Technical analyst Rajesh Satpute has maintained 'buy' rating on Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited stock with a short term target of Rs 596.

The analyst said that the stock can be purchased with a stop loss of Rs 576.

The stock of the company, on December 27, closed at Rs 574.20 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The share price has seen a 52-week high of Rs 624.90 and a low of Rs 364.20 on BSE.

Current EPS & P/E ratio stood at 24.34 and 23.91 respectively.

Ranbaxy Laboratories' South African JV has pocketed a 2-year administration order to deliver HIV medications valued about Rs 603 crore.

Sonke Pharmaceuticals, in which Ranbaxy possesses around 70% equity stake, won the order from South African administration's national antiretroviral tender and will start supply from 2011.

Community Investment Holdings, a local investment fund, holds the remaining 30% equity stake in the second-biggest local dealer of ARV drugs in the country.

On Nov 30, the company bagged the final nod from the USFDA to make and sell donepezil hydrochloride, the generic edition of Aricept tabs in the potencies of 5 mg and 10 mg.

Ranbaxy stated that it has 180 days of sales exclusivity for donepezil hydrochloride in the United States.