Stocks to Watch: Airtel, Titan, Blue Dart, Gland Pharma, ONGC, Britannia

Global jitters and earnings put Indian stocks under the lens

A weak global lead, firmer crude and a packed earnings calendar are shaping the day’s watchlist.

Global losses set a defensive tone

The GIFT Nifty was quoted at 24,467.50, down 130 points, or 0.53%, pointing to a lower opening for the Nifty 50. The indication comes against a sharp retreat in overseas markets: Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell as much as 8%, while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 8.8%, triggering a circuit breaker. In the US, the S&P 500 ended 4.4% lower, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite lost 3.4% and 5.5%, respectively.

That backdrop may keep investors focused on risk and liquidity rather than company-specific news alone, particularly at the start of trading. Brent crude added 1.2% in the Asia session to $99.5 a barrel, and US WTI rose 0.98% to $91.41, following reports of fresh tanker attacks in West Asia. A sustained rise in oil could become an important consideration for businesses exposed to fuel and input costs, although the supplied information does not establish how long the move will last.

Earnings put telecom, jewellery and energy in focus

Bharti Airtel reported a 31% year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit to ₹8,887 crore in Q2FY27. Its average revenue per user, or ARPU, increased to ₹271 from ₹264, with the withdrawal of cheaper ₹299 prepaid packs in August cited as support. The performance was broadly in line with expectations, making the change in ARPU a key operating detail for investors assessing revenue quality.

Titan’s consolidated revenue grew 10% to ₹20,614 crore, while net profit more than doubled to ₹2,393 crore. ONGC reported a 57.3% increase in standalone net profit to ₹15,488.6 crore, with revenue up 32.8% to ₹43,875.2 crore. Britannia’s consolidated revenue rose 15.6% to ₹5,597.8 crore and net profit gained 10.2% to ₹721 crore. These results offer different signals across consumer, jewellery and energy businesses; investors may look beyond headline growth to the factors supporting each company’s performance.

Orders and mixed results add company-specific catalysts

The earnings picture is not uniformly strong. Bikaji Foods recorded 13% revenue growth to ₹921 crore, but EBITDA declined 9.7% to ₹102 crore and net profit fell 11.3% to ₹71 crore. Rubicon Research, by contrast, reported revenue growth of 39.8% to ₹576 crore, EBITDA up 52.1% to ₹143 crore and net profit up 66.7% to ₹90 crore. The divergence highlights why investors may compare profitability trends with sales growth rather than treating revenue expansion as a complete measure of performance.

Ashoka Buildcon emerged as the lowest bidder for an ₹865.90-crore NHAI project on the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway. Sasken Technologies secured a multi-year engineering deal with a leading European automotive group, while Texmaco Rail & Engineering won three domestic orders worth ₹428.55 crore. For these companies, execution, order conversion and the eventual contribution to business performance will matter beyond the initial announcement. Blue Dart Express and Gland Pharma are among the companies scheduled to report results today, alongside Hindalco Industries, Honasa Consumer, Siemens, Coromandel International, Voltas and others.

Key Highlights

• GIFT Nifty indicated a 0.53% lower start amid sharp losses in Asian and US markets.
• Brent crude rose to $99.5 a barrel after reports of tanker attacks in West Asia.
• Bharti Airtel’s ARPU rose to ₹271, while consolidated profit increased 31% year on year.
• Titan, ONGC and Britannia all reported year-on-year growth in revenue and net profit.
• Bikaji Foods posted lower EBITDA and profit despite revenue growth; Rubicon Research reported increases across all three measures.
• Ashoka Buildcon, Sasken Technologies and Texmaco Rail announced new project or contract wins.

Investor Note: A weak global backdrop and higher crude add uncertainty to the session, while company results and order announcements provide stock-specific catalysts. Investors may wish to distinguish reported growth from its underlying drivers and monitor execution, profitability and the broader market response rather than relying on headlines alone.