Published Friday May 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM IST. All data from Business Standard, Upstox, HDFC Sky, Bizzbuzz News, Screener.in (May 21–22, 2026). Not investment advice. Not SEBI registered. Read our full disclaimer.
Why Friday Is Setting Up as an Interesting Session
Friday May 22 opens with a specific event-driven flavour — six of the seven stocks below have a concrete catalyst that makes today a decision point, not just a drifting Friday session. Sun Pharma will announce its Q4 FY26 results today, with an investor conference call scheduled for 6:30 PM IST. JSW Cement jumped 8.9% on Thursday after its Q4 results, leaving traders deciding whether the move is over or just beginning. Aurionpro Solutions secured its largest-ever US order worth $33 million. On top of that, Nasdaq’s 1.54% rally this week is spilling over into IT names. Today is not a day to be passive.
Stock 1 — Aurionpro Solutions: $33 Million US Deal — India’s Quiet Fintech Global Play
What happened: Aurionpro Solutions’ US subsidiary, Aurionpro Fintech Inc., signed a strategic three-year engagement with a leading US-based fintech platform specialising in digital insurance payments. The contract is expected to generate more than $33 million in revenue over the engagement period. Raj Biyani, EVP and Head of Aurionpro Fintech Inc., stated that the order represented the company’s largest deal win in the US region and reflected the strength of its AI-led technology capabilities and scalable engineering platform.
The analyst take: For FY26, Aurionpro Solutions reported revenue of ₹1,411 crore, a 20.3% year-on-year increase, and PAT of ₹215 crore, up 12.2% year-on-year. The company holds an order book exceeding ₹1,800 crore. The $33 million deal — approximately ₹275 crore — adds roughly 15% to the existing US pipeline in a single announcement. Under the mandate, Aurionpro delivers proprietary software, cloud, DevOps, AI and data engineering support. This is exactly the kind of AI-services contract that commands premium multiples in the current market environment.
What to watch on Friday: Thursday’s stock touched ₹827.40 and closed near ₹820 — watch for follow-through buying above ₹820 as fresh institutional interest. Despite the new contract, Aurionpro’s stock has fallen 42.67% over the past year, with quarterly revenue declining 3.54% in one recent quarter. This means the deal momentum needs to translate into sustained earnings improvement for the stock to meaningfully re-rate. Accumulate on any dip toward ₹790–800 if conviction is high. Not investment advice.
Stock 2 — Sun Pharma: Q4 Results and Dividend Today — The Session’s Biggest Catalyst
What’s happening: Sun Pharma will announce its Q4 FY26 results today, Friday May 22. In an exchange filing, the company said its board of directors will meet to “consider and approve audited standalone and consolidated financial results for the quarter and year ended 31 March 2026,” and will also consider and recommend the final dividend, if any, for FY26.
What to expect: Analyst estimates for Q4 FY26 revenue stand at ₹14,500 to ₹15,500 crore, with PAT expectations of ₹2,900 to ₹3,200 crore and margin projections of 28–30% EBITDA. Sun Pharma’s US specialty franchise (Odomzo, Ilumya, Winlevi) continues to be the primary growth engine. India branded generics and emerging markets remain steady contributors. The dividend estimate circulating among analysts is ₹5–7 per share for FY26, though a higher payout given strong cash flows is not out of the question. The analyst consensus 12-month Sun Pharmaceutical share price target stands at ₹2,050–2,200 — implying meaningful potential movement from current levels.
Trading strategy for today: Results come after market hours — the 6:30 PM call is post-close. Today’s intraday trade on Sun Pharma is therefore pre-positioning, not reaction. The stock has been a consistent top-3 defensive pick in our Thursday recommendations. If the broader market opens gap-up on GIFT Nifty momentum, Sun Pharma may see some early profit-taking — treat that as the entry, not the exit. The real trade is Monday’s open based on tonight’s numbers. Not investment advice.
Stock 3 — JSW Cement: Q4 PAT +985% — Is the Reaction Trade Still Available?
Actual Q4 FY26 results: JSW Cement reported a net profit of ₹371.33 crore, as compared to ₹95 crore a year ago — a jump of 985%. Revenue from operations stood at ₹1,894.99 crore, up 10.8% YoY from ₹1,709.39 crore. The board recommended a dividend of ₹0.50 per equity share for FY26. JSW Cement’s board also approved setting up an additional 2.5 MTPA cement grinding capacity at its Nagaur facility in Rajasthan.
The fine print: JSW Cement’s profit grew 10.85 times YoY due to a one-time benefit from a reduction in net deferred tax liabilities of ₹211.2 crore, consequent to its decision to adopt the new tax regime from FY26–27 onwards. Strip out the ₹211 crore deferred tax benefit and the underlying PAT improvement is still strong but less dramatic. JSW Cement’s revenue from operations grew 10.86% YoY to ₹1,895 crore on higher sales volume and realisations. Total sales volumes increased 6.8% to 3.99 million metric tonnes.
