Will HAL Shares Continue to Rally After Government's Tejas Fighter Jet Approval?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- HAL shares surged after government approval of a major defense contract.
- 97 Tejas fighter jets to be acquired for ₹62,000 crore.
- The Tejas program aims to replace the aging MiG-21 fleet.
- HAL shares have shown strong year-to-date growth.
- Financial results indicate rising revenues despite profit declines.
Mumbai, Aug 20 (NationPress) The shares of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), a prominent player in the public sector defense arena, experienced a rise of 1.82 percent, reaching Rs 4,533 during early trading on Wednesday, following news that the firm is likely to receive one of its most significant contracts from the government.
Shortly after the market commenced, the shares jumped by 3.5 percent to Rs 4,605, but a strong upward movement led to a slight sell-off.
The Cabinet Committee on Security has sanctioned the procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark1A fighter jets for an estimated Rs 62,000 crore.
HAL has been advancing an indigenous Tejas program aimed at replacing India's aging MiG-21 fleet. The LCA Mk1A variant is an enhanced model of the Tejas, built for superior combat performance. This new defense contract represents the second significant order for the aircraft, following HAL's successful bid in February 2021.
Shares of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd have appreciated by 26.60 points or 0.59 percent over the last five days and have surged 8.72 percent year-to-date.
In July, shares experienced a major upswing after the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved ten significant procurement agreements totaling Rs 1.05 lakh crore, all categorized under Buy (Indian–IDDM). Among the items receiving Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) approvals are surface-to-air missiles, an Integrated Common Inventory Management System for the Tri-Services, an Electronic Warfare System, and armored recovery vehicles.
The global brokerage UBS has retained a 'neutral' rating for the stock, setting a target price of Rs 4,900.
Despite a 3.7 percent year-on-year dip in net profit to Rs 1,383.8 crore, the company reported a 10.8 percent increase in operational revenue to Rs 4,819 crore for Q1 FY 26. EBITDA surged nearly 30 percent to Rs 1,284 crore, with margins climbing to 26.7 percent from 22.8 percent the previous year, defying expectations of a downturn.