Nifty under stress; but auto, consumer stocks shine

1 Sep 2025 , 03:08 PM

FPIS SELL EQUITIES IN AUGUST 2025; BUY DEBT

After falling by -3.03% in July 2025, the Nifty 50 fell by another -1.72% in August 2025, as the tariff impact shook the markets. This came after 3 consecutive months of Nifty gains between April and June 2025. Overall FPI flows remained under stress. August 2025 saw FPI selling of ₹ (34,993) Crore in equities; offset by buying of ₹14,488 Crore in debt. Overall FPI outflows in August were ₹ (20,505) Crore. While the 50% tariffs will impact India’s US exports to the tune of nearly $50 Billion, there was also good news in the form of 7.8% growth in Q1FY26 GDP. Let us now look at Nifty returns on various barometers.

MOMENTUM RETURNS – NIFTY ENDS LOWER IN AUGUST 2025

With Nifty down -1.72% in August 2025, there were 21 gainers and 29 losers in terms of 1-month returns. While the positive side returns averaged 4.75%, the negative side returns were -6.80%, triggered by BFSI stocks and IT. Here are top-15 on monthly returns.

Stock Symbol	Market Price	1-Month Return	1-Year Return	52-week High	52-week Low	Bounce from Low	Distance to High
HEROMOTOCO	5,109.50	19.67%	-5.34%	6,246.25	3,344.00	52.80%	18.20%
MARUTI	14,790.00	17.22%	18.77%	14,895.00	10,725.00	37.90%	0.70%
EICHERMOT	6,103.00	11.35%	24.15%	6,269.50	4,508.75	35.36%	2.66%
HINDUNILVR	2,660.00	9.12%	-4.50%	3,035.00	2,136.00	24.53%	12.36%
TITAN	3,620.20	7.47%	2.71%	3,867.00	2,925.00	23.77%	6.38%
BAJAJ-AUTO	8,632.00	7.31%	-20.14%	12,774.00	7,089.35	21.76%	32.43%
TRENT	5,292.00	5.05%	-26.12%	8,345.00	4,488.00	17.91%	36.58%
ASIANPAINT	2,520.00	4.26%	-19.17%	3,394.90	2,124.75	18.60%	25.77%
ETERNAL	315.60	3.46%	25.07%	331.35	194.80	62.01%	4.75%
ULTRACEMCO	12,635.00	3.03%	12.64%	12,930.00	10,047.85	25.75%	2.28%
HINDALCO	704.00	2.20%	0.49%	772.65	546.45	28.83%	8.89%
APOLLOHOSP	7,611.00	2.15%	10.98%	7,980.00	6,001.00	26.83%	4.62%
HDFCLIFE	774.40	1.93%	4.77%	820.75	584.30	32.53%	5.65%
CIPLA	1,587.00	1.92%	-1.80%	1,702.05	1,335.00	18.88%	6.76%
TECHM	1,486.00	1.24%	-10.07%	1,807.70	1,209.40	22.87%	17.80%

Data Source: NSE

Which are the sectors that showed momentum in the last one month? The top 15 stocks had 4 Auto Stocks, 3 Consumer, 2 Commodity stocks, 2 FMCG stocks, and 2 Healthcare stocks. The predominance of auto was largely on the back of the RBI deciding to cut risk weights on auto loans, a big boost for urban auto sector demand. Consumer and FMCG plays were more a bet on the domestic India story, amid the global uncertainty.

LONGER TERM RETURNS – NIFTY STORY FOR YEAR TO AUGUST 2025

With Nifty index 1-Year returns at -2.88% in August 2025, there were 17 gainers and 33 losers. While the positive side returns were 12.27%, the negative side were -17.95%. Here are the top-15 on Annual Returns.

Stock Symbol	Market Price	1-Month Return	1-Year Return	52-week High	52-week Low	Bounce from Low	Distance to High
ETERNAL	315.60	3.46%	25.07%	331.35	194.80	62.01%	4.75%
BEL	369.40	-4.42%	24.71%	436.00	240.25	53.76%	15.28%
EICHERMOT	6,103.00	11.35%	24.15%	6,269.50	4,508.75	35.36%	2.66%
BHARTIARTL	1,888.20	-2.27%	20.62%	2,045.80	1,511.00	24.96%	7.70%
MARUTI	14,790.00	17.22%	18.77%	14,895.00	10,725.00	37.90%	0.70%
M&M	3,200.00	-0.29%	16.02%	3,432.00	2,425.00	31.96%	6.76%
ICICIBANK	1,396.20	-5.71%	14.40%	1,500.00	1,186.00	17.72%	6.92%
ULTRACEMCO	12,635.00	3.03%	12.64%	12,930.00	10,047.85	25.75%	2.28%
APOLLOHOSP	7,611.00	2.15%	10.98%	7,980.00	6,001.00	26.83%	4.62%
KOTAKBANK	1,959.20	0.03%	10.30%	2,301.90	1,679.05	16.69%	14.89%
JSWSTEEL	1,027.00	-1.09%	9.25%	1,089.20	880.00	16.70%	5.71%
BAJAJFINSV	1,916.00	-2.36%	8.99%	2,135.00	1,551.65	23.48%	10.26%
HDFCLIFE	774.40	1.93%	4.77%	820.75	584.30	32.53%	5.65%
GRASIM	2,778.10	0.62%	3.71%	2,898.40	2,276.95	22.01%	4.15%
TITAN	3,620.20	7.47%	2.71%	3,867.00	2,925.00	23.77%	6.38%

Data Source: NSE

Which Nifty stock segments showed best long term returns? The top 15 stocks by 1-year returns had 4 BFSI companies, 4 Auto stocks, and 2 Commodity stocks. If you look at the bottom 15, there were deep cuts in IndusInd Bank, Tata Motors, TCS, ONGC, Coal India, Trent, and Adani Enterprises. In the process, TCS has dropped to fourth rank in market cap rankings, falling behind Bharti Airtel.

