In this article, we will cover
- What are best Blue chip stocks?
- Characteristics of Blue chip Stocks
- List of Best Blue chip Stocks to Buy now in India
- How to evaluate and build the portfolio of best blue chip stocks
- Detailed overview of the Best Blue Chip stocks to buy now in India
What are Blue chip stocks?
The blue-chip stocks to buy are stocks issued by financially sound and fundamentally strong blue chip companies with humongous market capitalisation and enviable market reputation. Blue Chip companies refer to equity shares of companies with larger market capitalisation. These companies have entrenched market operations running for many years. The best blue-chip shares to buy now usually are stocks of the bellwethers and trailblazers, currently occupying the highest ranks of any industry.Given the large size, a Blue Chip company is easily recognisable and financially stable with a large distribution network. These companies typically sell quality products and services that are widely accepted across the country. Because of these qualities, such companies are more resilient to economic downturns. They may continue to grow or operate profitably, even in adverse market conditions. And this is one of the reasons these companies are relatively less sensitive to wide market fluctuations when compared to Mid Cap and Small Cap companies.Blue Chip companies are stalwarts in their own industry and belong to the mature lot on exchanges. The term ‘Blue Chip’ originates from the round of poker where the blue colored chips are relatively more valuable. Similar to the game, these stocks which are more valuable in the market and hence are termed Blue Chip stocks.Characteristics of Blue chip Stocks:
Consistent Returns
Financially Resilient
Low Risk
Portfolio Diversification
List of Best Blue chip Stocks to buy now in India
| Sr. No. | Company Name | BSE Scrip Code | NSE Symbol | CMP 10th Mar 23 | Rating | Industry |
| 1 | Reliance Industries Ltd. | 500325 | RELIANCE | 2,502 | 0.5 | Crude Oil |
| 2 | Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. | 532540 | TCS | 3,228 | 4.5 | Information Technology |
| 3 | Hindustan Unilever Ltd. | 500696 | HINDUNILVR | 2,621 | 5.0 | FMCG |
| 4 | Infosys Ltd. | 500209 | INFY | 1,497 | 4.5 | Information Technology |
| 5 | Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. | 500010 | HDFC | 2,623 | 4.5 | Finance - Housing |
| 6 | Bharti Airtel Ltd. | 532454 | BHARTIARTL | 809 | 0.5 | Telecom |
| 7 | ITC Ltd. | 500875 | ITC | 327 | 4.0 | FMCG |
| 8 | Asian Paints Ltd. | 500820 | ASIANPAINT | 3,058 | 3.0 | Chemical - Paints |
| 9 | Nestle India Ltd. | 500790 | NESTLEIND | 20,133 | 5.0 | FMCG |
| 10 | HCL Technologies Ltd. | 532281 | HCLTECH | 1,031 | 4.0 | Information Technology |
| 11 | Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. | 532500 | MARUTI | 8,142 | 2.0 | Automobiles & Ancillaries |
| 12 | Larsen & Toubro Ltd. | 500510 | LT | 2,063 | 0.5 | Infrastructure |
| 13 | Titan Company Ltd. | 500114 | TITAN | 2,483 | 0.5 | Diamond & Jewellery |
| 14 | Britannia Industries Ltd. | 500825 | BRITANNIA | 4,332 | 4.0 | FMCG |
| 15 | Bajaj Auto Ltd. | 532977 | BAJAJ-AUTO | 3,542 | 4.5 | Automobiles & Ancillaries |
| 16 | Eicher Motors Ltd. | 505200 | EICHERMOT | 3,114 | 4.0 | Automobiles & Ancillaries |
| 17 | Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. | 500124 | DRREDDY | 4,310 | 1.0 | Pharmaceuticals & Drugs |
| 18 | Avenue Supermarts Ltd. | 540376 | DMART | 3,876 | 3.0 | Retailing |
| 19 | Pidilite Industries Ltd. | 500331 | PIDILITIND | 2,490 | 3.0 | Chemical |
| 20 | HDFC Bank Ltd. | 500180 | HDFCBANK | 1598 | 5 | Bank - Private |
| 21 | Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. | 500247 | KOTAKBANK | 1822 | 5 | Bank - Private |
| 22 | ICICI Bank Ltd. | 532174 | ICICIBANK | 879 | 4 | Bank - Private |
| 23 | Axis Bank Ltd. | 532215 | AXISBANK | 907 | 3 | Bank - Private |
Reliance Industries Ltd.
