The BSE Sensex dropped 479 points to 76,009 on Tuesday, May 26, while the Nifty50 fell 118 points to 23,913, failing to hold the 24,000 mark it briefly broke above, as Iran-US tensions pushed crude higher and squeezed the rupee, per BSE exchange data. Wednesday brings monthly F&O expiry, which typically sharpens intraday swings and forces aggressive position squaring. Five stocks are squarely in the crosshairs.
Coal India: ₹5,078 Crore OFS Opens Today at a 10% Discount
The government launched its Coal India OFS this morning. Non-retail investors can bid today; retail investors get May 29.
The floor price is fixed at ₹412 per share, a 10.1% discount to Coal India’s NSE closing price of ₹458.15 on May 26, per ANI and DIPAM filings. The base offer covers 6.16 crore shares (1% of equity), valued at ₹2,539 crore at the floor price.
If the greenshoe option is fully exercised, the total deal size reaches 12.32 crore shares, a 2% stake, worth ₹5,078 crore. The government held 63.13% in Coal India as of March 31, 2026, and retains comfortable majority headroom after this sale.
| OFS Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Floor Price | ₹412 per share |
| Discount to NSE Close | 10.1% (to ₹458.15) |
| Base Offer (1% equity) | 6.16 crore shares / ₹2,539 crore |
| Greenshoe Option (1% equity) | 6.16 crore shares / ₹2,539 crore |
| Total if fully subscribed | 12.32 crore shares / ₹5,078 crore |
| Non-retail bidding | May 27, 2026 |
| Retail bidding | May 29, 2026 |
| Market closed | May 28 (Bakri Eid) |
What analysts aren’t leading with: Coal India disclosed to stock exchanges that it holds a 168 million tonne coal buffer ahead of peak summer power demand. Power plant coal stocks stood at 47.6 MT as of May 23, while mine-head inventory stood at 113.5 MT on May 24, up 10% year-on-year.
The government chose to time the OFS when the company’s operational position is strongest. That’s not coincidence, it’s pricing leverage. The OFS is part of the Centre’s ₹80,000 crore asset monetisation and disinvestment target for FY27.
Check live: COAL INDIA Options Chart | Nifty Trader
Fino Payments Bank: Interim CEO Extended 3 Months, Permanent Leadership Still Missing
Fino Payments Bank is navigating a genuine governance crisis, and the RBI just bought it three more months of runway without resolving the underlying problem.
The Reserve Bank of India, via a letter dated May 25, 2026, approved the extension of Ketan Merchant as interim CEO for a further three months with effect from May 27.
Former MD and CEO Rishi Gupta stepped down after seeking voluntary early retirement last week, following his arrest by the Directorate General of GST Intelligence in a tax fraud case. The bank’s board said it found no prima facie case against Gupta, but he stepped down regardless.
| Fino Payments Bank — Leadership Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Rishi Gupta arrested by DGGI | March 2026 |
| Ketan Merchant appointed interim CEO | March 2026 (3 months) |
| Gupta steps down (voluntary early retirement) | May 21, 2026 |
| RBI extends Merchant’s term | May 25, 2026 (w.e.f. May 27) |
| Merchant’s new term expires | ~August 27, 2026 |
| SFB transition window (18 months from RBI approval) | Expires mid-2027 |
Here’s the angle that matters more than the CEO extension: Fino became the first payments bank in India to receive RBI in-principle approval to convert into a small finance bank. It has 18 months to complete that transition. The SFB clock is running.
An interim CEO running 3-month terms cannot drive the regulatory filings, capital planning, and talent restructuring that an SFB conversion demands. Per Emkay, Fino’s SFB lending plan targets a loan book of ₹5,000 crore by FY28–FY30, with 65–70% in MSME loans and 30–35% in loan-against-property. None of that starts in earnest without a permanent CEO in the chair.
Larsen & Toubro: Largest-Ever Piling Order Won; ₹3 Trillion Middle East Book Intact
L&T had two separate stories running simultaneously on May 26, both in its favour, but for different reasons.
