Stock Market Today (13 August 2026): Astral Jumps 10%, Grasim Beats Estimates, Thyrocare Falls 7%

It was a quieter session on Dalal Street today compared to the earnings flood of recent days, but the prints that did land were eventful. Astral surged 10% on a strong profit beat even as it was dropped from the MSCI India index, Grasim posted one of the cleaner results of the week with profit up 51%, and Thyrocare fell after its promoter sold down a large stake despite healthy institutional buying interest. Minda Corp, Lenskart and CESC rounded out a session where corporate actions and Q1 numbers competed for investor attention in roughly equal measure.

Astral Jumps 10% on Strong Q1, Even as MSCI Drops the Stock

Astral delivered one of the standout beats of the day, with profit surging 52% and revenue rising 16% to push margins to 14.7%. Piping demand rebounded sharply, and management flagged 15-20% growth ahead, led by the paint and bathware segments. The CPVC plant is on track for completion by December and PEX machines are set to start by September, giving the company fresh capacity heading into the next few quarters.

Brokerages responded positively: Citi set a ₹1,900 target, Nuvama upgraded the stock to Buy, and CLSA held its position at ₹1,490 citing a 40% rebound in piping demand. The one discordant note was Astral's removal from the MSCI India index as part of September's rebalancing, a technical, flow-related event that sits oddly alongside an otherwise strong quarter.

Grasim Beats Estimates as Birla Opus Scales Up

Grasim posted a 51% jump in Q1 profit, with building materials revenue up 21%, comfortably ahead of estimates. The Birla Opus paints business is targeting ₹10,000 crore in revenue by FY28, and management reiterated a goal of bringing net debt to EBITDA below 2, helped by chlorine integration benefits expected through FY27.

Brokerages moved quickly to reflect the beat. Jefferies raised its target to ₹3,910, and Motilal Oswal set a ₹3,800 target, implying roughly 15% upside from current levels.

Thyrocare Falls 7% as Promoter Sells Down Stake

Thyrocare had one of the more complex sessions on the board. Promoter entity Docon sold a 9.9% stake and released its pledge on 11% of the company's equity, part of a roughly ₹821.7 crore block deal in which Kotak Life was among the buyers, picking up 2.4 million shares for about ₹150 crore. The stock fell 7% on the news even as API Holdings' stake stayed steady at 51%.

Operationally, the diagnostics chain reported June sales up 26% year-on-year and indicated it may raise its revenue outlook. The share price reaction suggests the market read the large promoter sell-down as the more significant signal today, even against an improving operating backdrop.

Lenskart Draws Mixed Brokerage Views After Q1 Surge

Lenskart continued to attract broker attention following its recent Q1 results. Motilal Oswal set the most bullish target at ₹705, retaining a Buy on margin gains, while Jefferies raised its target to ₹680. Citi was more measured, keeping a Neutral rating at ₹650 on valuation concerns despite acknowledging the strong growth, and HSBC kept a Hold at ₹575, noting the quarter's EBITDA had beaten estimates by 8%. The spread between the most and least bullish targets underlines how much the stock's rich valuation is dividing analyst opinion even as the operating numbers impress.

Minda Corp Rallies as Q1 Profit Surges on VAST Gains

Minda Corp's stock has risen 50% over the past year, and today's Q1 print gave that run fresh support. Profit surged on gains tied to the Minda VAST business, and revenue jumped 33% to ₹18.4 billion. The company approved an ₹18 crore boost to a joint venture and laid out a target of ₹17,500 crore in revenue by 2030, with its EV-related product share expected to rise as part of that plan.

CESC and Jubilant FoodWorks Post Steady Quarters

CESC's profit rose a modest 3% year-on-year to ₹4.0 billion, with revenue climbing to ₹5,559 crore. The board recommended a ₹6-per-share dividend, giving income-focused holders something to look forward to even with growth on the slower side.

Jubilant FoodWorks reported profit up 6%, with revenue at ₹2,569 crore and EBITDA meeting the ₹3.61 billion estimate as margins improved. The company confirmed it has wound down its Dunkin' India operations and is now targeting 5-7% growth with a ₹900 crore capex plan aimed at boosting margins going forward. The stock's reaction was mixed through the session, gaining initially before slipping back.

Sector Watch: Auto Components, Footwear and Real Estate

Auto component names had a strong day. Sansera Engineering's Q1 revenue jumped 33%, with a ₹3,880 target set on the back of strong auto and aftermarket growth, and the company is projecting revenue growth of up to 20% aided by a new precision-parts joint venture with Nichidai. Tega Industries' quarter was harder to read, with income reported at ₹17,409 million and EBITDA up 42% in one filing, against a separate report of a swing to loss from a year-ago profit — a print investors will want the company to clarify before drawing conclusions.

In footwear, Relaxo's profit rose 12% to ₹55 crore on revenue of ₹718 crore, and the company said it is cutting capacity in some categories to focus more on fashion footwear. In real estate, Aditya Birla Real Estate's Q1 collections rose 31% to ₹713 crore, with Pune leading the residential business, and its Birla Estates arm launched a ₹2,600 crore redevelopment project in Vashi, marking its entry into the Navi Mumbai market.

Market Outlook

Today's session showed that even on a lighter earnings day, corporate actions like promoter stake sales and index rebalancing can move stocks as much as the underlying numbers. Astral and Grasim's clean beats point to continued strength in building materials and piping demand, while Minda Corp and Sansera suggest auto components remain a pocket of relative strength this earnings season.

Thyrocare's promoter sell-down is worth monitoring for what it signals about insider sentiment, even as the company's own numbers stay healthy. Tega Industries' conflicting Q1 disclosures are a reminder that not every print this season is coming through cleanly, and investors may want more clarity before reacting to either the income growth or the reported loss.