Kolkata: Despite the strong selling pressure from FIIs, a few Indian stocks have emerged as favourites of foreign investors. Stocks such as APL Apollo Tubes, AU Small Finance Bank, Axis Bank, and Shriram Finance have witnessed significant higher levels of investor interest. These have also generated robust returns in recent months. Analysts point out that when FIIs take a large stake in a company, the liquidity in that stock increases, there is a boost in investor confidence and prices also move in the positive direction. That’s why many investors keep an eye on FII stakes in companies. Let’s have a closer look at these stocks.
APL Apollo Tubes
FII stake: 33.12%, promoters 28.27% and DIIs 19.91% (end of Q3FY26)
Market price: Rs 1,884.70, down 48.50 or 2.51% (on March 16, 2016)
APL Apollo Tubes is a Noida-based, 40-year old company. It manufactures and sells structural steel tubes in India and abroad. The products are used in various sectors, including construction, automobiles, machinery and furniture. It also manufactures galvanized pipes, tricot pipes, designer pipes, door frames, and pre-galvanized sections. The company has a market cap of approximately Rs 53,696 crore.
Revenue in Q3FY26 was Rs 5,815 crore, a rise of about 7% compared to Rs 5,433 crore in the same period last year. It also registered an increase of about 11.7% on a quarterly basis. The company’s EBITDA was Rs 472 crore, representing a strong 36.4% year-on-year growth. Net profit during the same period was Rs 310 crore, an increase of approximately 42.9% compared to Rs 217 crore in the previous year.
AU Small Finance Bank
FII stake: 36.45%, promoters 22.79% and DIIs 31.27% (end of Q3FY26)
Market price: Rs 882, down Rs 2.36 or 0.27% (on March 16, 2016)
AU Small Finance Bank is based in Jaipur and it is a 30-year old business. The bank offers services such as deposit accounts, home loans, vehicle loans, business loans, digital banking, insurance and investment products. The market cap is about Rs 66,146 crore. The bank’s net interest income in Q3FY26 was Rs 2,341 crore, an increase of approximately 16% compared to the previous year. It also recorded a quarterly increase of approximately 9%. Net profit during this period was Rs 668 crore, an increase of 26% compared to the previous year and an increase of approximately 19% compared to the previous quarter.
Axis Bank
FII stake: 42.58%, promoters 8.15% and DIIs 42.65% (end of Q3FY26)
Market price: Rs 1,214, up Rs 16.70, or 1.39 (on March 16, 2016)
Axis Bank is one of India’s leading private banks and it offers a range of financial services, including retail banking, corporate banking, treasury, and digital banking. The company has a market cap of approximately Rs 3.72 lakh crore. The bank’s net interest income in Q3FY26 stood at Rs 14,287 crore, an increase of approximately 5% compared to the previous year. The bank’s consolidated net profit was Rs 6,490 crore, representing an increase of approximately 3% year-on-year. On a quarterly basis, it saw a strong increase of approximately 27.5%.
Shriram Finance
FII stake: 47.21%, promoters 25.38% and DIIs 21.39% (end of Q3FY26)
Market price: Rs 990, down Rs 13.60 or 1.36% (on March 16, 2016)
Shriram Finance is one of India’s leading NBFCs. It provides commercial vehicle loans, two-wheeler loans, gold loans, personal loans and MSME financing. The company has a market cap of approximately Rs 1.88 lakh crore. The company’s revenue in Q3FY26 was Rs 12,171 crore, an increase of approximately 13.8% year-on-year. EBITDA was Rs 3,514 crore, representing a 20.6% jump year-on-year. Net profit, at Rs 2,530 crore, is approximately 22% lower than the previous year, but it marked a 9% rise on a quarterly basis.
Hoowever, experts point out that level of FII holdings is a significant but not a deciding factor for investment. It’s curcial to analyse a company’s fundamentals, sector position, valuations and risk perception.
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