BUZZ - Citi significantly raises India ITC rating to "Buy," boosting stock price
路透社2026/10/05 07:01On October 5th, consumer goods company ITC (ITC.NS) shares rose as much as 3.24%, marking the largest intraday gain in five weeks, to 264.2 rupees per share. This increase came after Citi upgraded ITC from "sell" to "buy" and raised its target price from 270 rupees to 300 rupees, suggesting a further upside of 16.7%. Citi stated that while short-term earnings may still be pressured due to a sharp hike in cigarette taxes, the stock has already declined 34% this year, factoring in the impact on related volumes and profitability. The bank added that as pricing measures gradually take effect, the profitability of the cigarette business is set to improve quarter by quarter during the 2027 fiscal year. Citi also mentioned that the earnings downgrade cycle has largely ended, and that the risk-reward ratio under the current valuation has improved. According to data compiled by LSEG, the average rating among 34 analysts tracking ITC is "buy," with a median price target of 322.5 rupees per share. So far in 2026, ITC's share price has fallen 35%, outpacing the 14.2% drop in the Nifty 50 Index .NSEI. (For the benefit of non-English speakers, Reuters has automated the translation of its reports into several other languages. Since automated translations may contain errors or lack necessary context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of automated translations, which are provided for reader convenience. Reuters assumes no responsibility for any damage or loss caused by the use of automated translation functions.)
October 5 - ** Shares of consumer goods company ITC (ITC.NS) rose as much as 3.24%, marking the largest intraday gain in five weeks, closing at 264.2 rupees per share
** The surge was driven by Citigroup raising ITC's rating from "Sell" to "Buy," and increasing the target price from 270 rupees to 300 rupees, indicating a further 16.7% upside
** Citigroup stated that although short-term earnings may remain under pressure following a substantial hike in cigarette taxes, the stock has already pulled back 34% this year, pricing in the impact on sales and profitability
** The bank added that as pricing measures start to take effect, profitability of the cigarette business will improve quarter by quarter over fiscal year 2027
** The bank also noted that the cycle of earnings downgrades has largely ended, and the risk-reward ratio under current valuations has improved
** According to LSEG data, among 34 analysts tracking ITC, the average rating is "Buy"; the median target price is 322.5 rupees per share
** So far in 2026, ITC shares have fallen 35%, outpacing the 14.2% decline of the Nifty 50 Index .NSEI
(For the convenience of non-native English speakers, Reuters has automated the translation of its reports into several other languages. Because automated translation may contain errors or lack necessary context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of the automated translation and provides it only as a convenience for readers. Reuters assumes no responsibility for any damage or loss caused by the use of automated translation.)
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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