Stocks to Watch Today, 20 July 2026: HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Reliance Industries in Focus

The stocks to watch today are dominated by banking heavyweights, with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank all set to react to their Q1 FY27 results announced over the weekend, while Reliance Industries and oil marketing companies are in focus after crude oil prices spiked past 90 dollars a barrel amid a fresh escalation around the Strait of Hormuz.

The session opens after a strong Friday, when the Sensex jumped 964.58 points, or 1.25 percent, to close at 78,151.45 and the Nifty 50 advanced 261.55 points, or 1.09 percent, to settle at 24,334.30, led by the Nifty Private Bank index, which surged 2.12 percent. GIFT Nifty was trading around 24,309.50 ahead of the open, indicating a flat to mildly negative start as weak global cues offset the positive domestic earnings backdrop.

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Stocks to Watch Today: Banks Reporting Q1 FY27 Results

Five heavyweight banks announced results on Saturday, and their stock reaction is the single biggest theme among stocks to watch today. The table below summarises the key numbers.

Bank	Q1 FY27 PAT	YoY Change	Key Detail
HDFC Bank	Rs 19,060 crore	+5.0%	NII up 6.7%, GNPA improved to 1.17%
ICICI Bank	Rs 15,440 crore	+13.9%	Consolidated PAT, NII up 12.3%
Axis Bank	Rs 7,114 crore	+22.5%	NIM compressed to 3.46% from 3.80%
Kotak Mahindra Bank	Rs 5,480 crore	+23.0%	Consolidated PAT, GNPA improved to 1.18%
Yes Bank	Rs 1,071 crore	+34.0%	Asset quality and credit rating upgrades cited

Among stocks to watch today, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank posted the strongest headline profit growth, both above 22 percent, though Axis Bank’s net interest margin compression to 3.46 percent from 3.80 percent a year earlier is likely to draw scrutiny. IDBI Bank and Punjab & Sind Bank also reported results, with IDBI Bank posting a 5 percent rise in net profit to Rs 2,115 crore and Punjab & Sind Bank recording a 23.05 percent surge in profit.

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Other Q1 FY27 Results Among Stocks to Watch Today

Beyond banking, several other companies with weekend results are among stocks to watch today. Can Fin Homes posted a 20 percent rise in net profit to Rs 268 crore on strong disbursements. India Cements reported a turnaround with net profit of Rs 26.85 crore. Bhansali Engineering Polymers delivered the standout number in the pack, with consolidated net profit surging 42.9 percent to Rs 65.60 crore, while Rossari Biotech posted steady growth with net profit of around Rs 35 crore and JK Cement reported total income of Rs 4,070.97 crore amid rising operational costs.

Reliance Industries is also among the most closely tracked stocks to watch today after its Q1 FY27 results, announced Friday, showed consolidated net profit falling 22.4 percent year on year to Rs 20,946 crore, largely due to the absence of a one-time investment gain booked in the year-ago quarter. Revenue rose a sharp 25.4 percent to Rs 3.12 lakh crore and the company posted its highest ever quarterly EBITDA of Rs 54,067 crore, up 10.1 percent, with the oil to chemicals segment revenue up 30 percent.

Stocks to Watch Today: Oil and Energy Linked Names

Crude oil prices are a central theme among stocks to watch today after Brent crude jumped almost 4 percent over the weekend to trade above 90 dollars a barrel, the highest since mid-June, following a fresh escalation between the US and Iran that included an attack on a key oil facility in Kuwait and renewed targeting of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. ONGC and other upstream producers typically benefit from higher crude realisations, while oil marketing companies including Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL face margin pressure if retail fuel prices lag the rise in international crude costs.

Reliance Industries itself flagged the scale of this volatility in its results commentary, noting that Brent crude averaged 104.5 dollars a barrel in Q1 FY27, a 54 percent increase over the year-ago quarter, driven by Middle East supply disruptions. A further leg up in crude prices would keep energy costs and inflation in sharp focus for the broader market today.

Stocks to Watch Today: Global Cues and Market Setup

Global cues are mixed heading into the session. US markets fell on Friday, with the S&P 500 down 1.01 percent, the Nasdaq down 1.4 percent and the Dow Jones down around 0.7 percent, as a fresh selloff in chip and semiconductor stocks weighed on sentiment amid concerns that AI infrastructure valuations have run ahead of fundamentals. GIFT Nifty was trading close to flat, down around 0.39 percent from its previous close, suggesting the strong domestic bank earnings may be offset by this weaker global backdrop at the open.

India VIX stood at 13.15 ahead of the session, a relatively calm reading that suggests the market is not pricing in unusual volatility despite the heavy news flow from both results and crude oil.

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Conclusion

The stocks to watch today are led by the banking sector following a weekend packed with Q1 FY27 results, with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank all posting double digit or high single digit profit growth even as margins face pressure. Reliance Industries and oil-linked stocks are in equal focus after crude oil surged past 90 dollars a barrel on fresh Strait of Hormuz tensions. Investors should track how the market absorbs this combination of strong domestic earnings and a more challenging global backdrop, and consult a SEBI-registered advisor before making investment decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQs

Which stocks to watch today are reporting Q1 FY27 results?

Ans. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, IDBI Bank and Punjab & Sind Bank are among the key stocks to watch today after announcing Q1 FY27 results over the weekend.

How did HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank perform in Q1 FY27?

Ans. HDFC Bank posted a standalone net profit of Rs 19,060 crore, up 5 percent year on year, while ICICI Bank reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 15,440 crore, up 13.9 percent.

Why is Reliance Industries among the stocks to watch today?

Ans. Reliance Industries reported Q1 FY27 consolidated net profit falling 22.4 percent to Rs 20,946 crore due to a high base effect, even as revenue rose 25.4 percent and the company posted its highest ever quarterly EBITDA.

Why are oil marketing companies among stocks to watch today?

Ans. Brent crude jumped past 90 dollars a barrel over the weekend after a fresh escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, which could pressure margins at oil marketing companies like Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL if retail prices lag rising input costs.

What is the global market backdrop for stocks to watch today?

Ans. US markets fell on Friday amid a selloff in chip and semiconductor stocks over AI infrastructure valuation concerns, and GIFT Nifty was trading close to flat ahead of today’s session.

Which bank showed the strongest Q1 FY27 profit growth?

Ans. Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank posted the strongest headline profit growth among the major banks, both rising more than 22 percent year on year, though Axis Bank’s net interest margin compressed sharply.

How should investors approach stocks to watch today?

Ans. Investors should evaluate each company’s results in detail rather than react to headline numbers alone, and consult a SEBI-registered advisor before making investment decisions.