Shares of ITC Ltd traded lower on Monday, February 9, slipping 0.84% to ₹323.05, after witnessing a sharp rebound in the previous session. The stock declined by ₹2.75 in early trade, as investors booked profits following Friday’s strong rally. On Friday, February 6, ITC shares had surged over 5% intraday, closing at ₹325.80, marking their biggest single-day gain since January 1. The rally came after days of underperformance and was supported by positive brokerage commentary and heavy block deal activity.
Akshay P Bhagwat, Senior Vice President at JM Financial, has recommended a ‘Buy’ rating on ITC, setting a target price of ₹335–₹340, with a stop loss at ₹314. Meanwhile, Nuvama Institutional Equities, in a note quoted by NDTV Profit, said that the “worst is behind” for cigarette stocks, adding that price hikes have already begun, and cigarette volumes are unlikely to see double-digit decline next year. ITC shares also saw strong block deal activity, with over 1.3 crore shares changing hands at an average price of ₹321.80 per share, indicating continued institutional interest. Despite today’s mild correction, market sentiment around ITC remains cautiously optimistic, supported by improving outlook in its cigarette business and favorable analyst recommendations.
In terms of financial performance, ITC posted a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase in consolidated profit at ₹5,087.87 crore for Q3 FY26, while its operating revenue grew 6.66 percent to ₹21,706.64 crore. Godfrey Phillips India reported a 9 percent rise in net profit to ₹343.29 crore, supported by a nearly 16 percent jump in quarterly revenue to ₹2,189.93 crore. The FMCG major has also announced dividend payout for their investors. FMCG-to-cigarettes major announced an interim dividend of ₹6.50 per equity share of face value ₹1 each for the financial year ending March 31, 2026