Retail

DMart shares drop 3% after ₹2,600 crore block deal

1.06 percent equity changes hands; steady Q1 profit growth of 12.8 percent fails to offset ownership shift concerns.

Meera Iyer, Retail correspondent·29 August 2026·4 min read

Wide supermarket aisle with stacked grocery cartons and price tags under bright ceiling lights

Avenue Supermarts shares fell more than 3 percent on 26 August after 69.1 lakh shares, or 1.06 percent equity, changed hands in a block deal estimated at ₹2,600-2,700 crore. Buyers and sellers remained unidentified. The stock traded near ₹3,781 in afternoon deals.

The 1.06 percent stake sale hit the tape a month after DMart reported Q1 FY27 standalone net profit of ₹935.8 crore, up 12.8 percent, and revenue of ₹18,343.5 crore, up 15.1 percent. Shares had gained modestly year-to-date before the block.

Kirana competitors and DMart’s own floor managers track such deals for signals on promoter or institutional conviction. A large secondary can tighten working-capital talks with FMCG suppliers who price volume rebates on listed stability.

1.06 percent of equity changed hands in a transaction worth roughly ₹2,600-2,700 crore.

The move helps pure-play value retailers like Vishal Mega Mart by reminding markets that even the most efficient box faces ownership churn. It leaves Reliance Retail’s private status looking quieter by comparison.

Next watch is any follow-on filing or festive-season same-store sales commentary before Diwali inventory builds.

Filed under Retail·Meera Iyer

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