Reliance shares rise 28% this year: Time to book profits?
What's the story
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has emerged as a star performer in the Indian stock market, with its shares surging by 28% year-to-date on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The performance far outpaces the benchmark Sensex's 8% gain during the same period. On Friday, RIL shares closed at ₹1,565.10 on BSE and ₹1,564.90 on National Stock Exchange (NSE), up by 1.34% and 1.33%, respectively.
Market performance
RIL's shares near record high
RIL's shares are now close to their all-time high of ₹1,580.90, achieved on November 28 this year. The stock hit a 52-week low of ₹1,115.55 on April 7. Despite the broader market's lackluster performance this year, Reliance has piqued investor interest with its diversified business model and strong quarterly earnings reports.
Financial resilience
Reliance's Q2 FY26 results reinforce investment case
Seema Srivastava, Senior Research Analyst at SMC Global Securities, said Reliance Industries remains a structurally strong and future-focused conglomerate. She highlighted the company's Q2 FY26 results, which showed a 9% year-on-year growth in profit after tax (PAT), 16% jump in profit before tax (PBT), and 14.6% EBITDA growth. These figures underscore the resilience of its earnings engine despite global energy and chemicals market volatility.
Strategic focus
Reliance's diversified business model
Srivastava also noted that despite global cyclicality risks, Reliance's oil-to-chemicals (O2C) segment has benefited from the company's integrated refining-petrochemical complex. She said Jio continues to be a long-term growth pillar with sustained subscriber additions and rising average revenue per user (ARPU). Retail is also scaling rapidly, delivering strong double-digit revenue growth and aggressive store expansion.
Market outlook
Future growth prospects and technical indicators
Srivastava expects Reliance shares to touch ₹1,700 in a year based on an expected P/E of 25.62 and FY27 (E) EPS of ₹66.34. She said Reliance's investments in renewables, green hydrogen, advanced materials, and AI-driven initiatives indicate a strategic pivot toward future-ready businesses that could unlock significant value over the next decade. Jigar S Patel from Anand Rathi Share & Stock Brokers also observed bullish traction for Reliance at current levels with potential upside targets of ₹1,680.