Reliance Industries is India’s largest company. The company is primarily engaged in the business of oil exploration, refining of petroleum and marketing & distribution of the same along with operations in petrochemicals. Reliance has diversified further by foraying into the retail, telecom and technology space with Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio, respectively. With all the businesses combined, the company pulled in revenues of over Rs. 6.98 crores in FY212. A majority of the company's cash flows come from the oil sector, but it has been aggressive in diversifying into companies that may help it achieve rapid growth and utilize its size in the proper sequence while mitigating the risks associated with the oil business. The company has rolled out its 5G services under Reliance Jio Infocomm. Apart from this, it has been focusing on its Retail business under Reliance Retail. It has made a couple of acquisitions under the brands such as that if Campa Cola and Independence. The company has plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 thereby focusing on diversifying across energy and other industries while continuing to invest in the oil business.2022 witnessed high volatility in the prices of oil globally due to which the Return ratios have been suppressed yet reporting a 9.5% RoCE. It has also successfully become net debt free which is positive as peers are usually more debt laden at the given scale. The company currently has an EV/EBITDA of 13.8 and a PE ratio of 26.4x which values the company fairly given the efficiency in the oil business vs. peers. The company announced that it will invest Rs. 75,000 crores in its New Energy business over the next three years. The stock is expected to offer diverse growth opportunities over the long term. Along with this, the company has Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail among other digital investments which have been effectively contributing to the margins and growth of the company. Reliance has also successfully raised about Rs. 2 trillion by Jio stake sale, BP stake sale and a rights issue, which helped in making the company net debt free back in 2020.Britannia Industries Ltd
Britannia Industries is one of India’s leading food companies with a 100 year legacy and annual revenues in excess of Rs. 9000 Cr. Britannia is among the most trusted food brands, and manufactures India’s favorite brands like Good Day, Tiger, NutriChoice, Milk Bikis and Marie Gold which are household names in India. They have a presence in more than 60 countries across the globe. Their international footprint includes presence in Middle East through local manufacturing in UAE and Oman, are the No 2 biscuit player in UAE with a strong contention to leadership and have a similarly strong market position in the other GCC countries. They are also the market leaders in Nepal and are in the process of investing a manufacturing facility in the country. Their foot print spreads across North America, Europe, Africa and South East Asia through exports and are investing in a state- of- the- art facility in Mundra SEZ, Gujarat, to service the exports markets. Britannia’s strategic expansion plan is based on the principle of ‘One new market a year’ with intention to expand through local operations in Africa and South East Asia in the coming years.The pandemic had not majorly affected the company’s sales. The sales have grown at 13% CAGR in the past three years. Britannia’s consistent increase in the No of Outlets has increased its market reach aiding revenue growth. Britannia Market Share Reaches 15-Year High. Margins expanded despite the elevated input costs headwind faced by the economy. The margins are on a rising trend after witnessing a contraction in the same.Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd is the largest IT company in India by Market cap and the world’s largest IT Services provider. The company is involved in providing a wide spectrum of services such as IT Services, Consultancy, business solutions, digital transformation, and IT products and platforms. The company is also foraying into newfound and developing technologies such as cloud-based computing, machine learning, AI and Blockchain-based technology. Its majority revenue segment is BFSI which forms about 39% of the total revenue pie for the company followed by Retail and CPG, Communications, Media and Tech, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare