Radar

• Leading brokerages have issued updated stock calls, upgrades, and target price revisions for several companies ahead of today's trading session. • Key companies on the radar include Bharat Forge, Gland Pharma, Zydus Life, Info Edge, Fractal Analytics, PNB, Afcons Infra, Vodafone, and Entero Health. • Analysts highlight growth drivers such as domestic business strength and generics exports, with specific projections including a 13% CAGR in loans and a 0.9% ROA by FY27 for certain entities.

• Brokerages have identified several top stock picks for today's trade, including SBI Life, SBI Cards, Adani Energy, Tata Consumer, and Shriram Finance. • ACC is undergoing a merger with Ambuja Cements, where ACC shareholders will receive 328 Ambuja shares for every 100 ACC shares held. • Financial forecasts for an unspecified entity show a significant earnings trim of 28% for FY27E and 2% for FY28E, with the target price lowered to Rs310.

• Intel has announced a planned €5 billion expansion of its semiconductor manufacturing facilities located in Ireland. • This move has increased investor interest in US-listed AI infrastructure multinationals that maintain significant operational footprints across Europe. • Such cross-Atlantic strategies are critical as they allow companies to leverage local European policy support and subsidies for chip production.

• Several major stocks, including HDFC Bank, Pidilite, Mahindra, UPL, and Prestige, have been identified as top picks by brokerage firms for today's trading session. • These recommendations are based on current market analysis and brokerage radar, though NDTV Profit clarifies that these views belong to independent investment advisers. • This selection matters for investors seeking short-term opportunities or portfolio adjustments based on professional brokerage sentiment.

• Several major Indian companies, including Infosys, Reliance Industries, Hindalco, Tata Motors PV, and CG Power, have been identified as top stock picks by various brokerages. • These stocks are currently under high surveillance and are recommended for traders and investors heading into the current trading session. • This movement highlights shifting market sentiment and analyst confidence in these specific industrial and technology sectors.

Iran and the US have exchanged a series of attacks near the strait of Hormuz, imperilling efforts to reach a peace dealThe US military said it shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the strait of Hormuz and struck coastal surveillance radar sites in response.“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” US central command (Centcom) said on social media. The military is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s chokehold on the strait – a crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments – which has sent energy prices spiking. Continue reading...

Kuwaiti state media report sirens sounding across the country, as officials say air defences active over the countryEuropean leaders condemn Israel’s deepening incursion into Lebanon US central command (Centcom) has said that it struck targets in Iran over the weekend, in a statement that came just minutes after Kuwait announced it was under attack.Labelling their actions “self-defence”, the US said it hit Iranian “radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island”.The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.” Continue reading...

• Vienna is set to host the 70th Anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final in 2026. • The competition will feature 25 participating countries vying for a single winner's trophy. • TechRadar is providing guidance on how viewers can stream the event online for free from any global location.

• NASA's Perseverance rover discovered extensive water ice deposits beneath Mars' surface in Jezero Crater using advanced ground-penetrating radar technology, with findings suggesting accessibility for future human missions. • The subsurface ice layers extend up to 300 meters deep and contain an estimated 5 million metric tons of water ice, according to data released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on April 21. • Scientists believe the water deposits could support long-term human habitation and fuel production, making Mars exploration more feasible for sustained presence beyond current rover missions.

Iran hit the E-3 Sentry aircraft at Prince Sultan airbase on 27 March, underlining its ability to strike high-value targetsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe destruction of a US E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft in an Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabian airbase has raised questions over how a critical surveillance asset was left unprotected, and how Iran was able to launch a direct strike on the plane.The plane was one of 16 operational E-3s, which first went into production in the 1960s and carry sophisticated monitoring equipment that allow them to warn of airborne threats such as missiles, as well as surveil and monitor their assigned battle space including communications, troop and equipment movements and air defence sites. Continue reading...