RVNL shares a buy? Accumulate railway stock as valuations cool, says Kranthi Bathini

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) may not be a momentum trader’s bet right now, but the stock is beginning to look attractive again for patient investors after a long phase of correction and consolidation. With RVNL hovering around the Rs 222-mark, market expert Kranthi Bathini believes the sharp froth seen in railway counters has eased, opening the door for staggered accumulation from a medium- to long-term perspective.

From market darling to consolidation play

Railway stocks were among the most chased themes in the market when investor enthusiasm around public-sector and infrastructure plays was at its peak. That frenzy, however, pushed valuations to elevated levels and left many late entrants trapped once momentum faded.

Bathini summed up the shift bluntly: “When the momentum was on earlier, everybody was chasing these stocks.” He added that once the trend took “a U-turn”, investors who entered at higher levels got stuck as the rally cooled off.

Why RVNL is back in focus

The core argument for RVNL now is not short-term reversal, but valuation comfort. According to Bathini, railway names that once traded at rich price-to-earnings multiples have seen enough moderation to warrant a fresh look, especially from investors willing to build positions gradually rather than chase quick gains.

“At these valuations, in a staggered manner, one can start adding at this point of time on a medium to longer term perspective,” Bathini said. That view reflects a broader market shift: from momentum-led buying to fundamentals-led accumulation.

Budget hopes and infrastructure visibility

A key support for the railway theme remains policy visibility. While the last two Union Budgets did not deliver the kind of blockbuster announcements that could reignite a sharp rerating in railway stocks, the structural story around rail modernisation remains intact.

Bathini pointed to expected investments in railway modernisation, track upgrades, new lines and logistics corridors as medium-term positives. “They do have the clear visibility and the valuations have moderated,” he said, suggesting that the investment case now rests more on execution visibility than speculative excitement.

What investors should watch

For investors looking at RVNL, the message is clear: this is not yet a high-conviction short-term reversal trade. Instead, it is shaping up as a gradual accumulation story in a sector that has already undergone a valuation reset.

The bigger takeaway is that railway stocks may be entering a more mature phase, where earnings visibility, government spending direction and project execution matter more than headline-driven momentum. For long-term investors, that could make RVNL worth revisiting — but only with patience and a staggered buying strategy.