In May 2023, the benchmark Nifty 50 moved up by 2.6%, continuing its upward momentum and showing strength across many sectors. With many FY23 results declared, numerous stocks and sectors exceeded expectations in annual growth.
Fund managers of mutual funds bought stocks across various sectors in companies where they saw potential for investor returns. The buying interest ranged from stocks with impactful news to results that surpassed expectations.
Listed below are stocks from the Nifty 500 universe that experienced an increasing share in mutual fund schemes. Each stock witnessed net purchases of more than one lakh shares by at least four mutual schemes in April.
Zomato
Zomato is a leading food delivery aggregator in India and has a presence in more than 23 other countries. The company has a presence in more than 1,000 towns and cities.
With the exit of Amazon, the food delivery market is now a duopoly, with Zomato commanding a 55% market share and Swiggy at 45%. Its food delivery continues to reduce losses every quarter and is expected to turn profitable in the next few quarters. The Zomato “Gold” membership is also a significant contributor to its revenues since the last two quarters. This is the third consecutive month that mutual funds have increased their stake in Zomato.
Funds who increased holdings in Zomato:
- Motilal Oswal Flexicap Fund Regular Plan Growth
- Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Regular Growth
- ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund Growth
- Nippon India Small Cap Fund – Growth
HDFC
HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) is one of the largest lenders for home loans to individuals and also offers loans for corporate and developers for the development of residential and commercial properties in India.
The company ended FY23 on a strong note with a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 25% in revenues and an 18% growth in net profits. The approval of its subsidiary, HDFC Bank, is in the final stages of approval and is expected to be completed by July.
Funds who increased holdings in HDFC:
- ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund Growth
- Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth
- ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund Growth
- Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Regular Growth
Hindalco
Hindalco is an Aditya Birla Group company that has two main streams of business: Aluminium and Copper. In the Aluminium segment, the company caters to the entire value chain, starting from the mining of bauxite and coal to the production of value-added products for various industries.
The company’s subdued earnings performance in the last year, amid lower volumes, was due to adverse macroeconomic conditions. Additionally, near-term issues such as cost inflation, the shutdown of a copper plant for maintenance, and destocking remain. However, sequentially, its segments have posted better metrics in the backdrop of improved price realizations and volumes, and these positive trends are expected to continue.
Funds who increased holdings in Hindalco:
- Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth
- ICICI Prudential Equity Arbitrage Fund Regular Growth
- Edelweiss Arbitrage Fund Regular Growth
- Tata Arbitrage Fund Regular Growth
HDFC Life
HDFC Life is a life insurance company that is part of the HDFC Group. It is among the leading private insurance companies in India, holding a substantial market share.
HDFC Life concluded FY23 with a robust growth of 27.0% in individual WRP (weighted received premium) and held a market share of 16.5% and 10.8% in the private and overall sectors, respectively. The company has provided guidance that the VNB margins (metrics used to calculate profitability of insurance companies) for the upcoming period will be similar to those achieved in FY23.
Funds who increased holdings in Hindalco:
- SBI Focused Equity Fund Growth
- SBI Flexicap Fund Regular Growth
- ICICI Prudential Equity Savings Fund Growth
- Aditya Birla Sun Life ELSS Tax Relief 96 Pyt of Inc Dis cum Cap Wdrl
Birlasoft
Owned by the CK Birla Group, the company is a software services company. In Q4FY23, the company reported its highest-ever quarterly revenues, although its net profits saw a marginal decline.
According to the company’s investor presentation, “Deal signings during the quarter at $286 million TCV have been the best during the year under review.” Additionally, a new Delivery Centre with a seating capacity of 250 in Coimbatore was operationalized during Q4FY23. This move allows access to an emerging lower-cost tech talent hub and is part of the ongoing investments in enhancing emerging technologies capability.
