Top stocks to buy (AI image)

Stock market recommendations: According to Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, the top stock picks for the trading week (starting February 2, 2026) are ICICI Bank, and APL Apollo Tubes. Let’s take a look:

ICICI BankICICIBC continues to leverage its strong retail and corporate franchise, disciplined risk management, and superior operating metrics. With leadership continuity under Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi, the bank is well positioned to sustain healthy loan growth momentum and deliver best-in-class profitability across cycles. 3QFY26 PAT declined 4% YoY to INR113.2b, missing estimates due to one-off INR12.8b agri-related provisions.Core performance was steady, with NII, PPoP, margins, and asset quality in line, while credit trends in unsecured portfolios showed improvement. Despite one-off provisions, ICICIBC is on track to deliver ~2.2% RoA in FY26E, improving to ~2.3% over FY27–28E. We fine-tune estimates and model FY27E RoA/RoE of 2.3%/16.1%, reiterating ICICIBC as a top BUY.APL Apollo TubesAPL Apollo Tubes’ investment thesis is underpinned by its scalable manufacturing platform and entrenched market leadership, reinforced by a dual-brand approach that blends premium pricing with steady volume expansion. Capacity expansion, wider geographic reach, and increasing contribution from value-added products continue to strengthen its structural growth runway. In Q3FY26, operational performance improved meaningfully, supported by robust volume traction and a notable rise in profitability per tonne. Margin expansion reflected a richer product mix, operating leverage benefits, and tight cost controls, while effective pricing discipline ensured smooth pass-through of raw material volatility without impacting demand. Management commentary points to improving growth visibility, with confidence on sustained volume momentum, further improvement in per-tonne profitability, and expansion plans being comfortably funded through internal accruals. Overall, the company remains well positioned to sustain healthy earnings growth through the cycle.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)