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Stocks to buy this week: What’s the outlook for Nifty? Check list of top stock recommendations – Times of India
Stock market recommendations: According to Sudeep Shah, Head – Technical Research and Derivatives, SBI Securities, Uno Minda Ltd, and HDFC Life are the top stock picks for this week. Here’s his view on Nifty, Bank Nifty for the week starting August 18, 2025:
Nifty View
The benchmark index Nifty finally snapped its six-week losing streak, closing the week with a healthy gain of 1.10% and reclaiming the 24600 mark. This rebound has brought some relief to market participants after a prolonged phase of weakness. However, the momentum appears to have tapered off in the last two trading sessions, with the index confined to a tight range and forming small-bodied candles — a sign of consolidation after the recent minor pullback.Currently, the Nifty continues to trade below its 20-day and 50-day EMA, with both moving averages trending downward — reflecting the underlying weakness in the medium-term structure. On the momentum front, the daily RSI remains in a sideways zone as per the RSI range shift framework, indicating a lack of clear directional bias. Meanwhile, the MACD histogram continues to hover below both its zero line and signal line, keeping the overall sentiment cautious.In terms of internal strength, as many as 28 out of the 50 Nifty constituents are still trading below their respective 50-day EMA levels, suggesting that the recent recovery has yet to gain strong participation across the index. Overall, while the Nifty has managed to break its losing streak, the technical setup still points to caution until broader participation and a move above key averages confirm strength. Talking about crucial levels, the zone of 24750-24800 will be the crucial hurdle for the index. If the index sustains above the 24800 level, then it is likely to extend its pullback rally upto the 25100 level. While on the downside, the zone of 24470-24450 will act as important support for the index. Any sustainable move below the level of 24450 will lead to resume its southward journey. In that case, the index is likely to test the level of 24250, followed by the 24100 level.
Bank Nifty View
Over the past week, the banking benchmark index Bank Nifty traded in a narrow 654-point range — its tightest weekly band since late August 2024. The index underperformed the frontline peers, posting a modest 0.61% gain. On the weekly chart, it formed a small-bodied bullish candle with a slight upper shadow, signalling muted directional momentum.For the past six sessions, Bank Nifty has been hovering around its 100-day EMA, reflecting an indecisive phase. It remains below the 20-day and 50-day EMAs, keeping the overall trend structure weak. The daily RSI also continues to move sideways, indicating the absence of a strong breakout setup.Looking ahead, the 55700–55800 zone will be a key resistance, while 54900–54800 will act as crucial support. A sustained move beyond either of these levels is likely to pave the way for a directional move.
Stock recommendations:
Uno Minda LtdThe stock has witnessed a breakout above a downward-sloping trendline on the daily chart, accompanied by strong volume exceeding the 50-day average, confirming the validity of the breakout. The formation of a sizable bullish candle on the breakout day adds further strength to the move. The stock is currently trading above its short and long-term moving averages, which are trending higher and aligned in the desired sequence—indicating a strong underlying trend.Momentum indicators are also supportive, with the daily RSI surging past the 60 mark and remaining in an upward trajectory. Although the ADX is currently at 15, suggesting that trend strength is still developing, the directional indicators are already in buy mode, reinforcing the bullish setup. Hence, we recommend to accumulate the stock in the zone of 1155-1145 with a stoploss of 1100 on the upside, it is likely to test the level of 1270 in the short term.HDFC LifeThe stock has recently broken out above the neckline of an Adam and Adam Double Bottom pattern on the daily chart, signalling a bullish reversal. This breakout is supported by a rising ADX, which has crossed above the -DI line, confirming directional strength. The stock is trading approximately 6% above its 100-day EMA and nearly 11% above its 200-day EMA, reflecting strong momentum. Additionally, the daily RSI is in bullish territory and continues to rise, further validating the positive price action. Hence, we recommend to accumulate the stock in the zone of 790-780 with a stoploss of 750 on the upside, it is likely to test the level of 860 in the short term.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market and other asset classes given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
The Eli Lilly logo appears on the company’s office in San Diego, California, U.S., Nov. 21, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Eli Lilly on Monday said it is lowering the cash prices of single-dose vials of its blockbuster weight loss drug Zepbound on its direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect, building on efforts by the company and the Trump administration to make the medicine more accessible.
The announcement also comes weeks after chief rival Novo Nordisk unveiled additional discounts on the cash prices of its obesity and diabetes drugs.
