Benchmark indices in India, including the Nifty 50 and Sensex, experienced a strong rally on March 5, 2025, recording their best performance in a month. The session saw top-performing stocks like Adani Wilmar and Tata Steel gain significant value, while companies like Bombay Stock Exchange and Gensol Engineering faced declines.
Indian stock markets witnessed a strong recovery as benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex ended higher after a prolonged losing streak. The Sensex climbed 740 points, while Nifty surged over 254 points, marking the end of its 10-day decline, the longest in history. The rally was driven by gains in IT, metal, and automobile stocks as investors sought value amid global trade uncertainties.
Top Gainers on March 5, 2025
Adani Wilmar (Gujarat, India): Adani Wilmar Limited, a leading food FMCG company, saw an 8% rise in its stock price following its announcement of acquiring an 80% stake in GD Foods Manufacturing (India) Private Ltd., the company behind the ‘Tops’ brand. The remaining 20% stake will be acquired over the next three years.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (Maharashtra, India): HPCL, a key player in India’s oil refining and marketing sector, saw its shares rise nearly 4% as oil marketing companies gained for the third consecutive session. The uptrend followed a decline in global crude oil prices after OPEC+ decided to increase production, benefiting India’s refiners.
Mahindra & Mahindra (Maharashtra, India): Leading SUV manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra’s shares gained over 4% after global brokerage UBS Securities upgraded its rating to ‘Buy’. However, the brokerage revised its price target downward to ₹3,300 per share from ₹3,460.
Avanti Feeds (Andhra Pradesh, India): Avanti Feeds Limited, a major aquaculture company, saw its shares rise 6% after its subsidiary Avanti Pet Care Pvt. Ltd. launched its pet food brand, ‘Avant Frust,’ in Hyderabad, marking its entry into India’s pet food segment.
Jindal Drilling (Delhi, India): Jindal Drilling & Industries, a provider of offshore drilling services, saw a 9% rise in its stock after announcing the acquisition of the ‘Jindal Pioneer’ jackup rig from Singapore-based Discovery Drilling for $75 million (₹653 crore).
Tata Steel (Maharashtra, India): Tata Steel Limited, one of India’s largest steel producers, saw its stock rise nearly 5% as China announced plans to restructure its steel industry. The move is expected to reduce cheap steel imports into India, benefiting domestic producers.
Deepak Nitrite (Gujarat, India): Specialty chemicals manufacturer Deepak Nitrite’s stock gained over 4% after Kotak Institutional Equities upgraded its rating to ‘Add’ and raised its price target to ₹2,020.
Top Losers on March 5, 2025
Shares of BSE Ltd., Asia’s oldest stock exchange, fell over 3% after its competitor, the National Stock Exchange (NSE), announced a shift in expiry dates for all Futures & Options (F&O) contracts to Mondays instead of Thursdays, effective April 4.
Gensol Engineering (Gujarat, India): Gensol Engineering Limited, a renewable energy solutions provider, saw its shares drop 10% for the second consecutive day after multiple downgrades due to delays in servicing term loan obligations. ICRA alleged that the company falsified debt servicing documents, further impacting investor sentiment.
RBZ Jewellers (Maharashtra, India): RBZ Jewellers Limited, a prominent jewelry manufacturer, witnessed a 5% decline in its stock price after the company reported a fraud of ₹2 crore committed by an employee. The accused, Om Kumar Manoj Kumar Shukla, allegedly falsified financial records while working as a cashier.
