Shrikant Chouhan of Kotak Securities has recommended Narayana Hrudayalaya and Mrs Bectors Food Specialities as top picks for today. According to reports from Business Standard, Chouhan, head of equity research at Kotak Securities, has provided detailed analysis for both stocks with specific price targets and trading ranges.
Narayana Hrudayalaya is rated as an 'Add' with a current market price of ₹1,841 and fair value of ₹2,220. As reported by Business Standard, the company operates 55 healthcare facilities with nearly 6,000 operational beds globally as of June 2026. The India hospitals business remains the key growth engine, with India hospital revenue growing 10% in FY26 while EBITDA grew faster, leading to meaningful margin improvements. The company's India hospital EBITDA margins have moved above 20%, with key growth drivers including higher realisations, better payor mix, and disciplined cost management. The company's strong cardiac franchise, improving case mix and increasing contribution from higher-value specialties provide room for sustained improvement in revenue per patient.
Mrs Bectors Food Specialities is rated as a 'Buy' with a current market price of ₹224 and fair value of ₹270. According to Business Standard, the company reported strong Q1 performance with PAT of ₹38.6 crore (+24.1% Y-o-Y), which is a multi-quarter high for Q1. The Biscuit Division revenue rose 15.7% Y-o-Y to ₹325 crore with domestic biscuit volumes rebounding to double-digit growth territory despite aggressive pricing moves by low-cost local manufacturers in North India. The Bakery Division revenue improved 17.5% Y-o-Y to ₹215 crore with premium bakery products expanding into new geographic clusters and urban modern trade. The commissioning of the Kolkata plant towards late FY26 began yielding tangible operational benefits, reducing cross-country freight expenses and shortening distribution turnaround times.
Narayana Hrudayalaya's expansion plans include substantial bed additions across Bengaluru, Kolkata and Raipur, with several projects already progressing. As reported by Business Standard, the company's international operations continue to perform well, with Cayman operations supported by Camana Bay ramp-up and UK acquisition of Practice Plus Group adding scale. Mrs Bectors Food's quick-commerce sales expanded 58% Y-o-Y, acting as a high-margin growth driver in tier-1 metro markets through platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart. The company's focus remains on volume-led topline growth with distribution expansion and premiumization initiatives.
Key risks for Narayana Hrudayalaya include higher leverage following the UK acquisition and ongoing capex, with Q1FY27 consolidated net debt-to-equity at 0.42x. According to Business Standard, the company's India business fundamentals remain structurally attractive while international operations provide additional upside. Mrs Bectors Food's management aims for double-digit volume growth led by distribution initiatives, with the company targeting 38x FY28 PE and 25% discount to Britannia. The execution of Project IMPACT—an internal cost-rationalization and supply-chain efficiency program launched in Q1—helped offset a ~3% headwind from raw material inflation.
