Market veteran Nischal Maheshwari is advising investors to stay on the sidelines amid heightened volatility. According to reports from The Economic Times, he stressed that the near-term setup does not justify fresh risk-taking despite selective opportunities emerging beneath the surface. Maheshwari's overarching message was simple: caution over action. "The best thing is to avoid it for the time being. The runup has been pretty strong," he said, adding that despite buying equities when the Nifty slipped below 23,000, he prefers to remain on the sidelines now. "It is too early to actually do anything… Just wait it out."
On sectors he accumulated during the recent dip, Maheshwari highlighted a consistent leaning toward structural themes. As reported by The Economic Times, power and solar have been two sectors which he has been positive about and has accumulated. Alongside this, he continues to favour metals and banking, sectors he believes still enjoy strong fundamentals and macro visibility. One space he isn't touching is IT, despite steep corrections. "I would tend to avoid it because even this quarter there has been no commentary which says that we are close to the bottom," he noted. For existing IT investors, his advice is unequivocal: "I would tend to actually get out of this."
Maheshwari is equally cautious on the auto sector, citing the potential ripple effects of weakness in technology-led employment. According to The Economic Times, "I for the moment would avoid autos… the biggest fallout is going to come in autos." This cautious stance reflects broader concerns about the sector's vulnerability to technological disruption and employment trends.
On Reliance Industries, Maheshwari acknowledged its history of subdued stock performance while still flagging meaningful catalysts. As reported by The Economic Times, "Reliance has been attractive for a long period of time. Unfortunately, it does not perform," he noted. Yet, at current levels, he sees merit in accumulating. "I do agree at ₹1,300, ₹1,325 Reliance is a buy," he stated. Consumption stocks, particularly FMCG names, may offer tactical opportunities, he added. "It could be a good trading bet… there has been a sector rotation… there is a good trading play available in the FMCG side."