and Energy and Utilities among Public and Others. TCS’ major revenue generation is from North America contributing to about 52%, UK and Europe ex-UK are around 32% while India is the least at 5%.The company has a proven track record which is reflected in the company’s financials as it has been delivering industry-leading results such as 5-year average RoE of 37%; an operating profit margin of 26.6% and a high cash flow generating business with cash flow from operating activities at Rs 39,949 Crs. TCS has also seen consistent growth with revenue growing at a CAGR of 10% over the last 5 years while the net profits saw a 8% CAGR for the same period.The company has delivered strong financial performance, the stock carries premium valuations vs. its peers at a PE ratio of 29.8 times vs. the industry average PE ratio of 24 times. While the PE ratio is higher, the premium is justified as TCS has also delivered industry-leading growth and returns for shareholders, making it attractive at the price offered. Digital transformation deals are no longer discretionary as clients continue to spend, despite their sector being in an Economic down-cycle.Cross-currency risk is one of the key risks for the company. Given TCS is a service export-oriented company, changes in currency rates can affect the demand for the services.Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) is one of the largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods Companies in India with a heritage of over 80 years. Five of its brands generate an annual turnover of over Rs. 2,000 Crs each and 7 16 brands generate an annual turnover of over Rs. 1,000 Crs each. HUL caters to a variety of product ranges which includes foods, beverages, cleaning agents, personal care products, and water purifiers. HUL has category leadership in over 85% of businesses. A few famous brands have high visibility and sustained market leadership which is backed by an extensive distribution network and a strong advertising and marketing campaign.HUL has been leveraging its distribution strengths to adapt its channel strategy for its products and market segments which has helped them launch 19 new brands in the last 10 years. The business is expanding in the fast growing Health and Well-being with a strategic partnership with Zywie Ventures Private Limited (OZiva) and Nutritionalab Private Limited (Wellbeing Nutrition). On a consolidated basis, the financial risk profile is supported by strong cash flow from operations and minimal debt. HUL is known for its aggressive dividend payout policy which is around 90%. The Indian FMCG industry is corroborated by both organized and unorganized players across segments and products and HUL continues to face stiff competition with the entry of new players including multinationals in all its major segments such as soaps and detergents, personal care products and packaged foods. However, HUL’s strong financial risk profile and its leading position in the domestic FMCG industry would help to maintain its leadership position and tide through any economic slowdown/ crisis.Asian Paints Ltd.
Asian Paints enjoys a dominant share of over 50% in the organized domestic paints market. In the decorative paints segment, which comprises about 70-75% of the Indian paints industry; Asian Paints have a share of about 60%. It has also been able to garner a healthy position in the automotive industrial coatings segment with a market share of about 20%. Driven by its leadership position, the company has registered revenue at a CAGR of 14% and a profit CAGR of 13% over the five fiscals through 2022. Strong brand equity, extensive distribution network, and wide product portfolio have enabled it to maintain a strong market position. Due to the company's leadership position, it enjoys a healthy operating margin of over 17.2% which is higher than peers. Debt to equity has always been negligible and currently stands at 0.13 times.Asian Paints’ financial risk profile continues to remain strong, marked by a net debt-free balance sheet. The company’s profitability is currently under pressure on the back of an unprecedented rise in its raw material prices. However, the company took some price hikes to offset this pressure. The long-term structural story remains intact with drivers such as improved traction in business verticals, gains in market share and growth opportunities in rural and small towns.Avenue Supermarts Ltd.