Funds who increased holdings in Hindalco:
- Kotak Equity Arbitrage Fund Growth
- Invesco India Arbitrage Fund Growth
- Franklin India Technology Fund Growth
- HSBC Value Growth
Mahindra CIE
Mahindra CIE Automotive, a part of the Spain-based CIE Automotive Group, is engaged in the production and sale of automotive components to original equipment manufacturers and other customers, including leading suppliers of components, in India and overseas. The company is making strides as a component manufacturer for the EV industry. On the EV front, the company has informed about its engagement with various OEMs and winning orders for battery housing packs and chassis components from a truck manufacturer in North America. The company has also secured orders from five to six EV OEMs and is now engaging with E-3-W OEMs.
Funds who increased holdings in Mahindra CIE:
- Axis Business Cycles Fund Regular Growth
- Canara Robeco Small Cap Fund Regular Growth
- HDFC Large and Mid Cap Fund Growth
- HDFC Multi Cap Fund Regular Growth
Vedant Fashions
Vedant Fashions is engaged in the manufacturing, trading, and sale of readymade ethnic wear for men, women, and kids primarily in India under the brand names Manyavar, Mohey, Mebaz, Twamev, and Manthan.
FY23 was a stellar year, with revenues growing by 29%, supported by a net profit margin of 32%. The management expects Same Store Sales Growth (SSSG) to be in the range of mid-to-high single digits annually in FY24. Gross and EBITDA margins are expected to be in the range of 66-67% and 30%, respectively.
Funds who increased holdings in Vedant Fashions:
- SBI Equity Hybrid Fund Regular Payout Inc Dist cum Cap Wdrl
- Kotak Emerging Equity Scheme Growth
- PGIM India Midcap Opportunities Fund Regular Growth
- ICICI Prudential Flexicap Fund Regular Growth
Coforge
Coforge is an IT services company specializing in Application Development & Maintenance, Managed Services, Cloud Computing, and Business Process Outsourcing for organizations in various sectors.
The company has achieved the milestone of $1 billion in annual revenue in FY23 and is now aiming for $2 billion in annual revenue with sustainable profitability. The company has indicated that it has rolled out a new structure, effective April 1, 2023, to target higher deals in the range of $50 million, $100 million, etc., and is planning corresponding investments in people, capabilities, sales, and marketing in FY24.
Funds who increased holdings in Coforge:
- Motilal Oswal Flexicap Fund Regular Plan Growth
- Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 Regular Growth
- Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund Growth
- Mirae Asset Tax Saver Fund -Regular Plan-Growth
Mankind Pharma
Mankind Pharma is the fourth-largest player in the domestic market, with a presence across therapy areas such as anti-infectives, cardiac, gastro, respiratory, and consumer healthcare segments, including condoms, acne preparations, emergency contraceptives, pregnancy tests, among others. The company primarily focuses on the domestic market, which generates approximately 98% of its total sales.
The company made its stock market debut last month, and the stock price has risen by more than 15% since its listing. The stock seems to have caught the fancy of many fund managers, as 77 mutual fund schemes added this stock last month.
Funds who increased holdings in Mankind Pharma:
- SBI Bluechip Fund Regular Growth
- SBI Magnum Midcap Fund Regular Growth
- Nippon India Pharma Fund – Growth
- Motilal Oswal Long Term Equity Fund Regular Plan Growth
Affle
Affle India provides mobile advertising services through information technology and software development services for mobile devices. It assists advertisers in measuring the effectiveness of their advertisements by charging only when a user downloads an app or completes a transaction.
Last month, the company acquired YouAppi, a global programmatic mobile app marketing platform with a focus on gaming, for $45 million.
Funds who increased holdings in Affle:
- ICICI Prudential India Opportunities Fund Regular Growth
- Nippon India Small Cap Fund – Growth
- ICICI Prudential Technology Fund Growth
- ICICI Prudential Balanced Advantage Fund Growth
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ketan Sonalkar (SEBI Rgn No INA000011255 )
Ketan Sonalkar is a certified SEBI registered investment advisor and head of research at Univest. He is one of the finest financial trainers, with a track record of having trained more than 2000 people in offline and online models. He serves as a consultant advisor to leading fintech and financial data firms. He has over 15 years of working experience in the finance field. He runs Advisory Services for Direct Equities and Personal Finance Transformation.
Note – This channel is for educational and training purpose only & any stock mentioned here should not be taken as a tip/recommendation/advice
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