Stocks to Watch: ITC, Adani Wilmar, ACC, NTPC, IndusInd Bank, Dixon Technologies, and more

Here’s a quick look at stocks likely to be in focus in today's trade.

ITC reported its Q2FY25 results on Thursday, October 24, with a net profit increase of 3 percent, reaching ₹5,078.3 crore, compared to ₹4,927 crore in the same quarter last year. The tobacco-to-hotels conglomerate also reported a 17 percent rise in revenue from operations for the second quarter of the current fiscal, with ₹19,327.8 crore, up from ₹16,550 crore in the year-ago period.

NTPC Limited, the state-owned power giant, posted a 14 percent increase in consolidated net profit for the September quarter, with ₹5,380.25 crore compared to ₹4,726.40 crore in the same period last year. However, its total income saw a slight decline, falling to ₹45,197.77 crore from ₹45,384.64 crore in the year-ago period. The company’s board also approved an interim dividend of ₹2.50 per equity share for FY25, to be dispatched on November 18, 2024.

Adani Wilmar reported an 18 percent rise in revenue, reaching ₹14,460 crore year-on-year (YoY), while its volume growth was recorded at 12 percent YoY. The company posted a consolidated profit of ₹311 crore for Q2FY25, a stark turnaround from its loss of ₹131 crore in the same period last year (Q2FY24). Adani Wilmar also reported its highest-ever half-yearly operating EBITDA at ₹1,232 crore for the first half of FY25, marking a staggering 349 percent YoY growth. For the second quarter alone, operating EBITDA reached ₹612 crore, reflecting a 325 percent YoY increase. The company also achieved its highest-ever half-yearly Profit After Tax (PAT) of ₹624 crore.

ACC, the Indian cement giant, reported a smaller-than-expected drop in its second-quarter profit, largely due to steady volume growth. Its profit after tax fell by 39 percent to ₹234 crore ( ₹2.34 billion), but this still exceeded analysts’ estimates of ₹218 crore. ACC’s sales grew by 15 percent in the quarter, compared to 9 percent in the preceding quarter. The company expects cement demand to improve in the second half of FY25, driven by post-monsoon construction and housing activity.

Adani Total Gas Ltd, the joint venture between Adani Group and French energy major Total Energies, saw a 6 percent rise in net profit for the July-September quarter, reaching ₹178 crore, compared to ₹168 crore a year earlier. The company’s revenue from operations increased by 12 percent, reaching ₹1,315 crore, driven by higher volume and sales realization. This growth in profits and revenues comes despite higher gas prices cutting into the company’s overall gains, although the rise in CNG and piped cooking gas volumes helped offset these challenges.

IndusInd Bank reported a 40 percent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for Q2 FY25, amounting to ₹1,331 crore, falling well below market expectations. The primary reason for the drop was a significant rise in loan loss provisions, which nearly doubled during the quarter. The bank’s net interest income (NII) grew by 5 percent year-on-year to ₹5,347 crore. Additionally, IndusInd Bank's net interest margin (NIM) dropped to 4.08 percent, down from 4.29 percent in the previous year, reflecting reduced profitability.

JSW Energy reported a marginal increase in consolidated net profit for the September 2024 quarter, with a Profit After Tax (PAT) of ₹853 crore, compared to ₹850 crore in the same period last year. The company’s total revenue rose by 2 percent year-on-year, reaching ₹3,459 crore, up from ₹3,387 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Dixon Technologies reported a remarkable 265 percent year-on-year surge in net profits for Q2 FY2025, amounting to ₹412 crore. This significant growth was driven by increased mobile phone production and an exceptional gain of ₹209.6 crore. The electronics contract manufacturer also saw a 120 percent year-on-year rise in revenues, which reached ₹18,116 crore during the July-September period, up from ₹4,944 crore a year ago.

DCB Bank posted a 23 percent increase in net profit for the September 2024 quarter, with a profit after tax of ₹155 crore, compared to ₹127 crore in the same period last year. The bank's net interest income grew by 7 percent year-on-year to ₹509 crore, while other income nearly doubled to ₹200 crore, driven by higher fee-based income and treasury gains.

Suryoday Small Finance Bank reported a 10 percent decline in net profit for Q2 FY2025, with profits falling to ₹45.4 crore due to higher provisions, which rose to ₹67 crore compared to ₹27 crore in the same period last year. However, the bank's pre-provision operating profit increased by 34.5 percent year-on-year to ₹127 crore, supported by a 27.4 percent rise in total income to ₹555 crore and a 35.7 percent increase in net interest income, which stood at ₹300 crore.