Avenue Supermarts Ltd. is a Mumbai-based company, which owns and operates D-Mart stores. D-Mart is a national supermarket chain that offers customers a range of home and personal products under one roof. As of March 31, 20212 the Company had 284 stores with a Retail Business Area of 11.5 mn sq. ft. across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, NCR, Chhattisgarh and Punjab. The Company reported same-store sales growth of about negative 13.10% during FY21 due to frequent lockdowns across cities and towns. However, the same have now bounced back to 16.7% for the previous financial year. Strong procurement abilities, lower priced products along with healthy cost control measures all may result in higher growth in footfalls going ahead. This leads to high inventory turnover and revenue per sq. ft. and translates into industry-leading retail store productivity.The operating profitability of the company has seen improvement over the years with operating profit currently standing at 9.06%. Liquidity is aided by cash and equivalents of Rs. 1,135 Crs as on September 30, 2022. Avenue Supermarts is an apt benefactor of substantial improvement in geographical diversity and sales channel mix which would result in a higher scale of operations with increased operating profitability over a period of time. Risks would include a significant weakening of operating margin due to large gestation losses from new stores, larger than expected debt-funded capex increasing the now comfortable debt-to-equity ratio.Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
Uday Kotak led, Kotak Mahindra Bank is one of India’s leading financial services conglomerates, providing a wide span of various financial and banking solutions with a reach of 1,710 branches and 2,802 ATMs across India. Kotak Mahindra Bank, too, emerged as a player who adopted a prudent and cautious approach, targeting only high-rated customers and sectors. This aided the bank's low levels of bad loan formation over the years (Net NPA at 0.55% in Q2FY23). This banking behemoth has managed to achieve NII and profit CAGR of 15% and 20% respectively in 5 years and has managed to grow advances at 10% CAGR in 5 years. Bank’s deposit franchise continues to be granular and robust with deposit accretion staying healthy with an industry-leading CASA ratio of 56.2%.Kotak Bank has maintained its cautious stance towards unsecured retail, credit cards and small business lending. Bank’s 70% advances are given to corporate and business, home loans &LAP and agriculture segment, with corporate and business division having the highest exposure of nearly 58%. The business has a healthy asset under management of Rs. 3,82,504 crs for FY22.Digitalization is the backbone of the bank’s growth strategy and the company has been investing and enhancing its technology armor. The future growth is expected to be boosted by expanding distribution, deeper channel and robust digital infrastructure.The bank has proven its stable leadership, strong liability franchise, best-in-class margins and cautious underwriting measures.Hampered economic scenario and uncertainty which lies ahead of investors, prevalent risk-aversion among market participants have all brought back the interest of many market participants to Blue Chip stocks. Given that these quality companies are more resilient to economic downturns, they may continue to grow or operate profitably even during adverse market conditions. Therefore, an investor’s portion should always be allocated to blue chips in order to cushion their portfolio during difficult times.Model Portfolio
In order to get an exposure to Best Blue chip Stocks, you would need a total of Rs. 29,070 for the below curated portfolio as on Dec 22, 2022.| Company Name | Weightage | CMP Dec 22, 2022 | Quantity | Total (Rs.) |
| Reliance Industries Ltd. | 17 | 2,502 | 2 | 5,004 |
| Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. | 11 | 3,228 | 1 | 3,228 |
| Hindustan Unilever Ltd. | 18 | 2,621 | 2 | 5,242 |
| Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. | 11 | 1,598 | 2 | 3,196 |
| Asian Paints Ltd. | 11 | 3,058 | 1 | 3,058 |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. | 19 | 1,822 | 3 | 5,466 |
| Avenue Supermarts Ltd. | 13 | 3,876 | 1 | 3,876 |
| 100% | Total | 29,070 | ||
How to evaluate and build the portfolio of the best blue-chip stocks?
