic, with stock pickers advised to focus on sectors like infra, engineering, hospitals, and tourism. Specific stocks in consumption areas might offer 15-20% returns in the next 6-12 months, while gold financers remain promising due to high gold prices.

JSW Steel has become the world’s most valuable steelmaker, surpassing Nucor Corp, after its market capitalisation crossed $30 billion. The stock hit an all-time high amid strong performance by Indian steelmakers, driven by government-backed industry protection measures. JSW Steel now holds a higher valuation than Tata Steel, Jindal Steel & Power, and SAIL.

ICICI Securities recommends buying Manappuram Finance with a target price of Rs 260. The current price is Rs 235.2. Manappuram Finance, a Mid Cap company operating in the NBFC sector, has reported a consolidated total income of Rs 2562.63 crore for the quarter ended December 2024. The company s revenue and growth prospects are outlined up to FY27.

Auto sales have been weak recently, especially in the two-wheeler sector, but Maruti could benefit if consumer demand revives. Auto components face uncertainties due to US tariffs, but infra stocks remain promising with robust order books. Moreover, exchange stocks like MCX present attractive long-term opportunities despite potential regulatory risks for IEX.

Zomato shares dropped 5% to Rs 199.90 on the BSE after BofA Securities downgraded the stock to "neutral" and cut its price target to Rs 250, citing profitability concerns in quick commerce and food delivery. BofA expects Zomato’s EBITDA for FY26 and FY27 to be 20-50% below street estimates, raising concerns about its financial outlook.

Siemens India shares: Siemens reported a 21.5% YoY rise in net profit for the December quarter, reaching Rs 614.6 crore, up from Rs 505.7 crore last year. However, consolidated revenue fell 3.3% YoY to Rs 3,587.2 crore, compared to Rs 3,709.5 crore.

The rupee weakened by 6 paise to 85.78 against the US dollar due to a negative trend in domestic equities and the recovery of the American currency. Liquidity constraints and concerns over reciprocal tariffs also pressured the rupee, despite support from foreign fund inflows.

Marico shares: Motilal Oswal has set a target price of Rs 775 for Marico, indicating a potential upside of nearly 21.5% from the current levels. The brokerage expects Marico to achieve 11% revenue growth and 13% EBITDA growth on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) basis over FY25-27.

Vodafone Idea shares: Vodafone Idea is set to experience a significant increase in its regulatory dues when the moratorium ends in September. JM Financial projects that Vi s payouts will reach Rs 29,100 crore by March 2026 and further rise to an average of Rs 43,000 crore annually from FY27 to FY31.