Starting Monday, cash-paying patients with a valid prescription can get the starting dose of Zepbound vials for as low as $299 per month on LillyDirect, down from a previous price of $349 per month. They can also access the next dose, 5 milligrams, for $399 per month and all other doses for $449 per month, down from $499 per month across those sizes.
Zepbound carries a list price of roughly $1,086 per month. That price point, and spotty insurance coverage for weight loss drugs in the U.S., have been significant barriers to access for some patients.
Eli Lilly’s announcement comes just weeks after President Donald Trump inked deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to make their GLP-1 drugs easier for Americans to get and afford. The agreements will cut the prices the government pays for the drugs, introduce Medicare coverage of obesity drugs for the first time for certain patients and offer discounted medicines on the government’s new direct-to-consumer website launching in January, TrumpRx.
But Eli Lilly’s deal with Trump centers around lowering the prices of a different form of Zepbound – a multi-dose pen – after it wins Food and Drug Administration approval.
That means Eli Lilly’s Monday announcement around cutting prices on the existing single-dose vials could allow more patients to get discounted treatments more quickly.
“We will keep working to provide more options — expanding choices for delivery devices and creating new pathways for access — so more people can get the medicines they need,” said Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA and global customer capabilities, in a statement.
Eli Lilly’s stock, which has climbed more than 36% this year, fell nearly 2% on Monday. Its meteoric rise due to the success of Zepbound and its diabetes injection Mounjaro vaulted it to becoming the first health-care company to hit a $1 trillion market value last month. Though cutting prices means lower revenue per medication sold, Eli Lilly’s sales — and shares — have continued to soar through past pricing announcements as demand balloons.
With single-dose vials, patients need to use a syringe and needle to draw up the medicine and inject it into themselves. Eli Lilly first introduced that form of Zepbound in August 2024.
It’s unclear how many patients are currently using single-dose vials of Zepbound. But Eli Lilly previously said that direct-to-consumer sales now account for more than a third of new prescriptions of Zepbound.
Novo Nordisk earlier this month lowered the price of its obesity drug Wegovy and diabetes treatment Ozempic for existing cash-paying patients to $349 per month from $499 per month. That excludes the highest dose of Ozempic.
The company also launched a temporary introductory offer, which will allow new cash-paying patients to access the two lowest doses of Wegovy and Ozempic for $199 per month for the first two months of treatment.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has approved a fresh increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), raising the cost for both domestic consumers and commercial users.
According to the notification issued, the LPG price has been increased by Rs7.39 per kilogram, setting the new rate at Rs209 per kg for December. As a result, the price of a domestic LPG cylinder has risen by Rs87.21, bringing the new price to Rs2,466.10.
In November, the price of LPG stood at Rs201 per kg, while the domestic cylinder was priced at Rs2,378.89.
The latest price hike is expected to put additional pressure on households already grappling with rising living costs nationwide.
New Delhi: The taxable value of all supplies under GST surged by a robust 15 per cent during September-October this year, compared to the same period in 2024 due to sharp increase in consumption triggered by the tax rate cuts on goods across sectors that kicked in from September 22, according to official sources.
The growth in the same two-month period last year was 8.6 per cent. “This surge in taxable value during ‘Bachat Utsav’ demonstrates strong consumption uplift, stimulated by reduced rates and improved compliance behaviour,” a senior official said.
He pointed out that the growth has especially been strong in sectors where rate rationalisation was implemented, such as FMCG, pharma goods, food products, automobiles, medical devices and textiles. In these sectors, the taxable value of supplies has seen significantly higher growth, confirming that lower GST rates translated directly into higher consumer spending.
“It vindicates our strategy that reducing rates on essentials and mass-use sectors would create demand-side buoyancy — a Laffer Curve–type demand uplift,” he explained.These trends confirm that GST next-gen reforms have not disrupted revenue stability, and that consumption-side buoyancy has begun to translate into higher taxable value in key sectors.
This growth is in value terms which means that since GST rates were lower, the growth in volume terms will be even higher. It is clearly visible that while the Next Gen Reforms resulted in significant Bachat — increased consumption, industry has been very proactive in passing on the GST savings to the final consumers and ensuring that there is no supply side deficiency.
As GDP private consumption data will be released much later, GST taxable value serves as the most reliable real-time proxy for consumption, and the current numbers clearly indicate sustained demand expansion, the official added.
Eli Lilly cuts cash prices of Zepbound weight loss drug vials on direct-to-consumer site
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