Check out our video on how to evaluate and build a solid portfolio of the best blue chip stocks in India.Detailed overview of the Best Blue Chip stocks to buy now in India
The table below covers some of the most important factors while evaluating Blue Chip stocks such as the return ratios – RoE, operating margins, sales and earning growth, market cap, etc.Blue Chip Stocks (Excluding Banking Companies)
| Sr. No. | Company Name | BSE Scrip Code | NSE Symbol | CMP Dec 22, 2022 | Rating | Industry | Market Cap (in Crs) | Compounded Sales Growth (5 years) | Compounded Profit Growth (5 years) | Operating Profit Margin (%) Q3 FY22 | Price to Earnings (times) | Price to Book (times) | EV/EBITDA | Debt to equity (times) | Dividend Yield (%) Q3 FY22 | Return on Equity (%) Q3FY22 | Return on Capital Employed (%) Q3FY22 |
| 1 | Reliance Industries Ltd. | 500325 | RELIANCE | 2,502 | 0.5 | Crude Oil | 1,836,208.40 | 18.16 | 14.41 | 15.78 | 31.3 | 2.36 | 16.56 | 0.36 | 0.26 | 8.15 | 9.63 |
| 2 | Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. | 532540 | TCS | 3,228 | 4.5 | Information Technology | 1,229,404.70 | 10.2 | 7.83 | 27.67 | 32.09 | 13.79 | 21.37 | 0.09 | 1.28 | 43.64 | 54.87 |
| 3 | Hindustan Unilever Ltd. | 500696 | HINDUNILVR | 2,621 | 5.0 | FMCG | 516,886.60 | 9.6 | 15.65 | 24.51 | 58 | 10.54 | 39.18 | 0.02 | 1.55 | 18.43 | 24.35 |
| 4 | Infosys Ltd. | 500209 | INFY | 1,497 | 4.5 | Information Technology | 621,355.40 | 12.18 | 9.16 | 25.89 | 28.27 | 8.25 | 18.13 | 0.07 | 2.1 | 28.98 | 37.09 |
| 5 | Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. | 500010 | HDFC | 2,623 | 4.5 | Finance - Housing | 395,466.30 | 17.37 | 15.38 | 34.5 | 17.5 | 2.2 | 16.11 | 2.83 | 1.38 | 13.45 | 8.6 |
| 6 | Bharti Airtel Ltd. | 532454 | BHARTIARTL | 809 | 0.5 | Telecom | 381,644.90 | 4.07 | -3.38 | 49.37 | 103.82 | 5.95 | 8.89 | 2.55 | 0 | 5.86 | 11.97 |
| 7 | ITC Ltd. | 500875 | ITC | 327 | 4.0 | FMCG | 332,912.80 | 7.24 | 8.36 | 34.05 | 21.84 | 5.33 | 14.6 | 0 | 4.26 | 24.82 | 33.67 |
| 8 | Asian Paints Ltd. | 500820 | ASIANPAINT | 3,058 | 3.0 | Chemical - Paints | 259,822.70 | 14.08 | 9.71 | 16.51 | 84.32 | 18.81 | 50.39 | 0.11 | 0.71 | 23.15 | 29.73 |
| 9 | Nestle India Ltd. | 500790 | NESTLEIND | 20,133 | 5.0 | FMCG | 161,736.40 | 9.98 | 18.14 | 23.78 | 69.79 | 77.59 | 43.61 | 0.13 | 1.19 | 113.08 | 147.06 |
| 10 | HCL Technologies Ltd. | 532281 | HCLTECH | 1,031 | 4.0 | Information Technology | 275,532.00 | 12.48 | 9.51 | 23.97 | 20.41 | 4.45 | 12.47 | 0.1 | 3.15 | 22.16 | 25.65 |
| 11 | Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. | 532500 | MARUTI | 8,142 | 2.0 | Automobiles & Ancillaries | 239,703.50 | 5.34 | -8.09 | 6.46 | 61.79 | 4.33 | 31.14 | 0.01 | 0.57 | 7.2 | 8.87 |
