Bagadia Picks 3 Sub-Rs 100 Stocks As Banks Lift Market

A ₹5 lakh market portfolio gained roughly ₹1,500 on Friday, if it moved like the Sensex.

That is not life-changing money. But after weeks of nervous trading, it tells us something useful. Buyers have not disappeared. They are just picking their spots.

For Monday, May 25, 2026, Sumeet Bagadia of Choice Broking has named three stocks under ₹100 for short-term traders. The list includes Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, Bank of Maharashtra, and Ola Electric Mobility.

Banks carried the market higher

The Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex closed at 75,415.35 on Friday. It rose 232 points, or 0.31 percent.

The National Stock Exchange’s Nifty 50 ended at 23,719.30. It gained 64.60 points, or 0.27 percent.

In plain English, the market moved up, but not with full force. Large banks did most of the heavy lifting. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Axis Bank helped keep the mood positive.

For retail investors, this matters because banking stocks often act like the market’s main engine. When banks move, mutual funds, index funds, and retirement portfolios usually feel it.

But the rally had a ceiling. Crude oil prices stayed elevated, and inflation worries remained alive. Higher crude hurts India because we import most of our oil.

When oil gets expensive, fuel, transport, and many daily-use goods can cost more. That feeds into inflation. If inflation stays sticky, the Reserve Bank of India may have less room to cut rates.

That is why Friday’s move was hopeful, but not carefree.

Nifty shows cautious strength

Bagadia said the Nifty 50 showed buying interest from lower levels. But sellers appeared near the higher end of the day.

The index opened near 23,671 and slipped only slightly after that. It then climbed to 23,835.65, before profit-booking pulled it back.

This means traders bought the early dip, but did not chase prices blindly. That is a healthy sign, though not a roaring bull signal.

Bagadia pointed to support around 23,400 to 23,450. Support is the zone where buyers may step in again.

He placed resistance around 23,850 to 23,900. Resistance is the area where sellers may again become active.

The Relative Strength Index stood at 47.19. RSI is a simple momentum gauge. Below 50, it suggests the market still lacks strong upward speed.

Options data also showed a fight near current levels. Traders wrote calls around 23,800 and 24,000. That suggests many expect the index to struggle there.

Put writing appeared near 23,700 and 23,500. That usually signals some confidence that the market may not fall below those levels quickly.

For a small investor, the message is simple. The market has support, but it has not yet broken free.

Bank Nifty looked stronger

The Bank Nifty had a much better Friday than the broader market. It closed at 54,055.35, up 615.95 points, or 1.15 percent.

That is a sharp move for a large banking index. If a ₹5 lakh portfolio tracked Bank Nifty exactly, the day’s gain would be about ₹5,750.

The index opened at 53,483.85 and quickly made its low near the same level. From there, buyers took control.

It touched 54,213.05 during the day. Some selling came in later, but banks still closed firmly higher.

Bagadia said Bank Nifty has immediate support around 53,400 to 53,500. Resistance sits between 54,000 and 54,500.

That range matters now. The index has already closed above 54,000. But it must hold and build from here.

Its RSI stood at 45.87, which shows improving momentum. Still, it remains below the stronger bullish zone.

The banking move also has a wider meaning. Banks gain when investors believe credit growth, asset quality, and margins can hold up.

But if inflation pushes rates higher for longer, loan demand can slow. Home loans, car loans, and business borrowing all become more expensive.

So yes, banks led Friday’s rally. But Monday will test whether that strength has legs.

Three stocks under ₹100

Bagadia’s first pick is Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail. He recommended buying at ₹67.35, with a target of ₹74 and a stop loss at ₹64.

That target implies a possible upside of about 9.9 percent. The stop loss suggests a downside risk of nearly 5 percent.

The second pick is Bank of Maharashtra. Bagadia gave a buy price of ₹80.04, a target of ₹87, and a stop loss of ₹76.50.

That means the possible upside is about 8.7 percent. The stated downside risk is roughly 4.4 percent.

The third pick is Ola Electric Mobility. Bagadia recommended buying at ₹36.01, with a target of ₹39.30 and a stop loss of ₹34.30.

Here, the possible upside is around 9.1 percent. The stop loss marks a risk of about 4.7 percent.

These are trading calls, not lifetime investment ideas. That distinction matters.

A stop loss is the price where a trader exits if the call goes wrong. It protects capital when the market refuses to cooperate.

Many new investors ignore stop losses because the stock price looks cheap. That is a common mistake.

A ₹36 stock can still fall 20 percent. A ₹500 stock can be safer if the business and trend are stronger.

Low price does not mean low risk. It only means each share costs less.

For ordinary investors, Monday’s real lesson is not just these three names. It is discipline. Enter with a plan, know the exit, and do not confuse a short-term trade with long-term conviction.

The market is trying to recover, led by banks and helped by selective buying. But crude oil, inflation, and rate expectations still sit in the background. For anyone putting fresh money to work, the smartest move is simple: respect the levels, respect the risk, and never let a cheap stock make the decision for you.