Which large-, mid- and small-cap stocks attracted mutual fund interest in October 2026? Check top 5 buys and sells
Mutual fund portfolios witnessed notable changes across large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks in October 2026, as fund managers increased their exposure to some companies while reducing their holdings in others.
According to the latest Fund Folio – Indian Mutual Fund Tracker report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services, mutual funds were net buyers in 32 of the 50 Nifty stocks in October 2026, accounting for 64% of the benchmark’s constituents.
The buying trend extended to mid- and small-cap stocks, with mutual funds being net buyers in 62 of the Nifty Midcap 100 constituents and 61 of the Nifty Smallcap 100 constituents, representing 62% and 61% of the respective indices.
Here are the five stocks in each market-cap segment that recorded the biggest increases and decreases in mutual fund shareholdings in October 2026.
Which large-cap stocks did mutual funds buy and sell most in October 2026?
Among large cap stocks, Max Healthcare recorded the biggest increase in mutual fund shareholdings in October 2026, with the number of shares held by mutual funds rising 15.6% month-on-month to 2.10 crore.
ITC followed, with mutual fund shareholdings increasing 13.3% to 235.41 crore shares. BSE registered a 7% increase, taking mutual fund holdings to 6.94 crore shares.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Nestle India also featured among the top five large-cap stocks that witnessed an increase in mutual fund holdings.
| Large-cap stocks bought | Shares held in October (crore) | Change MoM (%) | Large-cap stocks sold | Shares held in October (crore) | Change MoM (%) |
| Max Healthcare | 21.00 | 15.6 | HCL Technologies | 24.92 | -3.5 |
| ITC | 235.41 | 13.3 | Bajaj Auto | 1.47 | -3.4 |
| BSE | 6.94 | 7.0 | Coal India | 69.26 | -2.5 |
| Dr Reddy’s Laboratories | 13.18 | 4.9 | ONGC | 84.72 | -2.1 |
| Nestle India | 6.75 | 4.5 | Infosys | 82.13 | -2.1 |
*Source: Motilal Oswal Financial Services’ Fund Folio: Indian Mutual Fund Tracker; MoM refers to month-on-month change, comparing October 2026 with September 2026; Nifty 50 considered
On the selling side, HCL Technologies recorded the steepest decline in mutual fund shareholdings, with holdings falling 3.5% month-on-month to 24.92 crore shares.
Bajaj Auto followed with a 3.4% decline, while Coal India registered a 2.5% fall in mutual fund shareholdings. Infosys and ONGC also saw holdings decline by 2.1% each.
Which mid-cap stocks saw the most mutual fund buying and selling in October 2026?
Among mid-cap stocks, Rail Vikas Nigam recorded the biggest increase in mutual fund shareholdings in October 2026, with the number of shares held by mutual funds rising 25.4% month-on-month to 0.63 crore.
Tube Investments followed with an 18.4% increase in mutual fund shareholdings to 3.17 crore shares.
| Mid-cap stocks bought | Shares held in October (crore) | Change MoM (%) | Mid-cap stocks sold | Shares held in October (crore) | Change MoM (%) |
| Rail Vikas Nigam | 0.63 | 25.4 | Patanjali Foods | 1.52 | -47.1 |
| Tube Investments | 3.17 | 18.4 | Suzlon Energy | 74.62 | -14.7 |
| Lodha Developers | 0.81 | 17.3 | LIC Housing Finance | 8.80 | -8.2 |
| Persistent Systems | 3.51 | 9.8 | Indian Hotels Company | 16.72 | -8.0 |
| Godrej Properties | 2.10 | 9.5 | Bank of India | 16.38 | -8.0 |
*Source: Motilal Oswal Financial Services’ Fund Folio: Indian Mutual Fund Tracker; MoM refers to month-on-month change, comparing October 2026 with September 2026; Nifty Midcap 100 considered
On the selling side, Patanjali Foods recorded the steepest decline in mutual fund shareholdings, with holdings falling 47.1% month-on-month to 1.52 crore shares.
Suzlon Energy followed with a 14.7% decline, while LIC Housing Finance registered an 8.2% fall.
Which small-cap stocks saw the most mutual fund buying and selling in October 2026?
Among small-cap stocks, Cemindia Projects recorded the sharpest increase in mutual fund shareholdings in October 2026, with holdings rising 237.2% month-on-month to 1.38 crore shares.
Natco Pharma followed closely, with mutual fund shareholdings increasing 232.5% to 1.31 crore shares.
| Small-cap stocks bought | Shares held in October (crore) | Change MoM (%) | Small-cap stocks sold | Shares held in October (crore) | Change MoM (%) |
| Cemindia Projects | 1.38 | 237.2 | IDBI Bank | 0.82 | -36.4 |
| Natco Pharma | 1.31 | 232.5 | Emmvee Photovoltaic Power | 2.81 | -15.3 |
| Sagility | 73.02 | 23.1 | Chennai Petroleum Corporation | 0.05 | -15.0 |
| Anand Rathi Wealth | 1.62 | 12.5 | IIFL Finance | 0.63 | -13.2 |
| MTAR Technologies | 0.78 | 12.1 | KEC International | 4.39 | -6.3 |
*Source: Motilal Oswal Financial Services’ Fund Folio: Indian Mutual Fund Tracker; MoM refers to month-on-month change, comparing October 2026 with September 2026; Nifty Smallcap 100 considered
On the selling side, IDBI Bank recorded the steepest decline in mutual fund shareholdings, with holdings falling 36.4% month-on-month to 0.82 crore shares.
Emmvee Photovoltaic Power followed with a 15.3% decline, while Chennai Petroleum Corporation (CPCL) registered a 15% fall.
Disclaimer: This is purely for educational/informational purposes and should not be taken as any sort of investment advice. Always consult a SEBI-registered advisor before making any investment decisions.
