10 Stocks to Buy Today: LIC, NALCO, HAL, PNB, MCX and More for 21 July 2026
- July 21, 2026
- Posted by: Ankit Jaiswal
- Category: News
10 stocks to buy today, screened for zero to low debt and ROE above 20%: LIC, NALCO, HAL, OFSS, MCX, BSE, Karur Vysya Bank, Angel One, NHPC, PNB.
These are 10 stocks to buy today, shortlisted using a screen for reasonable valuations, strong return ratios, low debt levels and supportive sector trends, combined with current price levels. The list spans public sector value names such as LIC and NALCO, structural growth stories such as Hindustan Aeronautics, and capital-market infrastructure plays such as MCX, BSE and Angel One that benefit from India’s rising financialisation of household savings.
Every name below has zero or negligible debt on the balance sheet and a return on equity above 20 percent, criteria meant to narrow the universe to financially sound businesses rather than to predict near-term price moves. Treat this as a research shortlist, not a set of buy signals, and verify each company’s latest quarterly numbers before acting.
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10 Stocks to Buy Today: Fundamentals Scorecard
The table below summarises the valuation and quality metrics behind this stocks to buy today list.
| Company | CMP (Rs) | P/E | ROE (%) | Debt/Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIC | 433.00 | 9.53x | 32.53 | Nil |
| NALCO | 342.90 | 10.87x | 26.83 | Nil |
| Hindustan Aeronautics | 4,491.00 | 32.97x | 22.21 | Nil |
| Oracle Financial Services | 11,620.00 | 38.38x | 33.72 | Nil |
| MCX | 2,818.00 | 53.95x | 46.75 | Nil |
| BSE Ltd | 3,647.90 | 59.73x | 37.42 | Nil |
| Karur Vysya Bank | 301.00 | N/A | N/A | Bank |
| Angel One | 324.35 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| NHPC | 81.00 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Punjab National Bank | 111.76 | N/A | N/A | Bank |
Not Sure Which of These Fit Your Portfolio? Ask a SEBI-Registered Investment Advisor
How These 10 Stocks to Buy Today Were Selected
The screen behind this list of stocks to buy today applied four filters: price-to-earnings ratio weighed against trailing earnings growth, return on equity above 20 percent, debt-to-equity at or near zero, and a sector or company-specific tailwind visible in current price action or analyst coverage. Public sector financials and utilities screened well on valuation, while exchange and technology names screened well on growth and capital efficiency despite carrying higher earnings multiples. The result is a deliberately diversified list across banking, aluminium, defence, technology, capital markets and power rather than a concentrated bet on one theme.
LIC and NALCO: Value Stocks to Buy Today
LIC remains one of the more reasonably priced stocks to buy today among large financials, trading at under 10 times earnings despite a return on equity above 32 percent and a debt-free balance sheet. As India’s largest life insurer by a wide margin, the company continues to benefit from rising insurance penetration and the shift of household savings toward protection and long-duration savings products, while its scale and distribution network remain difficult for private insurers to replicate. The stock’s low valuation relative to its return ratios reflects historical concerns about growth and margin mix versus private peers, so the value of new business margin and product mix shift are the indicators to track in coming quarters.
NALCO is among today’s stocks to buy on the back of a sharp earnings recovery, with trailing EPS growth of over 160 percent driven by firmer aluminium and alumina realisations. The integrated bauxite-to-aluminium producer carries no debt, which lets the entire benefit of the current commodity upcycle flow through to profitability rather than being absorbed by interest costs, a structural advantage over more debt-laden metal peers. Aluminium prices remain the single biggest swing factor for the stock, so investors should track London Metal Exchange trends and the company’s cost per tonne disclosures each quarter.
HAL and Oracle Financial Services: Structural Growth Stocks to Buy Today
HAL is a stock to buy today for investors seeking exposure to India’s defence indigenisation push, backed by a multi-year order book across fighter aircraft, helicopters and engine overhaul contracts. The company carries no debt, and its role as the primary domestic manufacturer for the Indian Air Force and Navy gives it a structural moat that is difficult for any new entrant to replicate within a reasonable time frame. The stock’s premium earnings multiple already reflects strong expectations, so order execution timelines and any delays in aircraft delivery schedules are the risks to monitor.
Oracle Financial Services Software makes this stocks to buy today list on the strength of its core banking software franchise, built around the Flexcube platform used by banks across emerging markets. The business is debt-free, generates high margins on renewal and implementation revenue, and its parent Oracle’s global distribution gives it reach into banking clients a standalone Indian software company would struggle to access on its own. Growth has been steady rather than explosive, so the stock suits investors looking for a cash-generative, high-return compounder; deal wins and cloud migration revenue in banking software are the metrics to track each quarter.
MCX and BSE: Capital Markets Stocks to Buy Today
MCX is one of today’s higher-growth stocks to buy, riding rising retail and institutional participation in commodity derivatives alongside new contract launches that have driven trailing earnings growth of well over 500 percent. As India’s dominant commodity exchange, the business runs on an asset-light model where incremental trading volume converts into profit with very little additional capital, supporting its exceptionally high return on equity. BSE Ltd pairs naturally with MCX on this list as the other listed exchange benefiting from India’s financialisation of savings, with trailing EPS growth of over 70 percent driven by rising equity derivatives and cash market volumes.