On the order-win front, L&T GeoStructure (a wholly owned subsidiary) secured four significant contracts in India on May 26. The headline win is the largest piling order in the company’s GeoStructure history—awarded by JSW Utkal Steel for the 10 MTPA Integrated Steel Plant at Paradeep, Odisha.
The project covers nine major packages, including Blast Furnace, Hot Strip Mill and Steel Melting Shop foundations, involving approximately 30 lakh running metres of piling.
The company also bagged two IWAI contracts for Ship Repair Facilities at Patna and Varanasi (featuring 800-tonne boat hoists on National Waterway-1) and India’s first yacht marina at Mumbai Harbour from the Mumbai Port Authority. All orders fall under the “Significant” classification, ₹1,000 crore to ₹2,500 crore each.
| L&T GeoStructure — May 26, 2026 Order Wins | Category |
|---|---|
| JSW Utkal Steel piling, Paradeep (30 lakh running metres, 9 packages) | Significant (₹1,000–₹2,500 cr) |
| IWAI Ship Repair Facility, Patna (NW-1, 800T boat hoist) | Significant |
| IWAI Ship Repair Facility, Varanasi (NW-1) | Significant |
| India’s first yacht marina, Mumbai Harbour (Mumbai Port Authority) | Significant |
On the Middle East front, management confirmed all project sites are operational, all employees are safe, and no projects have been cancelled. L&T’s order book from the Middle East stood at approximately ₹3 trillion as of March 31, 2026.
The company flagged near-term execution friction due to supply chain disruptions but said it is working with clients on alternate logistics. L&T’s consolidated order book stood at ₹7,40,327 crore as of March 31, 2026, up 28% year-on-year.
Its EBITDA margin, however, narrowed to 10.4% in Q4 FY26, a metric investors are watching closely alongside the order wins.
Also Check: LARSEN & TOUBRO Option Chain: Live NSE OI, PCR, IV & ...
Physicswallah : FY26 Full-Year Results Due Today — But the Numbers Tell Two Stories
PhysicsWallah’s board meets today, May 27, to approve FY26 audited results. The trading window closes until May 29.
The quarterly trend through FY26 has been strong. Q3 FY26 revenue grew 34% year-on-year to ₹1,082 crore, with profit after tax rising 33% to ₹102 crore and adjusted EBITDA margin at 32.4%.
The company surpassed its full FY25 revenue within the first nine months of FY26, a genuine operational milestone. Paid online enrollments reached 4.37 million in the nine months to December 2025, up 20% year-on-year. Offline centre count expanded from 186 to 318 during the same period.
| PhysicsWallah — Quarterly Profit Trend FY26 | |
|---|---|
| Q1 FY26 (reported) | ₹127 crore PAT |
| Q2 FY26 | ₹69.7 crore PAT (+70% YoY) |
| Q3 FY26 | ₹102.3 crore PAT (+33% YoY) |
| FY26 Full Year (trailing, Screener) | ₹-243 crore (loss) |
| FY26 Revenue (trailing) | ₹2,887 crore |
That last row needs explanation. Screener’s consolidated trailing data shows a full-year loss of ₹243 crore on ₹2,887 crore revenue, reflecting Q1’s heavy depreciation and asset impairment charges that earlier quarters couldn’t fully offset.
The quarterly profit recovery is real, but investors reading only the quarterly numbers will miss the annual loss position. Today’s audited results will clarify whether FY26 closes in the black or red on a full-year consolidated basis. That’s the actual event risk today, not the ESOP grant.
The CARE monitoring report for Q4 FY26 confirmed no deviation in IPO proceeds deployment: ₹481.91 crore used so far, per exchange filing dated May 15, 2026.
The NRC granted 26.14 lakh stock options under ESOP Plan 2025 on May 21, a retention move for key faculty and tech staff as offline expansion accelerates.
