Stocks to buy, Feb. 3 -- The Union Budget 2025-2026 strikes a balance between fiscal prudence and economic stimulus. The fiscal deficit target has been sharply reduced to 4.4% of GDP from 4.8% in the previous year. The Budget provides a boost to consumption through income tax relief, optimizes public capital expenditure, and strategically relies on private sector investment to drive growth.

According to Utsav Verma, Head of Research - Institutional Equities, Choice International, no negative surprises or imaginative ways to fund the deficit is a big plus in the Budget 2025.

"We expect the budget to be positive for consumption oriented sectors such as private sector banks, FMCG and consumer discretionary such as autos, hotels, food, text...