Indian equity markets saw a mix of regulatory action and order-driven updates this week, with developments across banking, infrastructure IT, and defence manufacturing drawing investor attention. Here is a clear breakdown of the key stocks in focus.
Bandhan Bank Under F&O Ban as Open Interest Breaches Limits
Bandhan Bank has been placed under the Futures & Options (F&O) ban by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) for Wednesday, December 17.
The move comes after the stock’s derivative open interest crossed 95% of the market-wide position limit (MWPL)—the threshold beyond which new derivative positions are restricted. As of Tuesday, Bandhan Bank’s open interest stood at 128.8% of MWPL, leading to its continued inclusion on the ban list.
What this means for traders:
No new positions are allowed in F&O contracts
Existing positions can only be reduced
Cash market trading remains unaffected
Penalties apply for violations
The ban will be lifted once open interest drops below 80% of MWPL. NSE updates the F&O ban list on a daily basis.
RailTel Wins ₹148-Crore Census IT Contract, Stock Ends Lower
RailTel Corporation of India Ltd closed about 1.5% lower on December 16, despite announcing a significant order win.
The company has secured a ₹148.4-crore contract from the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, for comprehensive IT infrastructure maintenance. The scope includes:
Annual maintenance of servers, storage, and network equipment
Network security devices
Software licence renewals
The long-term contract will run until December 21, 2030.
RailTel has been on an order-winning streak, having recently bagged:
A ₹48.78-crore project from MMRDA
A ₹63.92-crore ICT implementation order from CPWD
On the financial front, RailTel reported steady performance in Q2:
Net profit up 4.7% YoY to ₹76 crore
Revenue increased 12.8% to ₹951.3 crore
EBITDA rose 19.4%, with margins improving to 16.2%
BEML Bags ₹110-Crore Defence Order from Ministry of Defence
BEML Ltd, a defence public sector undertaking, has secured a ₹110-crore order from the Ministry of Defence for the supply of engines.
This adds to BEML’s recent order momentum, which includes:
A ₹157-crore order from Loram Rail Maintenance India for rail grinding machines
A ₹414-crore contract for supplying additional trainsets for the Bengaluru Metro Rail Project
While order inflows remain strong, recent financial performance has been mixed:
Q2 net profit declined 6% YoY to ₹48 crore
Revenue fell 2.4% YoY to ₹839 crore
EBITDA remained stable at ₹73 crore
Operating margin improved slightly to 8.7%, reflecting tighter cost control
BEML continues to be majority owned by the Government of India, with a 53.86% stake, and operates across defence, rail, mining, and heavy engineering segments.
