In this article, we look at two stocks, one from the railways and another from the life insurance sector, recommended by the Trade Brains Portal to buy for an upside potential of more than 15%. We also analyzed the market’s performance yesterday to understand what may lie ahead for the stock indices in the coming days.
IRCTC Ltd
- CMP: ₹ 773
- Target: ₹ 923
- Upside: 19%
- Time frame: 16-24 Months
Why it’s recommended:
The company has done well financially throughout the years. Operating revenue rose 9.7%, from Rs 4,260 crore in FY24 to Rs 4,675 crore in FY25. Its absolute EBITDA was Rs 1,549 crore, a 5.71% YoY rise, with a strong margin of 33.15%. From Rs 1,111 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,315 crore in FY25, PAT grew by an astounding 18.30% annually. At a strong 3-year CAGR of 35% and 26%, the company’s revenue and PAT have been rising, respectively. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), a ‘Navratna’ public sector corporation under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, was founded in September 1999. IRCTC serves the professional travel and hospitality division of Indian Railways. IRCTC, an extension of Indian Railways, is responsible for upgrading, professionalizing, and managing the food and hospitality services at train stations, on trains, and at other locations. Through the development of budget hotels, carefully thought-out travel packages, commercial promotion, information exchange, and communication with global reservation systems, it also makes a substantial contribution to the expansion of both domestic and international travel.
Its internet ticketing revenue climbed to Rs 372.5 crore in Q4 FY25, a strong 8.78% YoY rise and 5.30% QoQ increase, confirming its leadership in this digital market. Tourism revenue surged to Rs 274.4 crore in Q4, up 38.17% YoY and 22.65% QoQ. The primary factors for expansion were robust demand and innovative travel options. A steady quarter was also experienced by Rail Neer, which reported sales of Rs 92.2 crores, up 15.49% from the previous year. Due primarily to seasonal variations, catering revenue dropped to Rs 529.4 crore during the quarter. In the upcoming quarters, the company anticipates this area to grow and recover significantly.
In the future, the company anticipates that revenue will reach Rs 7,825 crore in FY28. IRCTC has a monopoly in the online ticketing business thanks to its website and Rail Connect mobile app. Due to the high barriers to entry, it has also benefited from catering services for train passengers. The company is also the only one allowed to provide packaged drinking water to train passengers. With passenger traffic expected to rise by 29% from 9,457 million in 2021 to 12,213 million in 2031, Indian Railways is well-positioned for growth. The Indian railway sector is expected to become the third largest in the next five years, holding 10% of the world market.
Risk factor: The company’s ticketing and reservation system may malfunction during busy booking seasons, leading to crashes and slow response times. This can have an impact on the company’s brand image and lower sales. Safe online transactions are also essential to the company’s operations because security lapses can have a major negative impact on the enterprise.
Life Insurance Corporation of India
- CMP: ₹ 957
- Target: ₹ 1,100
- Upside: 15%
- Time frame: 16-24 Months
Why it’s recommended:
The largest insurer in the nation is the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which was established in 1956. It is acknowledged as the third-strongest insurance brand and the fourth-largest insurer globally, and it ranks 12th globally in terms of brand value among insurance businesses. There are currently 51 products available from the company, including 5 individual riders, 1 group rider, 12 group policies, and 33 individual policies. With a large distribution network that includes 3,636 branch and satellite offices, LIC operates in 36 states and union territories and has over 14.87 lakh exclusive agents and 18,655 micro-insurance agents.
With a total market share of 57.05%, LIC is the industry leader in life insurance in India. LIC’s market share in FY25 was 71.19% in the group segment and 37.46% in the individual sector. In FY25, the company’s financial performance was strong. In FY25, it recorded a total premium income of Rs 4,88,148 crore, representing a YoY growth of 2.75%. Net VNB (Value of New Business) increased by 4.47% year over year to Rs 10,011 crore for FY25 from Rs 9,583 crore for FY24. LIC has surpassed the Rs 10,000 crore VNB threshold for the first time.
