Advance Tax Numbers are good indications to pick stocks, and choose whether to hold them or not.

Below are the advance tax numbers paid by the front-line companies for Q2 FY2012 (2012-2013).

LIC of India - 1300 Crores (Vs) 1165 Crores

HDFC Bank - 1100 Crores (Vs) 800 Crores

ICICI Bank - 815 Crores (Vs) 650 Crores

Bank of Baroda - 620 Crores (Vs) 600 Crores

Dena Bank - 180 Crores (Vs) 77 Crores

Citi Bank - 400 Crores (Vs) 300 Crores

HUL - 300 Crores (Vs) 190 Crores

Ambuja Cement - 160 Crores (Vs) 95 Crores

M&M - 200 Crores (Vs) 176 Crores

Bennett Coleman - 86 Crores

Exim Bank - 140 Crores

Indus Ind Bank - 110 Crores

HSBC - 560 Crores