New Delhi, Dec. 26 -- Stocks to buy for the short term: The Nifty 50 ended in the red in the previous session on Wednesday, December 24, snapping a three-day winning run. The benchmark index closed with a mild loss of 0.13% at 26,142.10 due to the absence of fresh domestic triggers and mixed global cues.

As the year draws to a close, the market is witnessing muted volume and weak breadth due to the holiday season. Investors appear cautious ahead of the start of the Q3 earnings season. Two IT majors- HCL Tech and TCS- will announce their December quarter results on January 12.

According to Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking, for fresh momentum, stronger participation from the banking index will be essential. He says a decis...