Trending Stocks Today, August 18, 2026: Vodafone Idea, Milky Mist, Motisons Jewellers Among NSE Volume Leaders

Mumbai, August 18: Vodafone Idea, Milky Mist Dairy Food and Motisons Jewellers featured among the most actively traded stocks on the NSE by volume on Tuesday, with investors focusing on the telecom operator’s three-year turnaround plan, strong debut of the newly listed dairy company and Motisons Jewellers’ robust June quarter earnings. Vodafone Idea shares rose 0.80%, while Milky Mist Dairy Food surged 29.64% from its IPO issue price and Motisons Jewellers gained 0.48%. 

Vodafone Idea Limited (up 0.80%) 

Vodafone Idea shares gained on Tuesday after coming under profit-booking pressure in the previous session, as investors continued to assess the telecom operator’s three-year turnaround strategy aimed at expanding its network, accelerating revenue growth, improving cash generation and rebuilding market share. 

The plan, unveiled last week, involves Rs 45,000 crore of network investment over the next three years, alongside a target of double-digit revenue growth and a threefold increase in cash EBITDA. The roadmap has renewed investor interest in Vodafone Idea’s ability to stabilise its operations after years of financial stress. 

Network investment forms the centrepiece of the turnaround strategy. Vodafone Idea plans to accelerate its 4G rollout by adding around 3,500 sites every month, with the company targeting 4G expansion across 17 key circles within roughly 18 months. 

The operator also plans to extend its 5G network to more than 200 additional cities over the next two quarters. The expansion is aimed at improving network quality and coverage, helping Vodafone Idea compete more effectively with larger rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. 

A stronger network could help the company address one of its biggest operational challenges — subscriber churn. Improved coverage and service quality could support customer retention, attract new users and create opportunities to move subscribers towards higher-value plans. 

While the network roadmap has improved sentiment around Vodafone Idea, funding remains critical to its execution. The company is in discussions with public and private sector banks as well as overseas lenders to raise additional financing for its network expansion and other requirements. 

Vodafone Idea has already secured a Rs 6,400-crore funding tranche and has placed network equipment orders worth around Rs 9,000 crore. Deliveries and deployment of the equipment are expected over the next two quarters or earlier. 

The ability to raise the remaining capital will be closely watched by investors, given the scale of investment required. The company will need to balance its aggressive expansion plans with maintaining adequate liquidity and meeting its existing financial obligations. 

Vodafone Idea CEO Abhijit Kishore has expressed confidence in executing the three-year strategy, citing continued promoter support and ongoing discussions with lenders. 

The company is seeking to strengthen its financial position while narrowing the gap with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel in terms of network coverage and service quality. However, the scale of the proposed investment means execution will remain a key factor in determining whether the strategy delivers the expected results. 

Beyond network expansion, Vodafone Idea is targeting double-digit revenue growth and a threefold increase in cash EBITDA over the three-year period. 

The targets reflect the company’s broader objective of moving from stabilisation towards sustainable growth. Higher revenue and stronger cash generation would give Vodafone Idea greater flexibility to invest in its network, manage financial obligations and compete more aggressively in the market. 

However, the success of the strategy will ultimately depend on whether higher capital expenditure translates into sustained subscriber additions, lower churn and improved monetisation. 

The latest management commentary comes after Vodafone Idea reported its first-quarter results, with the telecom operator narrowing its loss during the period. An improvement in average revenue per user also provided some support to the company’s operating performance. 

Vodafone Idea remains India’s third-largest telecom operator and has been attempting to rebuild its business following years of financial pressure. The government’s conversion of dues into equity has also made it the company’s largest shareholder, giving the operator an additional source of institutional support. 

Vodafone Idea’s turnaround story now rests on three key pillars — better operating performance, access to fresh financing and large-scale network investment. Recent developments have improved investor sentiment, but the company continues to face substantial execution and funding challenges. 

For investors, the crucial question is whether Vodafone Idea can convert its planned network spending into higher subscriber additions, lower churn, stronger revenue and improved cash generation. 

The company must also secure the remaining funding needed to execute its expansion programme while maintaining sufficient liquidity. Until those improvements begin to show up consistently in operating and financial metrics, Vodafone Idea’s recovery will remain a work in progress. 