Marico: Investor Conference Blitz Starts Thursday — Backed by 14-Year-High Revenue Growth
Marico doesn’t have breaking news today, but four investor conferences between May 29 and June 5 in Mumbai and on virtual platforms make it a stock to watch for institutional flow signals this week.
The reason management is hitting the conference circuit hard: FY26 delivered the company’s highest revenue growth in 14 years.
Q4 FY26 consolidated net profit rose 14–18% year-on-year (sources vary slightly: ₹391–₹408 crore vs ₹343–₹345 crore a year prior).
Revenue from operations jumped 22% to ₹3,333 crore in Q4, driven by 9% domestic volume growth, a 7-year high for Indian volumes, and 20% constant currency growth in international markets, a 14-year high. Full-year FY26 revenue reached ₹13,611 crore, up 26% year-on-year.
| Marico — FY26 vs FY25 Key Metrics | FY26 | FY25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue from Operations | ₹13,611 crore | ₹10,831 crore | +26% YoY |
| Consolidated Net Profit | ₹1,813 crore | ₹1,658 crore | +9.3% YoY |
| Q4 Revenue | ₹3,333 crore | ₹2,730 crore | +22% YoY |
| Q4 Net Profit | ₹391–408 crore | ₹343–345 crore | +14–18% YoY |
| India Volume Growth (Q4) | 9% | — | 7-year high |
| International CC Growth (FY26) | 20% | — | 14-year high |
Marico has also guided for double-digit revenue growth in FY27 toward a ₹15,000 crore topline.
MD Saugata Gupta flagged elevated copra prices as a near-term headwind but said the company will maintain “industry-leading growth.” The FY2026 annual secretarial compliance report, filed May 15, showed zero non-compliances or SEBI actions.
A ₹4 per share final dividend for FY26 was recommended, payable on or before September 5, 2026, subject to shareholder approval at the AGM on August 6.
Market Dashboard: What to Watch on Expiry Day
| Stock | Key Trigger | Data Point |
|---|---|---|
| Coal India | OFS bidding live (non-retail) | Floor ₹412, total deal up to ₹5,078 crore |
| Fino Payments Bank | Interim CEO extended; no permanent CEO | SFB transition clock: ~13 months left |
| L&T | Largest GeoStructure piling order + Middle East order book intact | Order book ₹7,40,327 crore, up 28% YoY |
| PhysicsWallah | FY26 audited results today | FY26 trailing loss ₹243 crore despite strong Q3 |
| Marico | Investor conferences May 29–June 5 | FY26 revenue ₹13,611 crore, 14-year high growth |
Nifty’s inability to sustain a breakout above 24,000, closing instead at 23,913, signals the market is not yet in conviction territory. Monthly expiry typically compresses implied volatility post-close, which may set up a cleaner directional move into June.
The Coal India OFS subscription data, expected after market close, will be the most immediate institutional sentiment read of the week.
FAQ
Q: What is the Coal India OFS allotment date, and when will shares be credited?
The OFS opens for non-retail investors on May 27 and for retail investors and employees on May 29. Allotment typically occurs on T+1 basis, per SEBI OFS guidelines. Retail investors who bid on May 29 should expect credit by May 30, 2026. The market is closed May 28 for Bakri Eid.
Q: Is Physicswallah profitable, and what do today’s FY26 results mean for the stock?
Quarterly, yes, Q3 FY26 PAT was ₹102 crore, up 33% year-on-year. But trailing full-year Screener data shows a consolidated loss of ₹243 crore for FY26, driven by heavy Q1 depreciation and asset impairment charges. Today’s audited results will confirm whether the full year closes profitable or not, that’s the binary outcome investors are pricing in.
Q: Does Fino Payments Bank’s leadership crisis affect its small finance bank conversion?
Fino received RBI in-principle approval to transition into a small finance bank, the first payments bank in India to do so, and has 18 months to complete the shift. Ketan Merchant’s 3-month extension runs to approximately late August 2026. If a permanent CEO is not named before that window closes, the SFB transition timeline, including Emkay’s projected ₹5,000 crore lending AUM target by FY30 — faces real execution risk.