The Indian Embedded Value (IEV) increased 6.81% year over year to Rs 7,76,876 crore as of FY25 from Rs 7,27,344 crore in FY24. Assets Under Management (AUM) increased 6.45% year over year to Rs 5,452,297 crore in FY25 from Rs 5,121,887 crore in FY24. Additionally, the company improved the ANANDA app to boost operational efficiency; it finished 1,474,208 policies in FY25 compared to 1,158,805 policies in FY24, showing a 27.22% YoY rise. The percentage of ANANDA policies was 8.49% in FY25 compared to 5.85% in FY24, and the number of active agents in the ANANDA app increased by 32.68% to 294 in FY25 from 222 in FY24.
Risk Factor: Future claim payments, costs, benefits, and other factors are estimated and assumed in the insurance policies. It could have a significant negative impact on their business, financial situation, and operational outcomes if the assumptions used to price and set reserves for their products diverge from the actual claims incurred and other factors. Since entering the Indian insurance market, numerous private insurance businesses have been expanding quickly and acquiring market share, posing a serious threat to LIC both domestically and internationally. Their business could be seriously and negatively impacted by the heightened competitive pressures brought on by these and other reasons.
Market Recap, June 26th, 2025
The Nifty 50 opened the day at 25,268.95, up 23.25 points, or 0.09%, from the previous day’s closing price of 25,244.75. The index closed Thursday at 25,549, up 304.25 points, or 1.21%, from its morning high of 25,565.30. The Nifty finished above all four of the 20/50/100/200-day EMAs on the daily chart, while the RSI stood at 66.33, well below the overbought zone of 70. With an RSI of 65.39, the Sensex ended the day up 1,000.36 points, or 1.21%, at 83,755.87. The market increase was brought on by the de-escalation of Middle East tensions between Iran and Israel. Additionally, the dollar index fell to 97, its lowest level in three years, and there was high demand from DIIs; these catalysts are fueling the upsurge of the market.
On Thursday, most indices were in the green. One of the biggest winners was the Nifty Metal Index, which ended the day at 9,544.55, up 215.35 points, or 2.31%. Stocks like Hindustan Copper, which surged 4.96%; SAIL and Jindal Steel, which surged over 3%; and other stocks like Vedanta, Jindal Stainless, and NALCO, which gained by up to 3%, all contributed to the index’s rise.
In addition, the Nifty Oil and Gas Index closed at 11,695.90, up 213.5 points, or 1.86%. Aegis Logistics, Bharat Petroleum, and IOCL were the index’s top gainers, rising more than 3% on Thursday. With significant gainers like Shree Cement, BPCL, and IOCL rising more than 3% on Thursday, the Nifty Infra index ended the day at 9,355.80 points, up 150.30 points, or 1.63%.
However, the Nifty Media Index closed at 1,743.85 points after dropping -19.30 points, or -1.09%. Heavyweights like Network 18 Media, Zee Entertainment, DB Corp, and Tips Music saw their stock drop up to 3%, which caused the index to fall. The primary cause of this decline was profit booking in Network 18 Media. The Nifty Realty Index, which closed at 1,009.50, down -10.15 points or -1.00%, was another notable loser.
At 24,325.40, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell -149.27 points, or -0.61%. South Korea’s Kospi ended the day at 3,079.56, down -28.69 points, or -0.92%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 reached a 5-month high at 39,584.58, up 642.51 points, or 1.65%. At 3,448.45, Shanghai’s Composite Index ended the day down -7.52 points, or -0.22%. At 10,343.48, the Shenzhen Index dropped -50.25 points, or -0.48%.
About: Trade Brains Portal is a stock analysis platform. Its trade name is Dailyraven Technologies Private Limited, and its SEBI-registered research analyst registration number is INH000015729.
Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
Registration granted by SEBI and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors.
The post 2 Stocks to buy now for an upside of up to 19%; Recommended by Trade Brains Portal appeared first on Trade Brains.