The three-year roadmap provides a more optimistic direction for the telecom operator, but its credibility will ultimately depend on execution, funding availability and the speed at which network investments translate into market-share gains and sustainable financial improvement. 

Milky Mist Dairy Food Limited (up 29.64% with respect to issue price) 

Milky Mist Dairy Food shares made a strong debut on the Indian stock exchanges on Tuesday, August 18, listing at Rs 165 per share on both the NSE and BSE. The stock listed at a premium of nearly 18% over its IPO issue price of Rs 140. The debut comes after strong investor demand for the Rs 1,553-crore public issue. 

Milky Mist Dairy Food shares opened at Rs 165 on the NSE and BSE. 

The stock subsequently extended its gains after listing, shares up nearly 30% from the issue price, highlighting strong buying interest on debut. 

The strong listing followed a robust response to Milky Mist Dairy Food’s initial public offering. The Rs 1,553-crore issue was open for subscription from August 11 to August 13 and attracted substantial demand across investor categories. 

The IPO was subscribed more than 56 times overall, with qualified institutional buyers showing particularly strong interest. QIBs subscribed 155.83 times their allocated portion, while the non-institutional investor category was subscribed 34.91 times and the retail portion 8.41 times. 

Milky Mist Dairy Food plans to use the proceeds from the IPO to reduce debt and fund the expansion and modernisation of its main manufacturing facility in Perundurai, Tamil Nadu. 

Milky Mist operates across a range of value-added dairy categories, including cheese, butter, ice cream and yoghurt. The company has positioned itself to benefit from growing demand for branded and value-added dairy products in India. 

The strong debut provides an early boost to investors who received shares in the IPO, but the stock’s performance beyond the listing day will depend on the company’s operating and financial performance. 

Investors will closely monitor revenue growth, profit margins, cash flows, debt reduction and execution of expansion plans. The company will also need to demonstrate that investments in manufacturing capacity can translate into sustained growth. 

With the stock already trading well above its issue price after the debut, near-term volatility could remain high as investors who subscribed primarily for listing gains decide whether to book profits. Over the longer term, however, earnings growth and execution are likely to become more important drivers of the share price than the initial listing premium. 

Motisons Jewellers Limited (up 0.48%) 

Shares of Motisons Jewellers gained on Tuesday after slipping in the previous session as investors booked profits following a recent rally triggered by the jewellery retailer’s strong June 2026 quarter performance. The company reported a 37.61% year-on-year jump in standalone net profit to Rs 11.05 crore for Q1 FY27, compared with Rs 8.03 crore a year earlier. 

Revenue also recorded healthy growth during the quarter. Sales rose 23.30% year-on-year to Rs 107.33 crore, from Rs 87.05 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The stronger increase in profit compared with revenue highlighted an improvement in earnings momentum and supported positive sentiment around the stock. 

Motisons Jewellers’ June quarter performance marked a positive start to the new financial year, with the company benefiting from continued demand across its jewellery portfolio. 

The retailer offers products across several categories, including gold, diamond, kundan, silver and platinum jewellery, allowing it to serve a broad range of customers. The growth in both sales and profitability suggests that demand remained supportive during the quarter. 

The company’s net profit growth significantly outpaced its revenue expansion during Q1 FY27. While sales increased by more than 23%, profit jumped nearly 38%, indicating stronger earnings growth during the period. 

This performance has shifted investor focus towards whether Motisons Jewellers can maintain the pace of growth through the remaining quarters of FY27. Sustaining revenue momentum while protecting profitability will be important for the company’s financial performance and investor sentiment. 

The strong quarterly numbers have helped drive renewed interest in Motisons Jewellers shares following their recent rally. However, Monday’s decline also highlighted the possibility of profit booking after the stock’s gains. 

Investors are now likely to look beyond the headline Q1 numbers and assess whether the improvement in sales and profitability can be sustained. Continued growth in consumer demand and jewellery purchases will be important for maintaining the company’s earnings trajectory. 

Going forward, revenue growth, operating margins, consumer demand and jewellery-buying trends are likely to remain key factors influencing Motisons Jewellers’ performance. 

The recent rally reflects greater optimism following the company’s strong Q1 results, but further earnings growth will be necessary to support the stock at higher valuations. 

For the stock, maintaining healthy demand while delivering consistent earnings growth will remain crucial as Motisons Jewellers moves through FY27. 

Source

• NSE