Stock market today remained under pressure in midday trade on Friday, August 14, with the Sensex and Nifty trading lower as investors reacted to quarterly earnings and stock-specific developments.

Highlights:

• LG Electronics India shares jumped nearly 9% after a strong Q1 FY27 performance, while Galaxy Surfactants surged 20% after reporting a 110% rise in net profit.
• Technocraft Ventures made a strong debut with its shares listing more than 34% above the IPO price, while LEAP India opened at a smaller premium.

The Nifty 50 hovered around 24,345, while the BSE Sensex traded near 77,843. LG Electronics India and Galaxy Surfactants emerged among the biggest gainers, while Tata Motors and railway stocks remained under pressure.

LG Electronics India, Galaxy Surfactants Rally

LG Electronics India shares rallied nearly 9% by midday after the company reported a strong performance for the first quarter of FY27. Net profit increased 27% year-on-year to Rs 652 crore, while revenue from operations rose 15% to Rs 7,233 crore.

EBITDA increased 26% to Rs 904 crore, with the operating margin expanding to 12.50% from 11.44%. The company attributed the performance to higher volumes, premium products and stronger demand in its home entertainment business.

Galaxy Surfactants was another major gainer, with its share price rising 20% and hitting the upper circuit. Consolidated net profit increased 110% year-on-year to Rs 166 crore, while revenue from operations rose 39% to Rs 1,782 crore.

The company delivered record quarterly profitability despite feedstock price volatility and supply-chain disruptions linked to developments in West Asia.

Apex Frozen Foods also attracted buying interest, with shares rising nearly 17%. Its Q1 FY27 EBITDA almost doubled to Rs 31 crore from Rs 16 crore a year earlier, while profit after tax jumped 137% to Rs 21 crore. The EBITDA margin improved to 12% from 6%.

Tata Motors, Railway Stocks Under Pressure

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles shares declined nearly 5% after the company reported a sharp 80% year-on-year decline in Q1 performance. Jaguar Land Rover volumes were affected by temporary supply constraints, including a fire at a major component supplier during the quarter.

JLR's EBIT margin fell to 2.8% in Q1 FY27 from 4% a year earlier, reflecting lower volumes and higher vehicle material expenses. Several brokerages have adopted a cautious view following the results.

Railway stocks also remained weak during midday trade. IRCTC declined 1.32%, while BEML fell 1.43%, RailTel dropped 0.95%, RITES declined 0.87%, RVNL slipped 0.81% and IRFC fell 0.71%. SAIL also traded 0.94% lower.

The Nifty India Railways PSU Index was down 0.70%, despite Indian Railways reporting a 1.46% year-on-year increase in Q1 FY27 freight loading to 419.08 million tonnes.

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Technocraft Ventures Makes Strong Debut

Technocraft Ventures made a strong stock market debut, listing at a 34.43% premium on the BSE and 33.96% on the NSE against its Rs 212 IPO issue price.

The Rs 251.88-crore IPO was subscribed 38.69 times, with most of the fresh issue proceeds earmarked for working capital. The EPC company undertakes infrastructure projects across water and wastewater, roads, highways, transmission and urban infrastructure.

LEAP India also made its market debut, though with a more modest premium. Shares listed 4.40% higher on the BSE and 4.33% higher on the NSE against the Rs 159 issue price.

Its Rs 2,480-crore IPO was subscribed 8.38 times. The issue included a fresh issue of Rs 480 crore and an offer for sale worth Rs 2,000 crore, with fresh issue proceeds mainly intended for debt repayment and working capital requirements.