Buy or sell: Vaishali Parekh recommends three intraday stocks to buy today — 21 July 2026

Buy or sell stocks, 21 July 2026: The key benchmark indices of the Indian stock market are expected to open on a subdued note as investors remain cautious amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, elevated crude oil prices, persistent foreign portfolio investor (FPI) selling, and continued weakness in the Indian rupee. The combination of external headwinds has reinforced a risk-off mood, limiting investors' appetite for equities.

Early trends in GIFT Nifty, trading around 24,124 compared with the Nifty's previous close of 24,238, point to a gap-down opening for domestic markets. The weak indication reflects lingering concerns over the evolving geopolitical situation and its potential impact on global energy markets and capital flows.

With Brent crude continuing to trade at elevated levels and the rupee remaining under pressure, investors are likely to remain focused on global developments, while the ongoing first-quarter earnings season is expected to drive stock-specific action. Until there is greater clarity on the geopolitical front, broader market sentiment is likely to remain subdued despite selective opportunities emerging from corporate earnings.

Stock market today

Vaishali Parekh, Vice President — Technical Research at Prabhudas Lilladher, believes the Indian stock market bias is positive as long as the Nifty 50 index remains above 23,800. The Prabhudas Lilladher expert maintained that the 50-stock index is on the cusp of a technical breakout at 24,400.

Speaking on the outlook of the Nifty 50 index, Vaishali Parekh said, the index, after witnessing a gap down opening, remained rangebound for the rest of the session to close in the red near the 24,200 zone with bias still maintained with a cautiously positive approach still aiming to breach above the tough hurdle of the 24,400 zone to trigger a breakout.

“On the downside, the index would continue to have the important near-term support positioned at the 23,800 level, which needs to be sustained to maintain the overall bias intact,” said Parekh.

On the outlook of the Bank Nifty today, Parekh said the key index on the back of weak Q1FY27 results of three of its major banking stocks, opened in the red near the 57,800 zone and remained flat for the rest of the session to end near the 57,950 zone, with overall continuing to be in a rangebound zone for quite some time.

“The Bank Nifty index would have the important support zone of the 200-period MA at the 57,300 level, and a decisive breach above the resistance hurdle of the 58,600 zone is much needed to trigger a breakout and thereafter, expect further fresh upward move in the coming days,” she added.

Vaishali Parekh's stock recommendations for today

Regarding stocks to buy today, Vaishali Parekh recommended these three buy-or-sell stocks: Hindustan Oil Exploration Company, IEX, and Fermenta Biotech.

1] Hindustan Oil Exploration Company: Buy at ₹161, Target ₹166, Stop Loss ₹157;

2] IEX: Buy at ₹124, Target ₹130, Stop Loss ₹122; and

3] Fermenta Biotech: Buy at ₹440, Target ₹460, Stop Loss ₹430.

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.