| 12 | Larsen & Toubro Ltd. | 500510 | LT | 2,063 | 0.5 | Infrastructure | 222,729.60 | 7.44 | 7.74 | 15.44 | 25.86 | 2.7 | 12.46 | 1.52 | 1.14 | 10.81 | 11.23 |
| 13 | Titan Company Ltd. | 500114 | TITAN | 2,483 | 0.5 | Diamond & Jewellery | 190,186.00 | 16.78 | 23.37 | 11.6 | 85.98 | 20.44 | 54.79 | 0.78 | 0.35 | 26.33 | 21.38 |
| 14 | Britannia Industries Ltd. | 500825 | BRITANNIA | 4,332 | 4.0 | FMCG | 80,952.20 | 9.32 | 11.38 | 15.57 | 53.4 | 31.65 | 34.35 | 0.97 | 1.68 | 49.66 | 41.51 |
| 15 | Bajaj Auto Ltd. | 532977 | BAJAJ-AUTO | 3,542 | 4.5 | Automobiles & Ancillaries | 112,303.30 | 8.79 | 6.25 | 15.84 | 20.32 | 3.76 | 15.67 | 0 | 3.61 | 19.35 | 23.86 |
| 16 | Eicher Motors Ltd. | 505200 | EICHERMOT | 3,114 | 0.5 | Automobiles & Ancillaries | 74,177.20 | 7.92 | 0.11 | 21.09 | 44.24 | 5.88 | 26.77 | 0.01 | 0.63 | 13.94 | 18.23 |
| 17 | Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. | 500124 | DRREDDY | 4,310 | 0.5 | Pharmaceuticals & Drugs | 72,421.10 | 8.7 | 11.75 | 17.49 | 33.18 | 3.77 | 16.98 | 0.18 | 0.57 | 11.78 | 14.53 |
| 18 | Avenue Supermarts Ltd. | 540376 | DMART | 3,876 | 4.0 | Retailing | 243,281.50 | 21.09 | 25.77 | 8.07 | 163.01 | 17.79 | 93.13 | 0.05 | 0 | 11.54 | 15.75 |
| 19 | Pidilite Industries Ltd. | 500331 | PIDILITIND | 2,490 | 4.5 | Chemical | 107,187.90 | 12.05 | 6.97 | 18.62 | 88.82 | 16.74 | 56.58 | 0.06 | 0.4 | 20.12 | 25.99 |
Blue Chip Banking Companies
| Sr. No. | NSE Symbol | BSE Scrip Code | NSE Symbol | CMP Nov-2022 | Rating | Industry | Market Cap | Price to Book (times) | Return on Equity (%) | Return on Assets (%) | Net Interest Margin (%) | GNPA% | NNPA% | CASA Ratio (%) | 5-year NII CAGR | 5-year PAT CAGR | CRAR | Deposits Growth YoY (%) | Advances Growth YoY (%) | Provision Coverage Ratio (%) | Cost to income ratio (%) |
| 1 | HDFC Bank Ltd. | 500180 | HDFCBANK | 1598 | 5 | Bank - Private | 7,50,131.0 | 3.58 | 18.10% | 1.93% | 4.20% | 1.17% | 0.32% | 48.00% | 17% | 20% | 18.90% | 16.80% | 20.70% | 73.00% | 36.90% |
| 2 | Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. | 500247 | KOTAKBANK | 1822 | 5 | Bank - Private | 3,55,699.0 | 4.19 | 14.20% | 2.52% | 4.78% | 2.34% | 0.64% | 60.70% | 7% | 20% | 22.70% | 11.27% | 21.00% | 73.20% | 52.60% |
| 3 | ICICI Bank Ltd. | 532174 | ICICIBANK | 879 | 4 | Bank - Private | 5,00,715.0 | 3.15 | 15.90% | 1.69% | 4.00% | 3.60% | 76.00% | 42.50% | 16% | 20% | 18.87% | 18.43% | 17.50% | 79.20% | 41.30% |
| 4 | Axis Bank Ltd. | 532215 | AXISBANK | 907 | 3 | Bank - Private | 2,02,921.0 | 1.96 | 13.60% | 1.41% | 3.49% | 2.82% | 0.73% | 43.00% | 13% | 29% | 18.54% | 19.00% | 15.00% | 75.00% | 50.50% |
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