India, Nov. 26 -- Over the past six months, the stock prices of state-owned oil firms have firmed up. While Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum were up more than 10 per cent each, IOC jumped up by nearly 14 per cent. Yet, a recent brokerage report downgraded the shares, from hold to sell, and maintained target prices that showed a downside of 8-12 per cent. This is contrary to the expectations that oil firms are on a rock-steady wicket, and their financials seem strong. According to a recent report by Crisil Ratings, the state-owned oil marketing firms may witness more than 50 per cent growth in operating profits in the current financial year (2025-26). This will boost cash accruals by Rs20,000-25,000 crore. Operating profits fell to...