Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain

The RBI cut the repo rate by 25 bps to 6.25%, boosting rate-sensitive sectors like real estate and banking. NCC shares dropped 6% after weak Q3 results, while Godrej Properties and Phoenix Mill led realty sector gains. The Sensex and Nifty saw mixed movements, with Bharti Airtel and Tata Steel among top gainers.

CONTENTS:

• Stock Market News Today – Live Updates (February 7, 2025)
• NCC Shares Drop Following Q3 Results
• NCC Shares Drop 6% Amid Mixed Realty Sector Performance

Stock Market News Today – Live Updates (February 7, 2025)

Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain

RBI Monetary Policy: Market Reactions and Stock Recommendations

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a 25 basis points (bps) cut in the repo rate, bringing it down to 6.25%—the first such reduction in nearly five years. While the market had largely anticipated this move, experts suggest that rate-sensitive sectors like real estate, banking, and automobiles could see short-term gains. Analysts have recommended 15 stocks to consider following this policy shift.

Market Performance: Mixed Reactions Across Sectors

Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain : Following the rate cut, rate-sensitive sectors have displayed a mixed response. The BSE Sensex fell by 328 points, while indices like Nifty Auto and Realty recorded gains. The reduction in interest rates is expected to boost the housing sector, particularly the affordable housing segment.

Key Stock Movements

• 52-Week Lows: Several stocks, including HIL, Rajesh Exports, Relaxo Footwears, Tube Investments of India, and Easy Trip Planners, hit their 52-week lows.
• 52-Week Highs: Pansari Developers, Vimta Labs, Oil Country Tubular, Laxmi Goldorna House, and Zota Health Care reached new 52-week highs.
• Bikaji Foods: Shares fell nearly 13% after weak Q3FY25 results, with net profit dropping 39% YoY to ₹28.6 crore despite a 14.5% revenue increase.
• NCC: Stock declined by 14.5%, hitting an 11-month low after mixed Q3 results, with net profit at ₹193.18 crore.

Expert Insights and Investment Strategies

• Large-Cap Focus: Devarsh Vakil of HDFC Securities recommends prioritizing large-cap stocks, particularly in banking, due to strong earnings and asset recoveries.
• Technical Picks: Nagaraj Shetti of HDFC Securities suggests Graphite India and Hindustan Oil Exploration Company as top picks.
• Dividend Stocks: ONGC, GAIL, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders are in focus as they trade ex-dividend today.
• Telecom & Infrastructure: Indus Towers shares are under the spotlight following its ₹3,308 crore acquisition of Bharti Airtel and Bharti Hexacom assets.

Market Outlook

Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain: Ahead of the trading session, the Gift Nifty indicated a mildly positive start, trading around the 23,715 level—a slight premium over the previous Nifty futures close. Experts are closely monitoring how economic indicators and corporate earnings shape market trends.

For real-time updates, expert opinions, and deeper financial insights, stay tuned to the latest market coverage.

NCC Shares Drop Following Q3 Results

Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain : Shares of infrastructure company NCC Ltd. fell by as much as 13% on Friday, February 7, after the company announced its December quarter results post-market hours on Thursday.

The Rekha Jhunjhunwala-backed stock reported a 12.5% year-on-year (YoY) decline in net profit, amounting to ₹193.2 crore for the third quarter ending December 31, 2024. This is a drop from the ₹220.7 crore net profit recorded in the same quarter of the previous fiscal, as per the company’s regulatory filing.

Despite the profit decline, NCC’s revenue from operations saw a modest 1.6% increase, reaching ₹5,344.5 crore compared to ₹5,260 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.

At the operational level, EBITDA fell 16.6% to ₹420.9 crore from ₹504.4 crore recorded in the same period last year. The EBITDA margin also contracted to 7.9%, down from 9.6% in the previous year. The company reported a basic and diluted EPS of ₹3.08 for Q3, compared to ₹3.51 in the same quarter of the prior year.

