Defence stocks extend winning run

New Delhi: Shares of defence-related firms, including those of drone manufacturers, makers of missiles and allied equipment, continued to attract buyers’ interest on Thursday, ending the day on a firm note.

The stock of Sika Interplant Systems zoomed 9.26 per cent, Astra Microwave Products surged 9.23 per cent, Axiscades Technologies soared 5 per cent, Taneja Aerospace & Aviation, which specialises in aerospace and aviation services, edged up 4.99 per cent, Data Patterns advanced 3.30 per cent, Paras Defence climbed 3.12 per cent, Bharat Dynamics rallied 2.35 per cent, Hindustan Aeronautics went up 2 per cent, Bharat Electronics (1.74 per cent) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam (1.55 per cent) on the BSE. Shares of drone manufacturer Droneacharya Aerial Innovations went up 2 per cent. “Defense stocks remain in focus, buoyed by strong domestic demand and rising export optimism, having gained nearly 11 per cent this week,” Siddhartha Khemka, head (research), Wealth Management, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said.