Nifty to rally 18% in 2023, may hit 21500; pre-election year, 3rd year of decade bodes well for bulls

Nifty to rally 18% in 2023, may hit 21500; pre-election year, 3rd year of decade bodes well for bulls

The share markets are looking at the new year 2023 for positive returns: Going by historical data, the third years of the past four decades – meaning in 1983, 1993, 2003, and 2013, the markets rose. Analysts at ICICIdirect see a similar trend this decade. Nifty may offer 18% returns to investors in 2023, the brokerage said. The coming year being a pre-election year also bodes well for Indian equity markets as it has been observed that benchmark indices have performed relatively well in pre-election year. The brokerage has set a target of 21500 for Nifty in 2023, and it has also selected nine technical stocks for investment.2023: Third year of decade, seasonality to favor bulls

According to analysts, bulls will be on the winning side in CY23 as it will be the third year of the decade and it has been observed in the past that markets grow in the third year of the decade. In 1983, Nifty delivered 7% return to investors, 28% in 1993, a whopping 73% in 2003 and 9% in 2013. Next year, analysts at ICICIdirect project Nifty to hit 21500, delivering an 18% median return to investors. “We believe the up move towards 21400 would be in a non-linear manner. The corrective declines should not be seen as negative instead should be utilised to build long-term portfolio,” it said.

It has been observed that benchmark indices have performed relatively well in the pre-election year. The Nifty index has generated positive returns in seven out of the 10 instances. Out of the years where it delivered negative returns, two were 1995 and 1998 when there was an unstable political scenario in India, while the other one was 2008, the year of global financial crises.

Source:ICICIdirectStock picks for 2023

The brokerage divided the NSE universe of stocks into four categories – High Relative Strength, Multi-Year Breakout, Valuation Attractive, and Market Performer to pick the top investment bets for CY23. It believes that the top two buckets of high relative strength and multi-year breakouts have the highest potential for outperformance.

Source: ICICdirectTop 9 stocks where you should put your money in 2023

Larsen & Toubro (L&T)Entry range: Rs 2110-2185 | Target price: Rs 2520Return: 16%

Ambuja CementsEntry range: Rs 545-572 | Target price: Rs 660Return: 17%

BoschEntry range: Rs 16800-17800 | Target price: Rs 22,000Return: 26%

Federal BankEntry range: Rs 132-140 | Target price: Rs 168Return: 23%

Sundaram FinanceEntry range: Rs 2290-2420 | Target price: Rs 2,890Return: 21%

Bajaj ElectricalsEntry range: Rs 1110-1160 | Target price: Rs 1440Return: 26%

KEC InternationalEntry range: Rs 460-490 | Target price: Rs 598Return: 25%

Mishra Dhatu NigamEntry Range: Rs 215-230 | Target: Rs 295Return: 31%

Techno Electric & EngEntry Range: Rs 305-320 | Target: Rs 410Return: 30%

(The stock recommendations in this story are by the respective research analysts and brokerage firms. FinancialExpress.com does not bear any responsibility for their investment advice. Capital markets investments are subject to rules and regulations. Please consult your investment advisor before investing.)