Retail holdings show healthy rise between January and March

Retail investors showed confidence in stock markets between January and March, a period that witnessed sharp swings. A study of 300 companies in the BSE-500 index that have updated their shareholding details showed retail investors in the March quarter increased stakes in about 170 firms, while they reduced stake in 123 others.

These investors were buyers of banks, fi nance, pharma and capital goods. Retail investors have increased their stakes in nearly 12 PSU banks including Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Syndicate Bank, United Bank and City Union Bank among others. Apart from banking, retail investors have bought shares of 15 pharma companies including Lupin, Natco Pharma, Glenmark Pharma, JB Chemicals, Cadila, Unichem and Novartis.