Is the interest gradually returning to these markets? Since the beginning of March, most emerging markets have seen a sharp rally. This rally was led partly by a bounce in commodity and oil prices and partly by stable currencies. While it may be premature to call the end of the emerging markets carnage, the set…
Why the worst may be over for the Indian currency… After getting perilously close to its previous low of 68.80/$, the rupee managed to bounce back sharply post the Union Budget. Large currency traders like Citigroup have expressed confidence in the rupee as a currency. This can be attributed to a mix of macro-economic fundamentals…
SEBI takes one more step towards making MFs more accountable… SEBI has taken one more step towards ensuring greater transparency for mutual fund investors. Effective October 01st 2016, all mutual funds will have to make a full disclosure of all payouts made to distributors. In addition, the mutual funds will have to also make a…
One of the key data set for identifying hidden trends in the stock markets is to look at futures & options data. It may sound to be a little esoteric but if you try to understand the basic rules of identifying trends through futures and options, you can have your own small success in trading…
The story of PSU banks can be best encapsulated with a comparison of market capitalizations. At current market prices, the market capitalization of all the PSU banks put together is less than the market cap of HDFC Bank. This, despite the fact that HDFC Bank has been in existence for just 22 years while most…
As the Nifty struggles to decisively scale the 7500 mark, the big question is what could be the trigger for the markets to go up from here. Obviously, it will have to be a mix of long range reforms, corporate earnings, soft interest policy and support from global macros. Let us look at each one…
Why are the markets celebrating them in March…? For years, these cement stocks have been the stars of a bygone era. After peaking out in 2007, the cement industry has been plagued with excess capacity and weak pricing power. The budget seems to have changed that sentiment to a large extent. Stocks like ACC, Gujarat…
But, it may be just too premature for markets to celebrate… Global markets heaved a sigh of relief when the Fed decided to hold rates. The decision to reduce the number of rate hikes from 4 to 2 in this calendar year has also gone down well with the markets. But scratch the surface and…
What exactly is wrong with the pharmaceutical stocks in India? The sector that has corrected sharply in the last few weeks is the pharma sector. At a time when the Nifty has bounced nearly 750 points from its budget-day low, the pharma sector has largely underperformed. This is ironic because over the last 5 years,…
Equity linked savings schemes (ELSS) are like any other mutual fund equity scheme with a lock-in period of 3 years. Effectively, once you invest in an ELSS fund, you cannot withdraw the money for 3 years. That is the pre-condition for availing the tax exemption under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. ELSS is…
