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Penny Stocks Bought by FIIs: 5 That Caught Foreign Investors' Attention

Jul 11, 2026

Penny Stocks Bought by FIIs: 5 That Caught Foreign Investors' AttentionImage source: DNY59 /www.istockphoto.com

Some investors in the stock markets tend to watch buying and selling by Foreign Institutional Investors to gauge institutional activity.

Rising FII ownership often reflects positive views on a firm's earnings potential, governance, and long-term growth prospects, as foreign investors typically conduct extensive research before investing.

However, following any set of investors, whether research-backed or not, can be a poor trend at times. Use it as a stepping stone, rather than a "gospel truth".

Having drawn that caution, let's take a look at some penny stocks where FIIs have hiked their stake in the latest quarter for which data is available. Again, investors are warned to be cautious with penny stocks, as they can be highly volatile. If you are caught at the wrong end of the trade, you can suffer losses.

Here are 5 penny stocks where FIIs have hiked their stake.

Penny stocks mentioned in this editorial can also be high-quality companies trading at lower prices because their face values may be below Rs 10. To determine penny stocks, we have selected stocks with a price of Rs 100 or less, irrespective of their face value.

#1 Yes Bank

First on the list is Yes Bank's stock.

Yes Bank is one of India's leading private sector banks, offering retail, corporate, MSME, digital banking, treasury, and wealth management services.

Founded in 2003, the bank underwent a crisis in 2020 due to excessive corporate lending and rising bad loans. It was subsequently rescued through an RBI-led reconstruction plan backed by the State Bank of India and several other financial institutions.

Since then, YES Bank has significantly strengthened its balance sheet, reduced non-performing assets, and returned to consistent profitability.

Quarter ending FII stake in %
Jun-25 24.95
Sep-25 44.95
Dec-25 45.74
Mar-26 46.42
Source: Equitymaster

The sharp jump in FII stake in YES Bank between June 2025 (24.95%) and September 2025 (44.95%) was not due to open-market buying by multiple foreign funds. It was primarily driven by a single strategic transaction.

The key reason was the acquisition by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), which agreed to buy a significant stake in YES Bank from existing shareholders, including State Bank of India and several Indian banks.

As SMBC is a foreign entity, its holding is classified as FII/foreign ownership in the shareholding pattern, causing the foreign stake to surge in one quarter.

Moving ahead, the bank has released its latest Q1FY27 update in early July 2026. According to the same, loans and advances surged to Rs 2,853.15 bn, showing a growth of 18% YoY. Deposits, on the other hand, grew by 14.3%, almost keeping pace with loan growth.

The deposit growth is considered good, given that some banks during the same period have reported substantially lower deposit growth.

Overall, the Q1FY27 numbers of the bank reveal all-round healthy growth, a trend we have been seeing at Yes Bank over the last few quarters.

Over the years, Yes Bank's long-term prospects have improved with stronger asset quality, lower bad loans, and steady growth in deposits and advances.

However, profitability still trails larger private banks, and competition remains intense. Continued execution, higher loan growth, and improved return on equity will be crucial to narrowing the gap with leading banking peers.

To know more, check the Yes Bank fact sheet and latest quarterly results.

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