Raja Venkatraman, MarketSmith recommend five stocks for 12 May

Stocks to buy on 12 May: Indian markets came under pressure on Monday, 11 May, with both equities and the rupee weakening after Narendra Modi called for measures such as fuel conservation, reduced imports, and curbs on gold purchases amid rising energy costs and pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

India, the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of crude oil, had indicated late last month that there were no plans to increase retail fuel prices for diesel and petrol, even as global prices surged.

The Nifty 50 declined 1.49% to 23,815.85, while the BSE Sensex fell 1.7% to 76,015.28.

Meanwhile, the rupee weakened sharply, closing at a record low of 95.31 per dollar, down about 0.9% on the day—its steepest single-day decline since 27 March.

What Gift Nifty live chart signals?

The Gift Nifty Live Chart is showing a negative start for the Indian stock market today. By 7:38 AM, the Gift Nifty was trading around the 23,649 level, a discount of 220 points from the Nifty futures’ previous close of 23,868.50.

Decoding the impact of Gift Nifty live chart and other triggers on Dalal Street, Hariprasad K, SEBI-registered Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said that the markets are likely to witness a cautious start today after Monday’s sharp selloff, with Gift Nifty indicating a negative opening near the 23,750 zone. The domestic market enters the session under pressure after benchmark indices corrected nearly 1.5–1.7% in the previous session amid rising geopolitical tensions and a spike in crude oil prices.

However, global cues are showing signs of stabilisation. Asian markets opened higher on Tuesday, with Japan’s Nikkei rallying over 400 points and South Korea’s Kospi gaining more than 1.3%, as investors attempted to look beyond renewed uncertainty surrounding the fragile US-Iran ceasefire. Sentiment remains sensitive after former US President Donald Trump stated that the truce was on “massive life support,” raising concerns over possible further escalation in the region.

For Indian markets, today’s major domestic trigger will be the release of April CPI inflation data. The inflation print will be closely tracked as rising crude oil prices continue to fuel concerns around imported inflation, pressure on household consumption, and the RBI’s policy outlook going forward.

Stocks to buy today

Regarding stocks to buy today — Raja Venkatraman is Co-founder of NeoTrader, and stock research platform MarketSmith India, recommended buying these five shares - JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), Fortis Healthcare Ltd, Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.

Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTrader’s Raja Venkatraman

JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd (Cmp ₹683.15)

JK Lakshmi Cement: Buy above ₹688, stop ₹650, target ₹735 (Multiday)

Why it’s recommended: JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd (JKLCL) is a prominent Indian cement manufacturer and a part of the esteemed JK Organisation. They are known for manufacturing a variety of cement, ready-mix concrete (RMC), and AAC blocks. After spending the last 9 months in a declining phase the stock lost the momentum till the Pharma sector picked up once again. In the recent U and V shaped recovery, a strong thrust with volumes sparks a revival above the value area at 650 zone. The long body candle with volumes signals the onset of a new trend in 2026. A promising long body candle to end the previous trading session suggest us to go long.

Key metrics:

P/E: 81.36

52-week high: ₹564.83,

Volume: 136.12K

Technical analysis: Support at ₹630, resistance at ₹750.

Risk factors: Declining profitability, margin shortfall and increased debt.

Buy : above ₹688.

Stop loss: ₹650.

Target price: ₹735 (2 Months)

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) (Cmp 2,307.20)

Hindustan Unilever Ltd: Buy above ₹2,310, stop ₹2,250 target ₹2,525 (Multiday)

Why it’s recommended: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) is India’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, operates primarily in the Home Care, Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, and Foods & Refreshment segments. As FMCG reports better Q4 numbers across the board we can see the steady upward revival. This counter has been in an extended declining phase and is now looking to come out of its constant downward pressure. The steady hold above the cloud region has now created a possibility of heading into a strong upward traction. On successive days we have noted that the trends continue to retreat from higher levels. Look to go long now.

Key metrics:

P/E: 49.19,

52-week high: ₹2779.70,

Volume: 1.9M.

Technical analysis: Support at ₹2,200, resistance at ₹2,600.

Risk factors: Raw material price volatility and cyclicality and competition.

Buy : above ₹2,310

Stop loss: ₹2,250

Target price: ₹2,525 (2 Months)

Fortis Healthcare Ltd (Cmp ₹974.15)

Fortis Healthcare: Buy above ₹980, stop ₹935 target, ₹1,098 (Multiday)

Why it’s recommended: Fortis Healthcare Ltd is a leading Indian private, for-profit hospital network headquartered in Gurugram, providing integrated services including quaternary care, orthopedics, cardiology, and oncology. The robust volumes seen in the last two days despite uncertain market conditions highlights the strong potential in the prices. As prices are forming higher lows is indicating that the long bias continues to hold. A long body candle seen in the last session is now helping the rise sustain the uncertain environment. With the momentum favouring the long side , consider going long.

Key metrics:

P/E Ratio: 450.14

52-week high: ₹1,105

Volume: 2.57M

Technical analysis: Support at ₹900, resistance at ₹1,200.

Risk factors: Regulatory and Legal Risks High Leverage and Financial Liabilities.

Buy : above ₹980.

Stop loss: ₹935.

Target price: ₹1,098.

Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India for 12 May

Buy: Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd (current price: ₹4,517)

Why it’s recommended: strong presence in chronic therapy segments and a well-established domestic pharma business, with consistent growth in the Indian formulations market and a strong brand portfolio supported by extensive doctor reach. The company benefits from healthy cash flow generation, diversified revenue across geographies, and a strong presence in cardiac and diabetes therapies. Margin improvement through operational efficiency, growing focus on specialty and branded products, a stable balance sheet compared to peers, strategic acquisitions supporting growth, and a strong track record of execution further strengthen its business outlook.

Key metrics: P/E: 64.31, 52-week high: ₹4,555.10, volume: ₹255.68 crore

Technical analysis: Flat base breakout

Risk factors: U.S. FDA regulatory risks for plants and products, pricing pressure in the US generics market, dependence on domestic pharma growth, currency fluctuation impact on exports, high competition in key therapy areas, integration risks from acquisitions, litigation and compliance risks, margin pressure from raw material costs, product concentration in select therapies, slow approvals affecting growth visibility, government price control risks in India, and R&D spending pressure on profitability

Buy: ₹4,472–4,540

Target price: ₹5,200 in two to three months

Stop loss: ₹4,260

Buy: Max Healthcare Institute Ltd (current price: ₹1,040)

Why it’s recommended: strong brand in the premium healthcare segment, with consistent growth in occupancy and ARPOB, and follows an asset-light expansion strategy through managed hospitals. The company benefits from increasing demand for quality healthcare services, a strong presence in metro and tier-1 cities, a high-margin specialty treatment portfolio, healthy cash flow generation, and improved profitability. Expansion plans support long-term growth, while raising medical tourism opportunities, strong clinical expertise and doctor network, increasing healthcare awareness, and operational efficiency improvements further strengthen its outlook

Key metrics: P/E:67.43, 52-week high: ₹1,314.30, volume: ₹313.87 crore

Technical analysis: Reclaimed its 100 DMA on above-average volume

Risk factors: high dependence on metro city performance, regulatory risks in healthcare pricing, rising employee and doctor costs, expansion execution risks, high capital expenditure requirements, competition from major hospital chains, occupancy slowdown impacting margins, litigation and compliance risks, dependence on skilled medical professionals, insurance pricing pressure affecting profitability, economic slowdown impacting elective procedures, and expensive valuations during weak growth periods

Buy at: ₹1,030–1,045

Target price: ₹1,150 in two to three months

Stop loss: ₹990

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.