Stocks to Watch: PNB, Marico, Bandhan Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Exide

Here are the top ten stocks that are likely to be in focus today:

Punjab National Bank: The lender said it has recorded a 9.7% year-on-year surge in its total deposits during the September quarter, reaching ₹13.1 trillion compared to ₹11.9 trillion in the previous year. The bank also saw a year-on-year uptick in its current account savings account which grew 2.6%.

Marico: The consumer goods manufacturer said it saw a slight dip in second-quarter revenue due to rising food prices and below normal rainfall affecting rural demand. Marico expects improved consumption trends in the second half of the fiscal year. In the domestic market, low-single-digit volume growth was seen in the three months ended September.

Bandhan Bank: The bank's loans and advances grew by 4.3% QoQ and 12.3% YoY to reach ₹1.07 trillion. Total deposits increased by 3.3% QoQ and 12.8% YoY to ₹1.12 trillion. CASA deposits rose by 10.5% QoQ and 6.5% YoY.

Maruti Suzuki: The automaker said it has received a show cause notice from the Gujarat GST authority for a demand of ₹1.78 crore. This notice for the period from July 2017 to March 2018, pertains to the reconciliation of the company's tax returns.

Hindustan Aeronautics: The company on Wednesday delivered the inaugural LCA Tejas twin-seater aircraft to the Indian Air Force. HAL said this variant serves as both a training aircraft for the IAF and can also function as a fighter when needed. The LCA Tejas twin-seater is a versatile, lightweight, all-weather 4.5 generation multi-role aircraft.

Nazara Technologies: Nodwin Gaming's Singapore division has acquired the entire stake in game marketing agency Publishme for $2 million. The acquisition involves purchasing an 82.81% share from Nazara Technologies' Dubai branch for $2 million in cash and the remaining share from Publishme co-founder Ozgur Ozalp for $1.

L&T Finance: The lender's retail disbursements surged to ₹13,490 crore in July-September, reflecting a substantial growth of 32% year-on-year. Its retail loan book also witnessed a 33% expansion, reaching an estimated ₹69,400 crore.

Indian Energy Exchange: The company posted around 13% growth in overall trade volume to 9,147 million units (MU) in September. IEX saw 9,147 MU overall volume, including green market trade of 230 MU, 5.15 lakh renewable energy certificates, and 1.06 lakh energy saving certificates.

Exide Industries: The company has invested Rs. 340 crore in its wholly owned subsidiary, Exide Energy Solutions Limited, through a rights-based subscription. This investment does not alter the company's shareholding in EESL which is into the manufacturing and sale of lithium-ion battery cells, modules, and packs for India's electric vehicle market and stationary applications.

Royal Orchid Hotels: The Bengaluru-based company and its subsidiary, Royal Orchid Goa Private Limited, have finalised a share purchase agreement with prominent individuals P. Dayananda Pai, P. Satish Pai, and ICON to acquire additional 48.93% of ICON's equity share capital. Post the dematerialization transfer of these shares, Royal Orchid Hotels' stake in ICON will surge from 51.07% to 100%.