HDFC Bank, L&T, Sun Pharma: Citi's Top Picks For 2024

In large caps, Citi is 'overweight' on public sector banks, utilities, defence and infrastructure.

Candle stick and line charts for a stock (Source: Freepik) 

Indian equities are expected to continue their stellar 2023 performance into the current year with the NSE Nifty 50 likely to touch 22,500 by end-December 2024, according to Citi Research.

The research firm forecasts the benchmark Nifty's earnings per share to be 14% by the next financial year. In 2024, it prefers large caps over mid and small caps.

Strong domestic inflows may continue to aid mid and small caps' performance, but the risk-reward ratio is seen better in large caps, Citi said.

In large caps, Citi is 'overweight' on public sector banks, utilities, defence and infrastructure.

Looking Back At 2023

  • Investors preferred riskier assets like emerging markets' stocks to developed markets' equities, which helped Indian equities post their best performance in 2023, according to Citi.

  • Indian equities gave returns equal to those of developed markets and outperformed their peer markets.

  • In the latter part of the year, domestic inflows continued to support Indian benchmark indices' performance.

  • In sectors, auto, healthcare and industrial outperformed benchmark indices, while financials, utilities and metals underperformed.

  • Net inflows from foreign institutional investors sharply rebounded last year compared to 2022. India received a net FII inflow of $20 billion in 2023.

Citi's Top Picks For 2024 

Banks & Diversified Financials

  • HDFC Bank Ltd.

  • ICICI Bank Ltd.

  • IndusInd Bank Ltd.

  • SBI Life Insurance Co.

Industrial Capital Goods

  • Larsen & Toubro Ltd.

  • Bharat Electronics Ltd.

  • Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd.

Materials

  • UltraTech Cement Ltd.

Pharmaceuticals

  • Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

  • Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

Telecom 

  • Bharti Airtel Ltd.

Energy

  • GAIL (India) Ltd.

  • Reliance Industries Ltd.

Utilities

  • NTPC Ltd.

Auto & Transportation

  • Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

  • Eicher Motors Ltd.

Also Read: Jefferies Optimistic On India Citing Wave Of A Multi-Year Capex Upswing

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