NIFTY BOUNCE SHOWS RESILIENCE IN AUGUST 2025

A proxy for resilience is the extent of bounce from 52-Week lows. For the Nifty index, the bounce from the low of the year stood at 12.34%. Out of 50 stocks in the Nifty, 4 stocks bounced over 50% from lows. A total of 11 stocks bounced more than 30% and 28 stocks bounced more than 20%, from the lows of the year.

Stock Symbol	Market Price	1-Month Return	1-Year Return	52-week High	52-week Low	Bounce from Low	Distance to High
ETERNAL	315.60	3.46%	25.07%	331.35	194.80	62.01%	4.75%
JIOFIN	311.30	-2.68%	-4.28%	363.00	198.65	56.71%	14.24%
BEL	369.40	-4.42%	24.71%	436.00	240.25	53.76%	15.28%
HEROMOTOCO	5,109.50	19.67%	-5.34%	6,246.25	3,344.00	52.80%	18.20%
MARUTI	14,790.00	17.22%	18.77%	14,895.00	10,725.00	37.90%	0.70%
BAJFINANCE	879.00	-0.79%	-87.57%	978.80	645.10	36.26%	10.20%
EICHERMOT	6,103.00	11.35%	24.15%	6,269.50	4,508.75	35.36%	2.66%
HDFCLIFE	774.40	1.93%	4.77%	820.75	584.30	32.53%	5.65%
M&M	3,200.00	-0.29%	16.02%	3,432.00	2,425.00	31.96%	6.76%
ADANIPORTS	1,313.00	-5.82%	-11.06%	1,499.50	995.65	31.87%	12.44%
SBILIFE	1,806.80	-1.83%	-2.07%	1,936.00	1,372.55	31.64%	6.67%
HINDALCO	704.00	2.20%	0.49%	772.65	546.45	28.83%	8.89%
APOLLOHOSP	7,611.00	2.15%	10.98%	7,980.00	6,001.00	26.83%	4.62%
TATASTEEL	154.50	-4.26%	0.99%	170.18	122.62	26.00%	9.21%
ULTRACEMCO	12,635.00	3.03%	12.64%	12,930.00	10,047.85	25.75%	2.28%

Data Source: NSE

Which sectors showed best resilience in last 1 year? The top 15 had 4 BFSI stocks, 4 Auto stocks, and 3 Commodity Stocks. If you look at the bottom 15, the strugglers had marquee stocks like (Sun Pharma, TCS, ITC, Coal India, Wipro, Adani Enterprises, and PowerGrid). Stocks like Eternal (Zomato) and Eicher Motors are at the top on multiple counts. The top 10 stocks gave average bounce of 43.12% while the top 20 stocks bounced 34.60% from lows.

SWING STORY – HOW CLOSE ARE NIFTY STOCKS TO YEARLY HIGHS?

Swing measures the distance of the stock price to the yearly high. Lower the gap, more favourable the swing. Nifty swing deteriorated from 2.89% in June to 7.04% in August 2025. Out of the 50 stocks in the Nifty, 6 stocks are less than 5% away from their 52-week highs, while 19 stocks are under 10% short of their yearly highs.

Stock Symbol	Market Price	1-Month Return	1-Year Return	52-week High	52-week Low	Bounce from Low	Distance to High
MARUTI	14,790.00	17.22%	18.77%	14,895.00	10,725.00	37.90%	0.70%
ULTRACEMCO	12,635.00	3.03%	12.64%	12,930.00	10,047.85	25.75%	2.28%
EICHERMOT	6,103.00	11.35%	24.15%	6,269.50	4,508.75	35.36%	2.66%
GRASIM	2,778.10	0.62%	3.71%	2,898.40	2,276.95	22.01%	4.15%
APOLLOHOSP	7,611.00	2.15%	10.98%	7,980.00	6,001.00	26.83%	4.62%
ETERNAL	315.60	3.46%	25.07%	331.35	194.80	62.01%	4.75%
HDFCLIFE	774.40	1.93%	4.77%	820.75	584.30	32.53%	5.65%
JSWSTEEL	1,027.00	-1.09%	9.25%	1,089.20	880.00	16.70%	5.71%
TITAN	3,620.20	7.47%	2.71%	3,867.00	2,925.00	23.77%	6.38%
HDFCBANK	953.40	-53.03%	-41.92%	1,018.85	806.50	18.21%	6.42%
SBILIFE	1,806.80	-1.83%	-2.07%	1,936.00	1,372.55	31.64%	6.67%
CIPLA	1,587.00	1.92%	-1.80%	1,702.05	1,335.00	18.88%	6.76%
M&M	3,200.00	-0.29%	16.02%	3,432.00	2,425.00	31.96%	6.76%
ICICIBANK	1,396.20	-5.71%	14.40%	1,500.00	1,186.00	17.72%	6.92%
BHARTIARTL	1,888.20	-2.27%	20.62%	2,045.80	1,511.00	24.96%	7.70%

Data Source: NSE

Which sectors showed best swing in last 1 year? The top 15 stocks had 4 Financials, 3 Auto Stocks, and 3 Commodity Stocks.  If you look at the bottom 15 by swing, it was dominated by bottom-up stories like IndusInd Bank, Tata Motors, Trent, TCS, Bajaj Auto, ONGC, and Coal India. The top 10 stocks had an average swing of 4.33% while the top 20 stocks averaged 6.19% for August 2025. For now, domestic stories are closer to the top; but the broad themes doing well across parameters are autos and consumer stocks.