Both exchanges carry no debt and continue to gain share in the derivatives segment, a business where scale and liquidity attract more liquidity in a self-reinforcing cycle. The main risk for both is regulatory, since exchanges operate within a framework set by SEBI that can alter transaction charges, margin rules or product structures with limited notice, directly affecting the revenue per trade that underpins current earnings growth.
Karur Vysya Bank, Angel One and NHPC: Analyst-Backed Stocks to Buy Today
Karur Vysya Bank, Angel One and NHPC all carry a unanimous analyst buy consensus. Karur Vysya Bank reflects the south India-focused private bank’s steady improvement in asset quality and return ratios, built on conservative underwriting in its MSME and retail lending books that has kept credit costs low through multiple cycles. Angel One backs the structural growth of retail participation in Indian capital markets through a digitally native discount broking model, with expanding non-broking revenue from margin trading facility and financial product distribution gradually reducing its dependence on pure brokerage income.
NHPC rounds out the PSU representation among today’s stocks to buy as India’s largest hydropower generator, with a project pipeline across the Himalayan states and the northeast. Hydropower offers some of the lowest per-unit generation costs among renewable sources once commissioned, positioning the company to benefit from India’s push to diversify its clean energy mix. Execution risk is the common thread across all three: net interest margin and slippage trends for Karur Vysya Bank, trading volume cyclicality for Angel One, and project commissioning delays for NHPC are the metrics worth tracking each quarter.
Punjab National Bank: A Results-Backed Stock to Buy Today
Punjab National Bank closes out this stocks to buy today list on the strength of Monday’s Q1 FY27 results, where net profit nearly tripled year on year to Rs 5,339 crore even as total income grew a more modest 3.12 percent, pointing to a bottom line driven by cost efficiency and lower credit costs rather than top-line expansion alone. The stock has extended its post-results rally and remains one of the strongest performers in the PSU banking pack this week. The scale of the profit jump partly reflects a weak year-ago base, so investors should watch whether core operating profit growth can sustain the trajectory once that base effect fades.
Risks to Consider Before Buying These Stocks Today
Exchange and technology names on this list, including MCX, BSE and Oracle Financial Services, trade at higher earnings multiples that assume continued growth, which is valuation risk. NALCO’s earnings depend on aluminium prices, while PSU banks and Karur Vysya Bank are exposed to margin shifts as interest rates move. HAL and NHPC depend on large, multi-year project and delivery timelines that can slip due to factors outside the company’s control, and MCX, BSE and Angel One operate in businesses directly shaped by SEBI rules on charges, margins and market structure.
Should You Buy These Stocks Today?
Whether these particular stocks to buy today suit your portfolio depends on your own risk appetite, investment horizon and existing holdings, not on the fact that they appear on a screened list. The filters used here favour financially sound, low-debt businesses with strong return ratios, which historically tends to reduce, though never eliminate, downside risk over a full market cycle. None of the analysis above should be read as a guarantee of returns, and a strong balance sheet does not assure future results.
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Conclusion
These 10 stocks to buy today, LIC, NALCO, HAL, Oracle Financial Services Software, MCX, BSE, Karur Vysya Bank, Angel One, NHPC and Punjab National Bank, were shortlisted for their combination of low debt, strong return ratios and supportive sector or company-specific tailwinds as of 21 July 2026. The list deliberately spans value, growth and momentum characteristics rather than concentrating in one theme. As with any stock selection, historical fundamentals and analyst sentiment are inputs to a decision, not a substitute for your own research and risk assessment.
Disclaimer: Data and figures in this article are sourced from publicly available information. These may or may not be accurate. Please verify all data with the official NSE (nseindia.com) and BSE (bseindia.com) websites before making any investment decision. Investments in securities are subject to market risk. This content is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice by Univest (SEBI RA INH000013776).
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
What are the 10 stocks to buy today on 21 July 2026?
Ans. The 10 stocks to buy today are LIC, NALCO, HAL, Oracle Financial Services Software, MCX, BSE, Karur Vysya Bank, Angel One, NHPC and Punjab National Bank, screened for low debt, strong return ratios and supportive sector trends.
How were these stocks to buy today selected?
Ans. The screen applied four filters: price-to-earnings ratio weighed against earnings growth, return on equity above 20 percent, debt-to-equity at or near zero, and a visible sector or company-specific tailwind in current price action or analyst coverage.
Why is Punjab National Bank on the stocks to buy today list?
Ans. Punjab National Bank reported Q1 FY27 net profit of Rs 5,339 crore, up 191.4 percent year on year, and the stock has extended its post-results rally to become one of the strongest performers in the PSU banking pack this week.
Are MCX and BSE risky stocks to buy today given their high P/E ratios?
Ans. Both trade at premium earnings multiples that assume continued growth in trading volumes, and both are exposed to regulatory risk since SEBI can alter transaction charges or market structure. Investors should size positions accordingly.
Is a debt-free balance sheet a guarantee that these are good stocks to buy today?
Ans. No. Zero debt reduces financial risk but does not eliminate business, valuation or execution risk. It is one factor among several to evaluate, and investors should consult a SEBI-registered investment advisor before making any investment decision.
Which stocks on this list have a 100 percent analyst buy rating?
Ans. Karur Vysya Bank, Angel One and NHPC each carry a unanimous analyst buy consensus, reflecting strong sentiment alongside their respective sector tailwinds in banking, capital markets and hydropower.
Should I buy all 10 stocks together or pick individually?
Ans. The list is a diversified research shortlist across value, growth and momentum themes, not a model portfolio. Investors should evaluate each name against their own goals and consult a SEBI-registered investment advisor before investing.