Performance Over Nine Months

Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain: For the nine-month period ending December 31, 2024, NCC reported a turnover of ₹16,165.55 crore, including other income, marking an increase from ₹14,440.86 crore in the same period last year.

EBITDA for the nine months stood at ₹1,361.76 crore, while the net profit attributable to shareholders reached ₹566.06 crore, compared to ₹1,218.36 crore and ₹471.53 crore, respectively, in the previous year’s nine-month period.

The company also reported a basic and diluted EPS of ₹9.02 for the nine-month period, up from ₹7.51 in the corresponding period last year.

Following the earnings report, NCC Ltd.’s stock closed at ₹237.60 on the BSE, down by ₹2.40 or 1.00%.

NCC Shares Drop 6% Amid Mixed Realty Sector Performance

Friday, February 7, 2025 – 9:12 AM

NCC Ltd.’s share price has declined by 6%, currently trading at ₹223. Meanwhile, the BSE Realty Index is up 0.6%, standing at 7,170.7.

Among the biggest decliners in the BSE Realty Index are Oberoi Realty (-1.7%) and Brigade Enterprises (-1.6%). On the other hand, Godrej Properties (+2.0%) and Phoenix Mill (+1.9%) are leading the gainers’ list.

NCC’s Performance Over the Past Year

Stock Market Live: RBI Cuts Repo Rate; NCC Shares Drop 6%, Realty Stocks Gain:

Over the past 12 months, NCC’s stock has increased from ₹216.6 to ₹223.0, marking a 3.0% gain. Comparatively, the BSE Realty Index has risen 5.2%, moving from 6,818.1 to 7,170.7.

Top-performing stocks in the BSE Realty Index over the same period include:

• Oberoi Realty (+38.5%)
• Phoenix Mill (+23.6%)
• Prestige Estates (+13.0%)

Broader Market Overview

The BSE Sensex is up 0.2%, currently at 78,214.7, with Bharti Airtel (+2.5%) and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) (+1.9%) leading the gains. Meanwhile, the NSE Nifty has gained 0.2%, trading at 23,649.5, with Hero MotoCorp and SBI among the top performers.

Over the last year, the BSE Sensex has surged 9.0%, increasing from 71,731.4 to 78,214.7.

NCC’s Q3 Financial Performance

For the quarter ending December 2024, NCC’s net profit fell 14.7% YoY to ₹1,958 million, compared to ₹2,295 million in the same period last year. Net sales grew 1.6%, reaching ₹53,445 million, compared to ₹52,601 million in Q3FY24.

For the full fiscal year 2024, NCC reported:

• 14.6% YoY growth in net profit (₹7,404 million vs. ₹6,462 million in FY23).
• 34.0% increase in revenue (₹208,450 million in FY24 vs. ₹155,605 million in FY23).

The company’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, based on the last 12 months, stands at 16.9.

Stock Market Movers

Top Gainers (BSE-30, as of Feb 7, 2025 – 11:37 AM)

• Bharti Airtel ₹1,702.05 (+5.09%)
• Tata Steel ₹136.50 (+2.98%)
• UltraTech Cement ₹11,706.80 (+2.02%)
• NTPC ₹318.50 (+1.84%)
• Zomato ₹233.00 (+1.72%)

Top Losers (BSE-30, as of Feb 7, 2025 – 11:37 AM)

• ITC ₹434.40 (-1.59%)
• SBI ₹744.65 (-1.02%)
• TCS ₹4,046.00 (-0.90%)
• Nestlé ₹2,225.30 (-0.81%)
• ICICI Bank ₹1,263.00 (-0.76%)

Final Thoughts

Despite a 6% drop in NCC’s stock price, the company has shown yearly revenue and profit growth. However, its Q3 performance was weaker than expected, leading to the market reaction. Meanwhile, the broader real estate sector continues to perform well, with select stocks like Godrej Properties and Phoenix Mill showing strong gains.