Why is LIC Housing Fin. falling/rising?

As of 18-Jul, LIC Housing Finance Ltd's stock price is currently at 628.00, reflecting a decrease of 10.5, or 1.64%. The stock has recently experienced a trend reversal, falling after four consecutive days of gains. Despite this decline, it has outperformed the benchmark Sensex over the past week and month, with returns of 4.05% and 4.32%, respectively. The stock is trading above its moving averages across various time frames, indicating a generally positive trend. However, it underperformed its sector today by 0.83%. Positive factors contributing to its valuation include strong quarterly results, a low debt-equity ratio, and high institutional holdings, which suggest confidence in the company's fundamentals. Conversely, the stock's significant decline of 21.12% over the past year raises concerns about its long-term growth potential, particularly given its slower sales growth compared to the market.
Broader market context indicates that while LIC Housing Finance has shown positive short-term returns, it has underperformed the broader market over the past year, where the BSE500 index recorded a slight negative return of -0.36%. The stock's performance relative to the market highlights a disparity, as its substantial decline contrasts sharply with the more stable performance of the benchmark. This underperformance, coupled with concerns about long-term growth, may contribute to investor caution, despite the company's strong recent financial results and attractive valuation metrics.