Friday outlook: After an 8.9% Thursday jump, JSW Cement may see profit-taking at open on Friday. The structural case is improving — volumes +7%, realisations improving, new capacity at Nagaur. But JSW Cement’s CEO noted that the demand environment in April 2026 has been relatively soft due to inflationary pressures arising from the West Asia crisis, which brings certain issues for the industry, such as packing bags, imported fuel, and recent increases in petrol and diesel costs. Treat any Friday pullback to ₹122–125 as a better entry than chasing the gap. Not investment advice.
Stock 4 — Mankind Pharma: Analysts Maintain Buy, Target ₹2,640
Analyst view: The majority of active analysts maintain a Buy or Strong Buy rating on Mankind Pharma, citing consistent volume growth and effective debt reduction. The average brokerage target is around ₹2,640, representing approximately 4–5% upside from current levels. Mankind continues to benefit from India’s branded generics growth and its expanding chronic therapy portfolio.
Mankind Pharma was our #1 stock pick for Thursday (above ₹2,580–2,600, target ₹2,800, stop-loss ₹2,465). The broker consensus target of ₹2,640 is more conservative but represents a nearer-term floor for the upside thesis. In a gap-up opening session driven by defensive sector preference, Mankind is likely to be one of the stronger performers — pharma catches both the defensive rotation and the Nasdaq tech tailwind. If you are holding from Thursday’s recommendation, the trade is intact. Friday’s intraday support: ₹2,560–2,575. Not investment advice.
Stock 5 — IT Sector: Infosys and HCL Technologies — Nasdaq Momentum Continues
IT sector continues to benefit from positive global cues and strong tech sector momentum. HCL Tech was our Thursday #2 pick — watch for ₹1,695 level to hold and build upon. Infosys is a large-cap anchor pick for conservative traders in a volatile environment. Nifty IT Index down 26% YTD means these stocks are coming off a deeply oversold base — any positive narrative (AI contract wins, US tech strength) gets outsized reactions.
Stock 6 — Kirloskar Oil Engines: Technical Breakout — Entry ₹1,735–1,745
Setup: Kirloskar Oil Engines has been accumulated in the ₹1,735–1,745 range with a target of ₹1,860 and a stop-loss at ₹1,685. The stock offers an upside of approximately 6.6% from the entry zone against a downside of about 3.4% — a favourable 2:1 risk-reward ratio. Kirloskar Oil is India’s leading manufacturer of diesel engines for agriculture, construction, industrial and genset applications. With India’s rural and infrastructure capex cycle intact, the company benefits from structural demand tailwinds. The technical pattern shows accumulation at support — look for entry if Friday opening holds above ₹1,735. Not investment advice.
Stock 7 — Vedanta (VEDL): Bullish Breakout — Buy at ₹491.70
Setup: Vedanta is trading with a bullish breakout pattern — buy at ₹491.70 with a target of ₹515 and a stop-loss at ₹475. The trade offers approximately 4.7% upside against 3.4% downside — risk-reward of approximately 1.4:1. Vedanta benefits from the global commodity rally (Brent easing frees up sentiment for base metals and zinc), the ongoing demerger simplification (multiple Vedanta entities planned), and consistent dividend payouts which support the stock floor. The breakout at ₹491 needs to sustain with volume confirmation on Friday’s open to validate the pattern. Conditional on crude remaining below $108. Not investment advice.
Complete Trade Summary — Friday May 22
| # | Stock | Entry | Target | Stop-Loss | Upside | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aurionpro Solutions | ₹790–800 dip | ₹850+ | ₹765 | 6–7% | $33M US deal |
| 2 | Sun Pharma | Pre-result entry | ₹2,050–2,200 | ₹1,780 | ~10%+ | Q4 results today |
| 3 | JSW Cement | ₹122–125 dip | ₹135–140 | ₹118 | ~8–12% | Q4 PAT +985% |
| 4 | Mankind Pharma | ~₹2,580–2,600 | ₹2,640–2,800 | ₹2,465 | 4–8% | Buy consensus |
| 5 | HCL Tech / Infosys | Above ₹1,695 / CMP | ₹1,800 / ₹1,180 | ₹1,640 / ₹1,080 | 6%+ | Nasdaq +1.54% |
| 6 | Kirloskar Oil Engines | ₹1,735–1,745 | ₹1,860 | ₹1,685 | ~6.6% | Technical setup |
| 7 | Vedanta (VEDL) | ₹491.70 | ₹515 | ₹475 | ~4.7% | Bullish breakout |
Levels are analytical reference points. Verify live prices at NSE/BSE before entry. Not investment advice. Not SEBI registered.
The One Risk That Could Change Everything Today
Every trade above carries one shared macro risk: Iran. Brent crude at $105.29 is the fragile floor. If Trump escalates rhetoric or there is a fresh military incident before 9:15 AM, crude spikes and the entire table shifts — Vedanta and JSW Cement come under pressure, IT and pharma defensives hold. Check Brent at finance.yahoo.com/quote/BZ=F at 8:30 AM before any position. The Friday session is event-driven and rewards preparation, not reaction.
All data from Business Standard (Aurionpro, JSW Cement), Upstox (Sun Pharma, JSW Cement live), Bizzbuzz News (JSW Cement), HDFC Sky (Aurionpro), Screener.in (JSW Cement financials), Univest (Sun Pharma estimates). Published May 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM IST. Not SEBI registered. Not investment advice. See more Top Stories →
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